List of Abbreviations Used in This Dictionary (part 5)

Gressorial, gres-ō′ri-al, adj. adapted for walking, belonging to the Gressoria, a sub-order of orthopterous insects with slender bodies and long legs. [L. gressus, pa.p. of gradi, to walk.]

Gretna, gret′na.—Gretna-green marriage, a runaway marriage across the Border to Gretna in Dumfriesshire.

Grève, grāv, n. the Tyburn of ancient Paris.

Greves, grēvz, n.pl. (Milt.) armour for the legs—a form of greaves.

Grew, grōō, pa.t. of grow.

Grey, grā. Same as Gray.—Grey Friars (see Friar); Grey hen, a stone bottle for holding liquor; Greys=Scots Greys (see Scot).

Greyhound, grā′hownd, n. a tall and slender dog, kept for the chase, with great powers of speed and great keenness of sight. [M. E. greihund; Ice. greyhundr—Ice. grey, a dog, hundr, a hound.]

Greywether, grā-weth′er, n. a large block of hard sandstone found sporadically over south and south-east England.—Also Grayweth′er, but not Grayweather. [Gray and wether—i.e. 'gray ram.']

Grice, grīs, n. a little pig.—Also Grise. [Ice.]

Griddle, grid′l, n. a flat iron plate for baking cakes. [O. Fr. gredil, grëil—Low L. craticulum, dim. of cratis, a hurdle.]

Gride, grīd, v.t. to cut with a grating sound, to pierce harshly: to grate, jar upon:—pr.p. grīd′ing; pa.p. grīd′ed.—n. a harsh grating sound. [Gird.]

Gridelin, grid′e-lin, n. a kind of violet-gray colour. [Fr. gris de lin, gray of flax.]

Gridiron, grid′ī-urn, n. a frame of iron bars for broiling flesh or fish over the fire: a frame of wood or iron cross-beams to support a ship during repairs.—v.t. to cover with parallel bars or lines.—n. Grid, a grating of parallel bars: a gridiron: (elect.) a battery-plate somewhat like a grating, esp. a zinc plate in a primary battery, or a lead plate in a secondary or storage battery. [M. E. gredire, a griddle. From the same source as griddle; but the term. -ire became confused with M. E. ire, iron.]

Griece. See Gree (2).

Grief, grēf, n. heaviness of heart: sorrow: regret: mourning: cause of sorrow: affliction: (B.) bodily as well as mental pain.—adjs. Grief′ful (Spens.), full of grief; Grief′less, sorrowless; Grief′shot (Shak.), pierced with grief. [Fr.,—L. gravis, heavy.]

Grieve. See Greeve.

Grieve, grēv, v.t. to cause grief or pain of mind to: to make sorrowful: to vex: (B.) also to inflict bodily pain.—v.i. to feel grief: to mourn.—n. Griev′ance, cause of grief: burden: hardship: injury: grief.—adv. Griev′ingly (Shak.), in sorrow, sorrowfully.—adj. Griev′ous, causing grief: burdensome: painful: atrocious: hurtful.—adv. Griev′ously, in a grievous manner: (B.) severely.—n. Griev′ousness. [O. Fr. grever—L. gravāre, gravis, heavy.]

Griffin, grif′in, Griffon, grif′un, n. an imaginary animal, with the body and legs of a lion, and the crooked beak and wings of an eagle: a new-comer in India, a novice: a watchful guardian, esp. over a young woman: a duenna.—adj. Griff′inish.—n. Griff′inism. [Fr. griffon—L. gryphus—Gr. gryps—grypos, hook-nosed.]

Grig, grig, n. a cricket, grasshopper: a small lively eel, the sand-eel. [Prob. a form of crick, in cricket.]

Grill, gril, v.t. to broil on a gridiron: to torment.—v.i. to undergo torment, to be in a broil.—n. a grated appliance for broiling meat, &c., a gridiron.—ns. Grill′āde, anything grilled or broiled on a gridiron; Grill′āge, a construction of cross-beams supporting an erection on marshy grounds.—adj. Grilled, embossed with small rectangular indentations.—n. Grill′-room, a restaurant, where beefsteaks, &c., are grilled to one's order. [Fr. griller—gril, a gridiron—L. craticula, dim. of cratis, a grate.]

Grille, gril, n. a lattice, or grating, or screen, or open-work of metal, generally used to enclose or protect a window, shrine, &c.: a grating in a convent or jail door. [Fr. See Grill.]

