heeled
heeled — verb
- heeledpresent simple I / you / we / they
- heeleds3rd person singular
- heeleding-ing form
- heelededpast simple
1. to fix a shoe or boot by replacing or rebuilding the small raised block at the b
to fix a shoe or boot by replacing or rebuilding the small raised block at the back of its sole.
The cobbler heeled Yasmin's leather boots in under an hour.
transitive: heel + [footwear]
Faisal heeled his old hiking shoes before the trip to Nepal.
A small shop near the train station will heel any shoe for ten dollars.
Cole asked the shoemaker to heel his wedding shoes with thicker rubber.
文法句型
heel + [shoe/boot]
用法筆記
Object is always a piece of footwear (shoe, boot, sandal). Distinguish from sense 3, which takes an animal or person as object.
常見錯誤
2. in rugby, to push a ball backward to your own team using your heel during a scru
in rugby, to push a ball backward to your own team using your heel during a scrum.
The scrum-half heeled the ball cleanly to Romi, who passed it down the line.
rugby: heel + the ball (to a teammate)
Ramón heeled the ball back so quickly that the other team had no time to react.
Coaches teach young players to heel the ball with the inside of the boot.
Sivan heeled the ball during the scrum and won possession for the visiting team.
- hook
in rugby, often used as a near-synonym for the same scrum action
文法句型
heel + the ball
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively about rugby scrums. Object is always 'the ball'. Distinguish from sense 4 (about boats tilting), where there is no ball.
常見錯誤
3. to walk just behind someone or something, often to drive a slow animal forward b
to walk just behind someone or something, often to drive a slow animal forward by snapping at its back feet.
Roya's border collie heeled the sheep across the wide green field toward the gate.
transitive: heel + [livestock]
A small terrier heeled Mayumi's grandfather all the way to the village market.
The shepherd trained his dog to heel the goats whenever they wandered off the path.
Two ranch dogs heeled the cattle slowly toward the wooden barn at sunset.
- trail
more general; trail does not include the nipping-at-feet meaning
文法句型
heel + [animal/person]
用法筆記
Subject is typically a herding dog. The object is usually a slow or stray animal. Different from sense 1, which is about repairing footwear, not about following.
常見錯誤
4. of a sailing boat, to tip over sideways in the water; also, to make such a boat
of a sailing boat, to tip over sideways in the water; also, to make such a boat tip sideways, usually because of strong wind.
The small sailboat heeled sharply when a strong gust crossed the bay.
intransitive: [boat] heeled (sharply / over)
Élise heeled the racing yacht as far as she dared during the final leg.
transitive: heel + [boat]
The yacht heeled over so far that water poured across the wooden deck.
Jude felt the boat heel beneath his feet as the wind hit the main sail.
- right
right means to return upright after heeling
文法句型
heel (over)
heel + [boat] (over)
用法筆記
Frequently used with the particle 'over'. Subject (intransitive) or object (transitive) is almost always a boat. Distinguish from sense 3, which takes an animal.
常見錯誤
heeled — noun
1. the rounded part at the very back of your foot, below your ankle; also, the matc
the rounded part at the very back of your foot, below your ankle; also, the matching back part of an animal's foot or leg.
Amelia rubbed cream into her heel after walking around the city all day.
Christopher cut his heel on a sharp shell at the beach near Kaohsiung.
The horse lifted its right back leg, and Kenji checked the heel for stones.
Théo stood on his heels and reached for the top shelf in the kitchen.
- toe
the toe is the front part of the foot; the heel is the back part
用法筆記
Often used with possessives ('my heel', 'his heels') because heels belong to a specific body. The plural 'heels' often refers to both feet together.
常見錯誤
2. the section of a sock, stocking, or shoe that wraps around your heel.
the section of a sock, stocking, or shoe that wraps around your heel.
