Dictionary

heartstrings en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈhɑɹtˌstɹɪŋz/ (General-American)
• /ˈhɑːtstɹɪŋz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

PIE word *ḱḗr From Late Middle English hartestrynges, hert strynges, from Middle English herte (“heart”) + strenges, strynges (“cords, strings”). The English word is analysable as heart + strings.

Meanings

1. (historical, plural, plural-normally) The tendons or other structures resembling cords once thought to be attached to, or to brace, the heart; especially the aorta, pulmonary artery, and other large arteries connected to them; also, the diaphragm.
   • Once she sprang as the heifer springs / With the wolf's teeth at its red heart-strings: / First 'twas fire in her breast and brain, / And then scarce hers but the whole world's pain, / As she gave one shriek and sank again. 1871 September (date written), Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “Rose Mary”, in Ballads and Sonnets, London: Ellis and White, […], published 1881, →OCLC, part II, page 33:
   • Harte ſtrynges uenies de cuevr. [1530 July 28 (Gregorian calendar), Iohan Palsgraue [i.e., John Palsgrave], “The Table of Substantyues”, in Lesclarcissement de la langue francoyse⸝ […], [London]: […] [Richard Pynson] fynnysshed by Iohan Haukyns, →OCLC, 3rd boke, folio xxxix, recto, column 1; reprinted Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, October 1972, →OCLC:
   • The Ueynes are ſpred foorth throughout the whole bodie, howbeit from one welhead, that is to ſay from the Liuer: ſo be the Sinews, howbeit from the Brayne; So likewiſe are the Heartſtrings, howbeit from the Heart. 1587, Philip of Mornay [i.e., Philippe de Mornay], “That there is but Onely One God”, in Philip Sidney, Arthur Golding, transl., A Woorke Concerning the Trewnesse of the Christian Religion, […], London: […] [John Charlewood and] George Robinson for Thomas Cadman, […], →OCLC, page 18:
   • The midriffe and heart-ſtrings do burn and beat very fearfully, and vvhen this vapour or fume is ſtirred, flyeth upvvard, the heart it ſelf beats, is ſore grieved, and faints, […] 1638, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Symptomes of Maids, Nunnes, and Widows Melancholy”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy. […], 5th edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [Robert Young, Miles Flesher, and Leonard Lichfield and William Turner] for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 1, section 3, member 2, subsection 4, page 202:
2. (broadly, plural, plural-normally) Synonym of chordae tendineae (“the cord-like tendons that connect the papillary muscles to the tricuspid valve and the mitral valve in the heart”).
   • [M]y precious Toby Chihuahua, soon to be twelve years old, had a heart attack. As a result, one or more of his chordae tendineae, or heartstrings, ruptured. Until very recently, this condition was curtains for a dog, but new meds are keeping him alive for now. 2014 February 15, Crissy Shreve, chapter 5, in BMom: Lovely Weeds, Bloomington, Ind.: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 56:
   • Joined to the free ends of the AV [atrioventricular] valves are a number of cords called chordae tendineae (heart strings) attaching them to muscles in the wall of the ventricle. The heart strings keep the AV flaps pointing in the direction of the blood flow, stopping them being turned "inside out" and forced through the atria. The semilunar valves do not have heart strings. Blood flowing the wrong way makes the cusps balloon out so that their edges seal tight. 2005, “Section 2: Heart”, in The Facts on File Illustrated Guide to the Human Body: Heart and Circulatory System, New York, N.Y.: Facts on File, →ISBN, page 40:
   • The atrioventricular valves are prevented from turning inside out by strands of connective tissue, which run from their underside to the walls of the ventricle. These are the so-called heartstrings or chordae tendin[e]ae. 2002, “Applied Physiology A”, in Beryl Stretch, editor, BTEC National Health Studies, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Heinemann Educational Publishers, →ISBN, page 481:
3. (figuratively, plural, plural-normally) The source of one's deepest emotions or inner feelings, especially compassion or love.
   • If I'm all agitato, / Ev'ry heartstring vibrato, / Ev'ry look passionato— / Who but you made me so? 1964 September, Ira Gershwin, “Sophia”, in Robert Kimball, editor, The Complete Lyrics of Ira Gershwin (A Borzoi Book), New York, N.Y.: Alfred A[braham] Knopf, published 1993, →ISBN, page 383, column 1:
   • Soone as ſhe heard the name of Artegall, / Her hart did leape, and all her hart-ſtrings tremble, / For ſudden ioy, and ſecret feare vvithall, […] 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 29, page 88:
   • Heaven ſend your heart-ſtrings ay in tune, / And ſcrew your temper-pins aboon / A fifth or mair, […] 1786 October 30 (date written), Robert Burns, “Epistle to Major [William] Logan”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, volume III (Posthumous Poems), Kilmarnock, Scotland: […] James M‘Kie, published 1869, →OCLC, stanza 4, page 290:
   • The sad eyes of the orphan tugged at my heartstrings.
   • Okay, okay. Untie him before Hannelore busts a heartstring. 2011 April 21, Jeph Jacques, “Sob Story”, in Questionable Content, number 1909 (webcomic), archived from the original on 17 Aug 2024:
   • She's gone, and pull'd my heart-ſtrings as ſhe vvent. 1669 June (first performance), John Dryden, Tyrannick Love, or, The Royal Martyr. […], London: […] H[enry] Herringman, […], published 1670, →OCLC, Act V, page 57:
   • [T]he Regret of parting vvith a young VVoman, vvhom he loved as tenderly as he did his Heartſtrings […] 1742, Henry Fielding, “What Happened to Joseph during His Sickness at the Inn, with the Curious Discourse between Him and Mr. Barnabas the Parson of the Parish”, in The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams. […], volume I, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book I, page 79:
   • [M]y father remained at home, and, though too conscientious ever to become rich as a small tea-dealer, by his kindliness of manner and winning ways he made the heartstrings of his children twine around him as firmly as if he had possessed, and could have bestowed upon them, every worldly advantage. 1857, David Livingstone, “Introduction”, in Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa; […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 3:
   • And that thing made of ſound and ſhovv / VVhich mortals have miſnamed A Beau, / (But in the language of the ſky / Is call'd a tvvolegg'd butterfly) / VVill make your very heartſtrings ake / VVith loud and everlaſting clack, […] 1766, James Beattie, “[Miscellany Poems.] The Wolf and Shepherds, a Fable.”, in Poems on Several Subjects. […], new edition, London: […] W. Johnston, […], →OCLC, stanza 3, pages 113–114:
   • For thee thou faireſt, yet the falſeſt vvoman, / That ever broke mans heart-ſtrings. c. 1615–1616, Thomas Middleton, John Fletcher, “The Nice Valour, or, The Passionate Mad-man”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 151, column 1:
4. (archaic, figuratively, plural, plural-normally) The essential or vital part of something; the core, the essence, the heart.
   • And for to ſeeke out gemmes and ſome little ſtones, vve ſtrike pits deep vvithin the ground. Thus vvee plucke the very heart-ſtrings out of her [the Earth], and all to vveare on our finger one gemme or precious ſtone, to fulfill our pleaſure and deſire. 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book II.] Of Earth and the Nature thereof.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 30:

Forms

Deriveds

play on someone's heartstrings · pull at someone's heartstrings · tug at someone's heartstrings

Synonyms

punctum saliens · core · kernel · nuts and bolts · marrow · gravamen · tenor · bowels · soul · gist · moral of the story · heart · crux · guts · pith · inwardness · heart and soul · brass tacks · substance · quintessence · nitty-gritty · stuff · chordae tendineae · drift · spirit · sum · meat · nub · essence · heartstring · heartstrings

Translations (12)

nb hjerterøtter (tendons or other structures resembling cords once thought to be attached to, or to brace, the heart) · ru серде́чные стру́ны (tendons or other structures resembling cords once thought to be attached to, or to brace, the heart) · de innerste Gefühle (source of one’s deepest emotions or inner feelings) · ja 琴線 (source of one’s deepest emotions or inner feelings) · ja 琴線 (tendons or other structures resembling cords once thought to be attached to, or to brace, the heart) · ru тайники́ души́ (source of one’s deepest emotions or inner feelings) · fi sydänjuuret (source of one’s deepest emotions or inner feelings) · fi sydämen jänteet (tendons or other structures resembling cords once thought to be attached to, or to brace, the heart) · nb hjerterøtter (source of one’s deepest emotions or inner feelings) · cmn 心弦 (source of one’s deepest emotions or inner feelings) · ru глубоча́йшие чу́вства (source of one’s deepest emotions or inner feelings) · cmn 心弦 (tendons or other structures resembling cords once thought to be attached to, or to brace, the heart)