Grilse, grils, n. a young salmon on its first return from salt water. [Skeat suggests a corr. of Dan. graalax, Sw. grålax, 'gray salmon,' from Dan. graa, Sw. grå, gray; and Dan., Sw., Ice. lax, Ger. lachs, a salmon. Others suggest Ir. greal sach.]

Grim, grim, adj. of forbidding aspect: ferocious: ghastly: sullen: stern, unyielding.—adv. Grim′ly.—n. Grim′ness. [A.S. grim; Ger. grimmig—grimm, fury, Dut. grimmig, Ice. grimmr.]

Grimace, gri-mās′, n. a distortion of the face, in jest, &c.: a smirk.—v.i. to make grimaces.—adj. Grimaced′, with a grimace: distorted. [Fr.; of uncertain origin, perh. from Ice. gríma, a mask.]

Grimalkin, gri-mal′kin, n. an old cat, a cat generally. [Gray, and malkin, a dim. of Moll=Mary.]

Grime, grīm, n. ingrained dirt.—v.t. to soil deeply.—adv. Grim′ily.—n. Grim′iness.—adjs. Grim′-looked (Shak.), having a grim or dismal aspect; Grim′y, foul, dirty. [From a Teut. root seen in Dan. grim, soot, Fris. grime, a dark spot on the face.]

Grimm's Law. See Law.

Grin, grin, v.i. to set the teeth together and withdraw the lips: to smile with some accompanying distortion of the features, expressive of derision, stupid admiration, &c.—v.t. to express by grinning:—pr.p. grin′ning; pa.p. grinned.—n. act of grinning: a forced or sardonic smile.—p.adj. Grin′ning, making grins. [A.S. grennian; Ice. grenja, Ger. greinen, Dut. grijnen, to grumble, Scot. girn; allied to Eng. groan, Fr. grogner.]

Grin, grin, n. a snare or trap. [A.S. grín.]

Grind, grīnd, v.t. to reduce to powder by friction: to wear down or sharpen by rubbing: to rub together: to oppress or harass: to set in motion by a crank.—v.i. to be moved or rubbed together: to drudge at any tedious task: to read hard:—pr.p. grīnd′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. ground.—n. hard or distasteful work: laborious study for a special examination, &c.—ns. Grind′er, he who, or that which, grinds: a double or jaw tooth that grinds food: a coach or crammer of students for examination: a hard student; Grind′ery, a place where knives, &c., are ground, or where they are sold: shoemakers' materials; Grind′ing, act or process of reducing to powder.—p.adj. harassing.—n. Grind′stone, a circular revolving stone for grinding or sharpening tools.—Keep one's nose to the grindstone, to subject one to severe continuous toil or punishment.—Take a grinder (Dickens), to put the left thumb to the nose, and to work a visionary coffee-mill round it with the right—a gesture of contempt. [A.S. grindan.]

Gringo, gring′gō, n. an Englishman or American among Spanish-speaking Americans. [Sp. 'gibberish,' prob. Griego, Greek.]

Grip, grip, n. a small ditch or trench, a drain.—Also Gripe. [M. E. grip, grippe; cf. Low Ger. gruppe.]

Grip, grip, n. grasp or firm hold with the hand, &c.: the handle or part by which anything is grasped: a mode of grasping, a particular mode of grasping hands for mutual recognition, as by Freemasons: a clutching device connecting a car with a moving traction-cable: oppression: pinching distress.—v.t. to take fast hold of, to grasp or gripe:—pr.p. grip′ping; pa.p. gripped, gript.—v.t. Grīpe, to grasp with the hand: to seize and hold fast: to squeeze: to give pain to the bowels.—n. fast hold, grasp: forcible retention: a griffin: a usurer: (pl.) severe spasmodic pain in the intestines.—n. Grīp′er.—p.adj. Grīp′ing, avaricious: of a pain that catches or seizes acutely.—adv. Grīp′ingly, in a griping or oppressive manner.—ns. Grippe, influenza or epidemic catarrh; Grip′per, one who, or that which, grips.—adj. Grip′ple (Spens.), griping, grasping: greedy.—n. a gripe.—n. Grip′-sack, a hand-satchel.—Lose one's grip, to lose hold or control. [A.S. grípan, grap, gripen; Ice. grípa, Ger. grei′fen, Dut. grijpen; allied to grab.]

Griqua, grek′wa, n. one of a mixed race in South Africa, descended from Boer fathers and Hottentot or Bush women.

Grisaille, grē-zāl′, n. a style of decorative painting in grayish tints in imitation of bas-reliefs: a stained-glass window in this style. [Fr.,—gris, gray.]

Gris-amber, gris′-am′bėr, n. (Milt.)—ambergris.