Emma noticed a small hole in the heel of her favorite cotton sock.
collocation: heel of [a sock / a shoe]
The heel of Jason's right sneaker was already worn smooth after one month.
Heloísa sewed a soft patch onto the heel of the school sock for her daughter.
The heel of this hiking boot is reinforced with extra leather for support.
- toe
the toe is the corresponding front part of a sock or shoe
用法筆記
Typically used with 'of' + the footwear item (heel of a sock, heel of a shoe). Distinguish from sense 3, which is the raised block under that part.
常見錯誤
3. the solid block fixed beneath your shoe at the back, which lifts you upward off
the solid block fixed beneath your shoe at the back, which lifts you upward off the ground; tall ones make you look taller.
Yasmin chose flat shoes because the tall heels hurt her feet after a few hours.
Yan tripped on the cobblestones because the heels of her boots were very thin.
Faisal sells shoes with rubber heels for workers who stand all day.
The heel of the cowboy boot was about two inches high and made of polished wood.
用法筆記
Often modified by a height adjective (high, low, tall) or a material (rubber, leather, wooden). Distinguish from sense 2, which is the fabric or upper part covering the heel of the foot.
常見錯誤
4. a man whose behavior toward others, especially women, is selfish, dishonest, or
a man whose behavior toward others, especially women, is selfish, dishonest, or unkind.
Romi finally left her boyfriend after years of putting up with a complete heel.
Anyone who lies to his own family that often is a real heel in my opinion.
register: informal; often with 'real' or 'complete'
Ramón refused to lend money to the heel who had cheated his sister last year.
The novel's main character is a charming heel who breaks the hearts of three different women.
- gentleman
old-fashioned positive opposite; refers to a man who treats others well
用法筆記
Informal and slightly old-fashioned. Almost always used about men. Often appears with 'real', 'complete', or 'absolute'. Note this is not the body-part sense.
常見錯誤
5. the fleshy raised area on your palm right next to your wrist, on the same side a
the fleshy raised area on your palm right next to your wrist, on the same side as the little finger.
Sivan pressed the heel of her hand against the heavy door to push it open.
collocation: the heel of (one's) hand
Roya kneaded the bread dough using the heel of her right hand on the wooden table.
Mayumi rubbed her tired eyes with the heel of her hand after a long flight.
Self-defense teachers often show how to strike upward with the heel of the hand.
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'the heel of (one's / the) hand'. Distinct from sense 1 (foot) and sense 3 (shoe).
常見錯誤
6. the hard piece at either tip of a bread loaf, or a similar last leftover bit of
the hard piece at either tip of a bread loaf, or a similar last leftover bit of a food item.
Élise gave the dry heel of the bread to the small brown sparrows in the garden.
Jude always saves the heel of the loaf for his grandmother, who loves the crispy taste.
collocation: heel of the loaf / bread
Only the heel of the cheese was left in the fridge by Sunday evening.
Amelia toasted the heel of the bread and spread butter and jam on top.
用法筆記
Often appears in 'the heel of the loaf / bread'. Extended figuratively to the last hard or end piece of other foods. Different from sense 7, which is a ship part.
常見錯誤
7. the bottom tip of the mast on a ship; also, the rear tip of the long beam runnin
the bottom tip of the mast on a ship; also, the rear tip of the long beam running along the ship's underside.
Christopher inspected the heel of the mast for rotten wood before the long voyage began.
collocation: heel of the mast / keel
The heel of the keel was damaged when the ship struck the shallow reef.
Kenji fitted a metal cap onto the heel of the mast to protect it from sea water.
Sailors check the heel of the mast every spring on this old wooden fishing boat.
- foot
in sailing, 'foot of the mast' is sometimes used as an informal alternative
- head
the head of the mast is the top end; the heel is the bottom end
用法筆記
Technical sailing term. Almost always 'heel of the mast' or 'heel of the keel'. Different from sense 6 (bread) and from the verb sense 4 (boat tilting).