Heaving

Heaving is a general term for the act of lifting, hoisting, or pulling with effort, as well as for the resulting movement of something as it rises or falls. In everyday speech it can describe anything from lifting a box to the exertion of a person with a heavy load.

In nautical usage, heave describes the motion of a ship or its contents under wave action. A vessel can heave with the sea, and the phrase heave to denotes a controlled maneuver that holds the vessel in a steady position relative to the wind. To heave a line or anchor means to haul it toward or away by rope.

In geology and civil engineering, frost heave and other forms of ground heave refer to upward displacement of soil or rock. Frost heave occurs when freezing water expands in soil pores, often lifting sidewalks, foundations, and roads, particularly in cold climates with freeze-thaw cycles.

In medical and colloquial usage, to heave means to retch or vomit; a strong, involuntary movement of the stomach can be described as a heave, and the term the heaves may refer to repeated retching or vomiting.

Other uses include mechanical lifting by a hoist or crane, and the general sense of throwing or propelling something with force. Across its meanings, the core idea of heaving involves lifting, rising, or moving something through effort or by external forces.