Grise, Grize. See Gree (2).

Griselda, gris-el′da, n. a woman of exemplary gentleness and patience, from the name of the heroine of a tale retold by Boccaccio, Petrarch, and Chaucer (Clerkes Tale).

Griseous, gris′ē-us, adj. bluish-gray.

Grisette, gri-zet′, n. a gay young Frenchwoman of the lower class. [Fr. grisette, a gray gown, which used to be worn by that class—gris, gray.]

Griskin, gris′kin, n. (prov.) the spine of a hog. [Obs. gris, grice, a pig—Ice. griss, a young pig.]

Grisled, griz′ld. Same as Grizzled.

Grisly, griz′li, adj. frightful: hideous.—n. Gris′liness. [A.S. gryslíc, ágrísan, to dread; Ger. grässlich.]

Grist, grist, n. corn for grinding at one time: supply: profit.—n. Grist′-mill, a mill for grinding grain.—Bring grist to the mill, to be a source of profit. [A.S. grist, gerst, a grinding; from root of grind.]

Gristle, gris′l, n. a soft elastic substance in animal bodies—also called Cartilage.—n. Grist′liness.—adj. Grist′ly. [A.S. gristle—grist, grinding.]

Grit, grit, n. the coarse part of meal: gravel: a kind of hard sandstone: firmness of character, spirit: (pl.) oats coarsely ground, groats.—ns. Grit′stone; Grit′tiness.—adj. Grit′ty, having hard particles: sandy: determined, plucky. [A.S. greót; Dut. grut, groats, Ger. gries, gravel.]

Grit, grit, a Scotch form of great.

Grize. See Gree (2).

Grizzle, griz′l, n. a gray colour.—adjs. Grizz′led, gray, or mixed with gray; Grizz′ly, of a gray colour.—n. the grizzly bear (Ursus horribilis) of the Rocky Mountains. [M. E. grisel—Fr. gris, gray—Mid. High Ger. grís, gray, Ger. greis.]

Groan, grōn, v.i. to utter a moaning sound in distress: (fig.) to be afflicted: to express disapprobation of a speaker by means of audible groans or similar sounds.—n. a deep moaning sound as of distress: a sound of disapprobation.—adj. Groan′ful (Spens.), sad, agonising.—n. Groan′ing, a deep moan as of pain: any low rumbling sound. [A.S. gránian.]

Groat, grawt, or grōt, n. an English silver coin, worth fourpence—only coined after 1662 as Maundy money—the silver fourpenny-piece, coined from 1836-56, was not called a groat: a very small sum, proverbially. [Old Low Ger. grote, a coin of Bremen—orig. grote sware, 'great pennies,' as compared with the smaller copper coins, five to the groat.]

Groats, grōts, n.pl. the grain of oats deprived of the husks. [M. E. grotes, prob. Ice. grautr, barley; cog. with A.S. grút, coarse meal.]

Grobian, grō′bi-an, n. a boorish rude fellow. [Ger. grob, coarse; cf. gruff—Dut. grof.]

Grocer, grōs′ėr, n. a dealer in tea, sugar, &c.—n. Groc′ery (generally used in pl.), articles sold by grocers. [Earlier grosser or engrosser, a wholesale dealer; O. Fr. grossier—gros, great.]

Grog, grog, n. a mixture of spirits and cold water, without sugar.—ns. Grog′-bloss′om, a redness of the nose due to drinking; Grog′gery (U.S.), a low public-house; Grog′giness, state of being groggy; Grog′ging, extracting the spirit from the wood of empty spirit-casks with water.—adj. Grog′gy, affected by grog, partially intoxicated: (boxing) weak and staggering from blows: applied to a horse that bears wholly on his heels in trotting.—n. Grog′-shop, a dram-shop. [From 'Old Grog,' the nickname of Admiral Vernon, who introduced it about 1745—from his grogram breeches.]

Grogram, grog′ram, n. a kind of coarse cloth of silk and mohair. [O. Fr. grosgrain.]

Groin, groin, n. the part of the body on either side of the belly where the thigh joins the trunk: (archit.) the angular curve formed by the crossing of two arches.—v.t. to form into groins, to build in groins.—n. Groin′-cen′tring, the centring of timber during construction.—adj. Groined, having angular curves made by the intersection of two arches.—n. Groin′ing.—Underpitch groining, a kind of vaulting used when the main vault of a groined roof is higher than the transverse intersecting vault, as in St George's Chapel, Windsor—sometimes called Welsh groining. [Ice. grein, division, branch—greina, to divide; Sw. gren, branch, space between the legs; Scot. graine, grane, the branch of a tree or river.]

