heel

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   tilt to one side

   The balloon heeled over

2. 2
   verb

   put a new heel on

   heel shoes

3. 3
   verb

   strike with the heel of the club

   heel a golf ball

4. 4
   verb

   perform with the heels

   heel that dance

5. 5
   noun

   The rear part of the foot, where it joins the leg.

   He [the stag] calls to mind his strength and then his speed, / His winged heels and then his armed head.

6. 6
   noun

   The part of the palm of a hand closest to the wrist.

   He drove the heel of his hand into the man's nose.

7. 7
   noun

   A high-heeled shoe.

   She'd been wearing heels, and fell backward off her right heel and twisted or broke her ankle.

8. 8
   noun

   The last or lowest part of anything.

   the heel of a mast

Etymology

From Middle English hele, from Old English hēla, from Proto-West Germanic *hą̄hilō, from Proto-Germanic *hanhilaz, diminutive of Proto-Germanic *hanhaz (“heel, hock”), equivalent to hock + -le. More at hock. Compare North Frisian haiel, West Frisian hyl, Dutch hiel, German Low German Hiel, Danish and Norwegian hæl, Swedish häl.