heave to: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical / Nautical
Quick answer
What does “heave to” mean?
To bring a sailing vessel to a stop by adjusting the sails and helm to counterbalance each other.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To bring a sailing vessel to a stop by adjusting the sails and helm to counterbalance each other.
To come to a halt; to cease moving or stop an activity, especially in a deliberate, controlled manner.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is equally technical and nautical in both varieties. There is no significant difference in meaning or form.
Connotations
Strongly associated with traditional sailing, seamanship, and maritime culture.
Frequency
Very rare in general usage; its frequency is confined to nautical contexts and literary or metaphorical extensions from them.
Grammar
How to Use “heave to” in a Sentence
[Ship/subject] heaves to.[Captain/subject] heaves [ship/object] to.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “heave to” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The skipper decided to heave to and check the charts.
- We hove to off the headland to make repairs.
American English
- The captain ordered the crew to heave to immediately.
- Facing the squall, they heaved to and reefed the mainsail.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rare, only in historical or technical studies of navigation.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Standard term in sailing manuals, nautical instructions, and maritime communication.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “heave to”
- Using 'heave to' for stopping a car or a meeting (too technical).
- Incorrect form: 'heaved to' (past) is correct, not 'heaven to' or 'hove to' (though 'hove to' is an archaic past form sometimes seen).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. Its core meaning is strictly nautical. Any other use is a metaphorical extension from this.
Both 'heaved to' (regular) and 'hove to' (irregular/archaic) are accepted, with 'heaved to' being more common in modern usage.
It would sound very unusual and overly dramatic. Use 'stop', 'pause', or 'pull over' instead for everyday situations.
No. 'Heave to' is a way of stopping the ship using sail and helm balance, often while still moving slightly. 'Drop anchor' means to stop by using an anchor fixed to the seabed.
To bring a sailing vessel to a stop by adjusting the sails and helm to counterbalance each other.
Heave to is usually technical / nautical in register.
Heave to: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhiːv ˈtuː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhiːv ˈtuː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Heave to and wait out the storm.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a sailor HEAVing on a rope TO stop the ship. HEAVE + TO (the destination of the action) = stop.
Conceptual Metaphor
STOPPING IS A PHYSICAL MANOEUVRE (requiring force and counterforce).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'heave to' MOST appropriately used?