heavy
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: hevʹi
ipa: /ˈhɛv.i/
ipa: /ˈhev.i/
rhymes: -ɛvi
Forms: form: heavies
form: heavys
Etymology: From Middle English hevy, heviȝ, from Old English hefiġ, hefeġ, hæfiġ (“heavy; important, grave, severe, serious; oppressive, grievous; slow, dull”), from Proto-West Germanic *habīg (“heavy, hefty, weighty”), from Proto-Germanic *habīgaz (“heavy, hefty, weighty”), from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂p- (“to take, grasp, hold”). Related to have.
Cognate with Scots hevy, havy, heavy (“heavy”), Saterland Frisian heeuwich, häwich (“violent, angry”), West Frisian hevich (“violent”), Dutch hevig (“violent, severe, intense, acute”), German Low German hevig (“violent, fierce, intense, angry”), German hebig (compare heftig (“fierce, severe, intense, violent, heavy”)), Icelandic höfugur (“heavy, weighty, important”), Latin capāx (“large, wide, roomy, spacious, capacious, capable, apt”).
Compare typologically Russian объёмный (obʺjómnyj), ёмкий (jómkij) (akin to име́ть (imétʹ), взять (vzjatʹ)).
Senses: examples: text: With his wrinkled, uneven face, the actor always seemed to play the heavy in films.
glosses: A villain or bad guy; the one responsible for evil or aggressive acts.
examples: text: A fight started outside the bar but the heavies came out and stopped it.
glosses: A doorman, bouncer or bodyguard.
examples: text: A collection of topical themes and love songs, featuring session work by women's music "heavies" Holly Near, Mary Watkins, Linda Tillery, Robin Flower, and others.
ref: 1985 December 21, Nan Donald, “Flat-picking up a Storm”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 23, page 6:
glosses: A prominent figure; a "major player".
examples: text: The comment may be offered here that the 'heavies' have been the Design Award's principal scorers, both in the overall bronze plaque days and, since, in the Daily/Sunday Class 1.
ref: 1973, Allen Hutt, The changing newspaper, page 151:
text: Reviewers in the heavies aim to impress with the depth of their knowledge and appreciation.
ref: 2006, Richard Keeble, The Newspapers Handbook:
topics: journalism
media
glosses: A newspaper of the quality press.
examples: text: I read five heavies, maybe transports or tankers...could be bombers.
ref: 2000, Philip Woods, Shattered Allegiance, page 363:
text: A 76 Squadron pilot who later completed a second tour on Mosquitoes said that his colleagues on the light bombers “simply could never understand how awful being on heavies was.”
ref: 2012, Jon E. Lewis, The Mammoth Book of Heroes:
topics: aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: A relatively large multi-engined aircraft.
examples: text: Payton boasted his range included "leading parts or genteel heavies, character old men, dialect parts, old women and, on occasion, soubrettes and leading ladies"; however, he was most at ease in light comedy roles.
ref: 2008, William L. Slout, Theatre in a Tent, page 28:
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
theater
glosses: A serious theatrical role.
examples: text: Cavalry […] is divided into mediums, heavies, and light cavalry. The mediums consist of 13 regiments; the heavies of 2 regiments; and the light of 13.
ref: 1891, Ebenezer Cobham Brewer, The Historic Note-book: With an Appendix of Battles, page 153:
topics: government
military
politics
war
glosses: A member of the heavy cavalry.
Derived terms: brain heavy
dog heavy