Dictionary

hield en · VERB · etymology 1

Etymology

From Middle English heelden, helden, from Old English hieldan, heldan (“to lean, incline, slope, force downwards, bow or bend down”), from Proto-West Germanic *halþijan, from Proto-Germanic *halþijaną (“to bend, incline, pour, empty”), from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to tilt, tip, incline”). Cognate with Dutch hellen (“to incline”), Low German hellen (“to incline”), Middle High German helden (“to incline”), Danish hælde (“to tilt, lean, slant, slope”), Swedish hälla (“to tilt, pour”), Icelandic halla (“incline, lean sideways, heel over”), Icelandic hella (“to pur”). See also heel.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To bend; incline; tilt (as a water-vessel or ship); heel.
2. (transitive) To pour out; pour.
3. (transitive) To throw; cast; put.
4. (intransitive) To bow; bend; incline; tilt or cant over.
5. (intransitive) To decline; sink; go down.
6. (intransitive) To yield; give way; surrender.

Forms

Relateds

hade · heel

Synonyms

warp · jerk · cast · lob · chunk · shy · throw · chuck · feck · wing · launch · whang · dash · bung · cook · pitch · peck · fling · slight · skew · huck · pick · dump · project · yeet · toss · peg · hurtle · traject · sling · fling · hurl · whop · whip · hurl · hield · heave · thrill · quoit · hoy · precipitate

hield en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

From Middle English held, from Old English hielde (“slope, declivity”), from Proto-Germanic *halþijōn, *halþijō (“inclination, slope”), from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to tilt, tip, incline”). Cognate with German Halde (“slope”), Danish hæld (“an incline, slope”).

Meanings

1. An inclination; a cant.
2. (UK, dialectal) An incline; slope.
3. A decline; decrease; wane.

Forms