Defn: To lean or tip to one side, as a ship; as, the ship heels aport; the boat heeled over when the squall struck it. Heeling error (Naut.), a deviation of the compass caused by the heeling of an iron vessel to one side or the other.
HEEL
Heel, n. Etym: [OE. hele, heele, AS. hela, perh. for hohila, fr. AS.
heh heel (cf. Hough); but cf. D. hiel, OFries. heila, h, Icel. hæll,
Dan. hæl, Sw. häl, and L. calx. sq. root12. Cf. Inculcate.]
1. The hinder part of the foot; sometimes, the whole foot; — in man or quadrupeds. He [the stag] calls to mind his strength and then his speed, His winged heels and then his armed head. Denham.
2. The hinder part of any covering for the foot, as of a shoe, sock, etc.; specif., a solid part projecting downward from the hinder part of the sole of a boot or shoe.
3. The latter or remaining part of anything; the closing or concluding part. "The heel of a hunt." A. Trollope. "The heel of the white loaf." Sir W. Scott.
4. Anything regarded as like a human heel in shape; a protuberance; a knob.
5. The part of a thing corresponding in position to the human heel; the lower part, or part on which a thing rests; especially: (a) (Naut.) The after end of a ship's keel. (b) (Naut.) The lower end of a mast, a boom, the bowsprit, the sternpost, etc. (c) (Mil.) In a small arm, the corner of the but which is upwards in the firing position. (d) (Mil.) The uppermost part of the blade of a sword, next to the hilt. (e) The part of any tool next the tang or handle; as, the heel of a scythe.
6. (Man.)
Defn: Management by the heel, especially the spurred heel; as, the horse understands the heel well.
7. (Arch.)
(a) The lower end of a timber in a frame, as a post or rafter. In the
United States, specif., the obtuse angle of the lower end of a rafter
set sloping.
(b) A cyma reversa; — so called by workmen. Gwilt. Heel chain
(Naut.), a chain passing from the bowsprit cap around the heel of the
jib boom.
— Heel plate, the butt plate of a gun.
— Heel of a rafter. (Arch.) See Heel, n., 7.
— Heel ring, a ring for fastening a scythe blade to the snath.
— Neck and heels, the whole body. (Colloq.) — To be at the heels
of, to pursue closely; to follow hard: as, hungry want is at my
heels. Otway.
— To be down at the heel, to be slovenly or in a poor plight.
— To be out at the heels, to have on stockings that are worn out;
hence, to be shabby, or in a poor plight. Shak.
— To cool the heels. See under Cool.
— To go heels over head, to turn over so as to bring the heels
uppermost; hence, to move in a inconsiderate, or rash, manner.
— To have the heels of, to outrun.
— To lay by the heels, to fetter; to shackle; to imprison. Shak.
Addison.
— To show the heels, to flee; to run from.
— To take to the heels, to flee; to betake to flight.
— To throw up another's heels, to trip him. Bunyan.
— To tread upon one's heels, to follow closely. Shak.