heartburn

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See also: heart-burn

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English hertbryne, herte-bren (lust", also "heartburn, literally heart burn), equivalent to heart +‎ burn. Compare also Middle English herte-brennyng (anger, bitterness, heartburn, literally burning of/in the heart, heart-burning). Compare also Ancient Greek καρδιαλγία (kardialgía), from καρδία (kardía, heart) + ἄλγος (álgos, pain). From being a burning sensation near the location of the heart in the chest.

Noun[edit]

heartburn (countable and uncountable, plural heartburns)

  1. (pathology) A burning pain in the chest that is caused by stomach acid entering the gullet.
    Synonyms: acid reflux, cardialgia, gastric reflux, gastroesophageal reflux, pyrosis, water brash
    Hypernym: indigestion
    Coordinate term: cardiodynia
  2. (Can we verify(+) this sense?) (figuratively) Synonym of annoyance (state of being annoyed)
    • 2001, J. Michael Willard, The Accidental Headline, →ISBN, page 80:
      ”There’s some heartburn about the fact the message is getting stepped on,” said Mark McKinnon, Bush’s campaign media strategist.
    • 2003, Robyn Lim, The Geopolitics of East Asia: The Search for Equilibrium, →ISBN, page 92:
      America’s policy of containing both the Soviet Union and its Chinese ally did cause some heartburn in Tokyo.
    • 2005 December 14, Micheline Maynard, Jeremy W. Peters, “Protests Well Up as Delphi Workers Ponder Cuts”, in The New York Times:
      "It boils down to promises made, promises kept," said Mr. White, 53. "And that's really what I have heartburn about."
    • 2013, Kenneth Conboy, The Cambodian Wars, →ISBN, page 268:
      Back in Thailand, meantime, the CIA felt relatively little heartburn over the congressional rebuff.

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