• Height

    Pronunciation

    • enPR: hÄ«t, IPA: /haɪt/
    • Rhymes: -aɪt
    • Homophones: hight

    Alternative forms

    Origin

    From the older heighth, from Old English hīehþu, from Proto-Germanic *hauhiþō (cf. *hauhaz), cognate to Old Norse and Icelandic hæð (cf. Swedish höjd, Norwegian høyde), Dutch hoogte, Old High German hohida, Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌷𐌹𐌸𐌰. Corresponds to high + -th.

    Full definition of height

    Noun

    height

    (countable and uncountable; plural heights)
    1. The distance from the base of something to the top.
      • Robert FrostHappiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.
      • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 5, He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, …, the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts.
    2. The vertical distance from the ground to the highest part of a standing person or animal (withers in the case of a horse).
    3. The highest point or maximum degree.
      • 2011, October 29, Neil Johnston, Norwich 3 - 3 Blackburn, If City never quite reached the heights of their 6-1 demolition of United, then Roberto Mancini's side should still have had this game safe long before Johnson restored their two-goal advantage.
    4. She's at the height of her career.
    5. (Sussex) An area of land at the top of a cliff.

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