heel

SayHEEL/hil/UK/hiːl/

Pluralheels

Verbheels, heeling, heeled

31 meanings of heel

Practice

1
back of footnouncountable
The back part of your foot, below the ankle.
Like the back corner of your foot that touches the ground first when you step down.
She landed hard on her heel and felt a sharp pain.
My new shoes rubbed against both heels.
Note
2
women's dress shoenouncountable
A woman's shoe with a tall, raised back part.
She tried on a red heel, but it hurt her toes.
These heels are too high for me to walk in.
UsageSay you wear heels or walk in heels.
Oppositeflat
3
raised shoe partnouncountable
The raised part at the back of a shoe that sits under your foot.
The heel on her boot had worn down completely.
He glued the loose heel back onto his shoe.
4
wrestling villainnounslangcountable
In wrestling, a fighter who plays the bad guy that the crowd loves to boo.
Like the villain in a movie that the audience loves to hate.
The crowd booed loudly when the heel entered the ring.
He played the heel for years before becoming a fan favorite.
UsageA wrestler can play the heel or turn heel.
Similarvillain, baddie
Oppositeface, babyface
Note
5
verbtransitive or intransitive
When a dog heels, it walks close beside your feet, usually because you told it to.
She taught her dog to heel beside her on every walk.
Our old dog will heel nicely unless he spots a squirrel.
UsageYou say Heel! to make a dog walk close beside you.
6
back of socknouncountable
The back part of a sock that covers your heel.
There was a hole in the heel of my sock.
She darned the worn heels of her wool socks.
7
kick backwardverbtransitive
To kick something using the back of your foot.
He tried to heel the ball back to his teammate.
She heeled the door shut while carrying the groceries.
UsageOften say where it goes: heel the ball back.
Similarkick
Note

Less common meanings

8
selfish personnouncolloquialcountable
A mean, selfish person who treats other people badly.
Like the bully in a story everyone wants to see lose.
He was such a heel for lying to his best friend.
Only a heel would leave her stranded like that.
UsagePeople often say they feel like a heel after doing something mean.
Similarjerk, louse, rat, cad, creep
Note
9
base of palmnouncountable
The lower part of your palm, near the wrist.
She pushed the door open with the heel of her hand.
He pressed the dough flat using the heel of his palm.
UsageSay the heel of your hand.
10
bread endnoundialectalAustraliaIrelandScotlandUScountable
The end piece of a loaf of bread, with crust on one side.
Nobody in the family wanted to eat the heel of the loaf.
She used the heel to soak up the last of the soup.
Similarend, crust
Note
11
tip sideways (ship)verbintransitive
To lean or tilt to one side, like a boat does.
Like a bicycle leaning over as it goes around a corner.
The boat began to heel as the wind grew stronger.
Strong gusts made the small yacht heel sharply.
UsageA boat heels over in a strong wind.
Similarlean, tilt, list, cant
Note
12
amount of leannouncountable or uncountable
The leaning of a boat or ship over to one side.
Like how a bike leans over when you turn a corner fast.
A sudden gust caused a sharp heel to one side.
The crew felt the heel grow as the wind picked up.
Similarlist, tilt, lean, cant
Note
13
repair shoesverbtransitive
To put a new heel on a shoe or boot, or to make its heel bigger.
The cobbler offered to heel my old boots for a few dollars.
They heeled the worn shoes before the long trip.
14
guitar necknouncountable
The thicker part where a guitar or violin neck joins the body.
The luthier sanded the heel until it felt smooth.
A crack near the heel made the guitar hard to play.
Note
15
bottom bunnounUScountable
The bottom half of a bun after it is sliced across.
She buttered the heel of the bun before adding the burger.
Put the meat on the heel of the bun, then add the lettuce.
Oppositecrown, top
Note
16
golf club partnouncountable
The part of a golf club's face that is closest to the shaft.
Like the corner of the club nearest the handle.
She caught the ball on the heel of her club and it sliced badly.
A worn spot on the heel showed where every shot was landing.
Oppositetoe
Note
17
bad golf shotverbtransitive
To hit a golf ball with the part of the club nearest the shaft.
On the last hole, he heeled his drive into the trees.
If you heel your shots, they lose distance.
Note
18
gun stocknouncountable
The upper back part of a gun's stock, near the shoulder.
He rested the heel of the rifle against his shoulder.
A small dent marked the heel of the old shotgun.
Note
19
axe cornernouncountable
The lower corner of an axe blade, near the handle, not the top corner.
He sharpened the heel of the axe more carefully than the rest.
The heel of the axe chipped when it hit a hidden stone.
Oppositetoe
Note
20
nouncountable
In building, the bottom end of a wooden post or roof beam, where it sits on the wall.
The carpenter notched the heel of each rafter.
Water had rotted the heel of the corner post.
Similarfoot
Note
21
short sidenouncountable
The shorter side of a cut made at an angle.
He measured the heel of the miter before nailing it.
I measured from the heel, the short side of the angled cut.
Oppositetoe
Note
22
flat (wool machine)nouncountable
The edge of a carding machine's flat that sits closest to the big rotating cylinder.
The technician measured the gap at the heel of each flat.
Dust collected along the heel of each flat.
23
verbrare
To perform a dance or step mainly with the heels.
I cannot sing, Nor heel the high lavolt.
c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”
24
nounrare
A rounded lump or bump shaped like the back of a foot.
25
nounrare
The angled wooden joint where a boat's keel meets the upright post at the stern.
26
nounobsolete
In a card game, the pile of cards kept aside to use later.
27
verbobsolete
To make a fair catch with one foot forward, the heel down and the toe up.
28
nounobsolete
A strip of molding whose edge bulges out at the top and curves in at the bottom.
Talon: Heel moulding or ogee
1891, Vignola, Practical Elementary Treatise on Architecture
29
verb
To put a sharp metal spur on a fighting rooster.
30
verbUS
At Yale, to work on a student paper while trying to join it.
31
verbrare
To cover or hide something.
In the late fall the seedlings may be dug and heeled in very closely until all the leaves have dropped.
1913, Indian School Journal

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of heel apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–10, 13–22

From Old English hēla, going back to Proto-Germanic words meaning heel or hock. Related to words in Dutch (hiel) and German.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

Heel derives from Old English hēla. en.wiktionary.org
Its ancestry includes Proto-Germanic words meaning heel or hock. en.wiktionary.org
Heel is related to Dutch hiel. en.wiktionary.org
Heel has relatives in German. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 11–12

Probably came from an old word hield, from Old English hyldan meaning "to incline" or lean.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

Heel probably derives from the older word hield. en.wiktionary.org
Hield derives from Old English hyldan. en.wiktionary.org
Old English hyldan meant to incline or lean. en.wiktionary.org