[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/heaves/)

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# heaves

verb form (heave, heaves, heaved, heaving — sailors also use hove); noun (plural of heave; the heaves)

«heaves» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (verb) Lifts, pulls or throws something heavy with great effort. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#m1)
2. (verb) Rises and falls strongly, like the sea or someone's chest when breathing hard. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#m2)
3. (verb, with sigh) «Heaves a sigh» means lets out a big, deep sigh. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#m3)
4. (verb) Tries to be sick; retches. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#m4)
5. (noun) Big efforts to pull or lift; «the heaves» (informal) means retching. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#m5)

### In the lessons

Used in stories and everyday life: «he heaves the sack onto his back», «she heaves a sigh of relief», «the sea heaves». In PE, team games like tug-of-war use «Heave!» for a big pull. Sailors shout «Heave ho!»

### Examples

- He heaves the heavy box onto the shelf. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#x1)
- The sea heaves and rolls in the storm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#x2)
- Mum heaves a sigh of relief when we get home. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#x3)
- The barge-woman heaves Toad into the canal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#x4)
- «One, two, three — heave!» shouted the tug-of-war captain. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#x5)
- After the fairground ride, Sam gets the heaves. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#x6)
- His chest heaves as he finishes the race. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/#x7)

### Note

Third-person form of «heave»: he heaves, she heaves. Past: heaved (usually); «hove» is used by sailors («hove into view» = came into sight). Sense 4 is about feeling sick; say «retching» in science.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «heaves» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heaves/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«heaves» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/heaves.html) on Mova free.