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heaveHEAVE, v.t. heev. pret. heaved, or hove; pp. heaved, hove, formerly hoven. [Gr. to breathe.] To heave ahead, to draw ship forwards. To heave astern, to cause to recede; to draw back. To heave down, to throw or lay down on one side; to careen. To heave out, to throw out. With seamen, to loose or unfurl a sail, particularly the stay-sails. To heave in stays, in tacking, to bring a ship's head to the wind. To heave short, to draw so much of a cable into the ship, as that she is almost perpendicularly above the anchor. To heave a strain, to work at the windlass with unusual exertion. To heave taught, to turn a capstern, &c. till the rope becomes straight. [See Taught and Tight.] To heave to, to bring the ship's head to the wind, and stop her motion. To heave up, to relinquish; [so to throw up;] as, to heave up a design. [Vulgar.] HEAVE, v.i. heev. To swell, distend or dilate; as, a horse heaves in panting. Hence, To heave in sight, to appear; to make its first appearance; as a ship at sea, or as a distant object approaching or being approached. We observe that this verb has often the sense of raising or rising in an arch or circular form, as in throwing and in distention, and from this sense is derived its application to the apparent arch over our heads, heaven. HEAVE, n. heev. A rising or swell; an exertion or effort upward. |