Coeur

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The central muscular organ of the circulatory system responsible for pumping blood through vessels ; a symbolic representation of emotions, particularly love and affection ; the innermost or most vital part of something considered essential or central
2. An organ that circulates blood by rhythmic contractions ; an emblematic figure representing passion or deep emotion ; the crucial or core element of a subject or place
3. A vital body organ that drives blood flow ; a common symbol expressing feelings of love ; the focal or central point considered indispensable or foundational

Etymology: "Coeur" is the French word for "heart," and it comes from Latin "cor," which gave English "cordial" and "courage" through a different route. Its earliest ancestor is usually traced to a Proto-Indo-European root for the heart, and Latin "cor," "cordis" passed into Old French as "cuer" before settling into the modern spelling. The French word is far more common than its English counterpart in everyday speech, appearing in idioms like "avoir du cœur" (to have spirit) and "à cœur ouvert" (open-heart, as in surgery). The sense "muscle pumping blood" is the literal, anatomical meaning, and in French it sits alongside a long list of emotional uses that English has largely kept in separate words. The term in this sense is simply the organ itself, named by the same Latin root that gave the emotional senses, so the physical and figurative meanings were never split apart in French the way they were in English.

Synonyms: heart, core, center, essence

Antonyms: periphery, edge, outside