Heap Meaning
/hiːp/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of people.
nounA pile or mass; a collection of things laid in a body, or thrown together so as to form an elevation.
Sentence Examples
Fan letters lay in a heap on the desk.
A delicatessen caught fire and burned down, leaving a heap of ashes.
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the harvest, there was a large ____ of apples in the barn.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The gardener left a massive ____ of dry leaves in the corner of the yard to be composted.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English hepe, from Old English hēap, from Proto-West Germanic *haup, from Proto-Germanic *haupaz (compare Dutch hoop, German Low German Hupen, German Haufen), from Proto-Indo-European *koupos (“hill”) (compare Lithuanian kaũpas, Albanian qipi (“stack”), Avestan 𐬐𐬂𐬟𐬀 (kåfa)).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"A Heap of Vassals, and Slaues: […] A People that is without Naturall Affection, […] A Nation without Morality, without Letters, Arts, or Sciences"
— 1622 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “An Advertisement Touching an Holy Warre. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC, page 104:
"He had plenty of friends, heaps of friends in the parliamentary sense"
— 1858, Anthony Trollope, Doctor Thorne. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC:
"Huge heaps of slain around the body rise."
— 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
"Every break seemed dangerous and Falcao clearly had the beating of Amorebieta. Others, being forced to stretch a foot behind them to control Arda Turan's 34th-minute cross, might simply have lashed a shot on the turn; Falcao, though, twisted back on to his left foot, leaving Amorebieta in a heap, and thumped in an inevitable finish – his 12th goal in 15 European matches this season."
— 2012 May 9, Jonathan Wilson, “Europa League: Radamel Falcao's Atlético Madrid rout Athletic Bilbao”, in the Guardian:
"a vast heap, both of places of scripture and quotations"
— 1679, Gilbert Burnet, The History of the Reformation of the Church of England:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the harvest, there was a large ____ of apples in the barn.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The gardener left a massive ____ of dry leaves in the corner of the yard to be composted.