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height

n.
US //ˈhaɪt// UK //hˈaɪt// height
  1. 1 stature or tallness (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    how tall a person or an object is from the bottom to the top.

    the vertical measurement of an object or person from the base to the highest point.

    Example

    The doctor measured the boy's height and weight during the check-up.

    Example

    The architect specified the exact height of the ceiling to ensure the room felt spacious without being difficult to heat.
    Pitfall
    He is six feet of high.
    He is six feet in height.

    Use the noun 'height' after a measurement, or the adjective 'tall'. Do not use 'high' for a person's stature.

  2. 2 altitude (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the distance of something above the ground or sea level.

    the vertical distance of an object or point above a specified reference level, such as the ground or sea level.

    Example

    The plane flew at a height of 30,000 feet.

    Example

    At such a significant height, the oxygen levels in the atmosphere begin to drop, making physical exertion much more difficult for climbers.
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  1. 3 the peak or strongest point (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the time when something is at its strongest or most successful.

    the point of greatest intensity, success, or completion of a state or activity.

    Example

    She was at the height of her career when she won the award.

    Example

    During the height of the summer heatwave, the city's power grid struggled to meet the unprecedented demand for air conditioning.
  2. 4 a high place (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Literary

    a place that is very high up, like the top of a mountain.

    a high point or area of high ground; often used in the plural to describe a mountainous region.

    Example

    From the heights of the tower, you can see the whole city.

    Example

    The hikers gazed out from the rocky heights, watching the clouds drift through the valley far below them.
  3. 5 geometry (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Technical Math

    the distance from the bottom of a shape to its top.

    the perpendicular distance from the base of a geometric figure to the opposite vertex or side.

    Example

    To find the area of a triangle, you must multiply the base by the height.

    Example

    The student calculated the volume of the cylinder by first determining the height of the central axis.
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kewk- Proto-Indo-European *kówk-o-s Proto-Germanic *hauhaz Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂der. Proto-Germanic *-iþō Proto-Germanic *hauhiþō Proto-West Germanic *hauhiþu Old English hīehþu Middle English heighte English height From Middle English heighte, heiȝþe, from Old English hēahþu, hēhþo, hīehþu (“height”), Proto-West Germanic hauhiþu, from Proto-Germanic hauhiþō (compare *hauhaz). Equivalent to high + -t (abstract nominal suffix). The regular pronunciation is now obsolete /heɪt/ (as with other words in -eight); the modern form developed early on, at first as a variant, by analogy with the underlying adjective. Cognates See also Saterland Frisian Höchte, Hööchte (“height”), West Frisian hichte (“height”), Dutch hoogte (“height”), Middle High German hœhede, hœhte (“height”), Old Norse hæð (“height”) (compare Swedish höjd, Norwegian høyde), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌷𐌹𐌸𐌰 (hauhiþa, “height”).

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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