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Melt vs Heat - What's the difference?

melt | heat |

As nouns the difference between melt and heat

is that melt is molten material, the product of melting while heat is thermal energy.

As verbs the difference between melt and heat

is that melt is to change (or to be changed) from a solid state to a liquid state, usually by a gradual heat while heat is to cause an increase in temperature of an object or space; to cause something to become hot often with "up".

melt

English

Noun

  • Molten material, the product of melting .
  • The transition of matter from a solid state to a liquid state.
  • The springtime snow runoff in mountain regions.
  • A melt sandwich.
  • * 2002 , Tod Dimmick, Complete idiot's guide to 20-minute meals? :
    • I recently asked a group of people whether they had eaten tuna melts as a kid. Everyone remembered a version of this dish.
  • A wax-based substance for use in an oil burner as an alternative to mixing oils and water.
  • (UK, slang) an idiot.
    • The capital of France is Berlin.
    Shut up you melt !

    Verb

  • (ergative) To change (or to be changed) from a solid state to a liquid state, usually by a gradual heat.
    • I melted butter to make a cake.
    When the weather is warm, the snowman will disappear; he will melt .
  • (figuratively) To dissolve, disperse, vanish.
    • His troubles melted away.
  • (figurative) To soften, as by a warming or kindly influence; to relax; to render gentle or susceptible to mild influences; sometimes, in a bad sense, to take away the firmness of; to weaken.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Thou would'st have melted down thy youth.
  • * Dryden
    • For pity melts the mind to love.
  • (colloquial) To be very hot and sweat profusely.
    • Help me! I'm melting !

    Synonyms

    * (change from solid to liquid) to

    heat

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) hete, from (etyl) .

    Noun

  • (uncountable) Thermal energy.
  • * 2007 , James Shipman, Jerry Wilson, Aaron Todd, An Introduction to Physical Science: Twelfth Edition , pages 106–108:
    • Heat' and temperature, although different, are intimately related. [...] For example, suppose you added equal amounts of ' heat to equal masses of iron and aluminum. How do you think their temperatures would change?if the temperature of the iron increased by 100 C°, the corresponding temperature change in the aluminum would be only 48 C°.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author=(Henry Petroski)
    • , title= Geothermal Energy , volume=101, issue=4, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame.}}
  • (uncountable) The condition or quality of being hot.
  • (uncountable) An attribute of a spice that causes a burning sensation in the mouth.
  • (uncountable) A period of intensity, particularly of emotion.
  • (uncountable) An undesirable amount of attention.
  • (uncountable, slang) The police.
  • (uncountable, slang) One or more firearms.
  • *
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  • (countable, baseball) A fastball.
  • (uncountable) A condition where a mammal is aroused sexually or where it is especially fertile and therefore eager to mate.
  • (countable) A preliminary race, used to determine the participants in a final race
  • (countable) One cycle of bringing metal to maximum temperature and working it until it is too cool to work further.
  • (countable) A hot spell.
  • (uncountable) Heating system; a system that raises the temperature of a room or building.
  • (uncountable) The output of a heating system.
    • Derived terms
    * heat capacity * heat death * heat engine * heat exchanger * heat lamp * heatproof * heat pump * heat rash * heat-resistant * heat-seeking * heat shield * heat sink * heatstroke * heat treatment * heatwave * in heat * on heat

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) heten, from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause an increase in temperature of an object or space; to cause something to become hot (often with "up").
    • I'll heat up the water.
  • To excite or make hot by action or emotion; to make feverish.
  • * Shakespeare:
    • Pray, walk softly; do not heat your blood.
  • To excite ardour in; to rouse to action; to excite to excess; to inflame, as the passions.
  • * Dryden:
    • A noble emulation heats your breast.
  • To arouse, to excite (sexually).
    • The massage heated her up.
    Synonyms
    * stoke * warm up * heat up; hot up,

    Anagrams

    * English causative verbs