Groin, groin, v.i. (obs.) to grunt, to growl. [O. Fr. grogner—L. grunnīre, to grunt.]

Grolier, grō′lye, n. a book or a binding from the library of the French bibliophile, Jean Grolier (1479-1565).—adj. Grolieresque′, after the style of Grolier's bindings, with geometrical or arabesque figures and leaf-sprays in gold lines.

Grommet, grom′et, n. a ring formed of a single strand of rope, laid in three times round, fastening the upper edge of a sail to its stay: a ship-boy. [O. Fr.]

Gromwell, grom′wel, n. a herb of the borage family. [O. Fr. grumel—L. grumulus, a hillock.]

Groom, grōōm, n. one who has the charge of horses: a title of several officers of the royal household: a bridegroom.—v.t. to tend, as a horse.—n. Grooms′man, the attendant on a bridegroom at his marriage. [Prob. from A.S. guma (in bridegroom), a man, Goth. guma, Ice. gumi, L. homo.]

Groove, grōōv, n. a furrow, or long hollow, such as is cut with a tool.—v.t. to grave or cut a groove or furrow in. [Prob. Dut. groef, groeve, a furrow; cog. with Ger. grube, a pit, Ice. gróf, Eng. grave.]

Grope, grōp, v.i. to search for something, as if blind or in the dark.—v.t. to search by feeling.—adv. Grop′ingly, in a groping manner. [A.S. grápian, to seize; allied to grab, gripe.]

Grosbeak, grōs′bēk, n. a name applied to not a few highly specialised finches (Fringillidæ), with thick, heavy, seed-crushing bills—also to many other birds, as the cardinal grosbeaks and the rose-breasted grosbeak. [Gross and beak.]

Groschen, grō′shen, n. a small silver coin till 1873-76 current in the north of Germany, in value 1⁄30th of a thaler. [Ger.,—L. grossus, thick.]

Groser, grō′ser, n. (prov.) a gooseberry—(Scot.) Gros′sart.—adj. Grossulā′ceous, pertaining to the gooseberry. [See Gooseberry.]

Gross, grōs, adj. coarse: rough: dense: palpable, glaring, shameful: whole: coarse in mind: stupid: sensual: obscene.—n. the main bulk: the whole taken together: a great hundred—i.e. twelve dozen.—adv. Gross′ly.—n. Gross′ness.—In gross, in bulk, wholesale. [Fr. gros—L. grossus, thick.]

Grotesque, grō-tesk′, adj. extravagantly formed: ludicrous.—n. (art) extravagant ornament, containing animals, plants, &c. not really existing.—adv. Grotesque′ly.—ns. Grotesque′ness; Grotesqu′ery. [Fr. grotesque—It. grotesca—grotta, a grotto.]

Grotian, grō′shi-an, adj. of or pertaining to Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), the Latinised form of Huig van Groot, founder of the science of international law.—Grotian theory, the theory that man is essentially a social being, and that the principles of justice are of perpetual obligation and in harmony with his nature; Grotian, or Governmental, theory of the Atonement, a divine acquittal for Christ's sake, rather than a real satisfaction on the part of Christ.

Grotto, grot′ō, n. a cave: a place of shade, for pleasure—also Grot:—pl. Grott′os—n. Grott′o-work, a grotto-like structure. [It. grotta (Fr. grotte)—L. crypta—Gr. kryptē, a crypt.]

Ground, grownd, pa.t. and pa.p. of grind.

Ground, grownd, n. the surface of the earth: a portion of the earth's surface: land, field, soil: the floor, &c.: position: field or place of action: (lit. or fig.) that on which something is raised: foundation: sufficient reason: (art) the surface on which the figures are represented.—v.t. to fix on a foundation or principle: to instruct in first principles: to cover with a layer of plaster, &c., as a basis for painting: to coat with a composition, as a surface to be etched.—v.i. to strike the bottom and remain fixed.—ns. Ground′age, the tax paid by a ship for the space occupied while in port; Ground′-ang′ling, fishing without a float, with a weight placed a few inches from the hook—called also Bottom-fishing; Ground′-ash, a sapling of ash; Ground′-bait, bait dropped to the bottom of the water.—adv. Ground′edly (Browning), on good grounds.—ns. Ground′er, at baseball, &c., a ball thrown low rather than rising into the air; Ground′-floor, the floor of a house on a level with the street or exterior ground; Ground′-game, hares, rabbits, as distinguished from winged game; Ground′-hog, the American marmot, or woodchuck: the aardvark of Africa; Ground′-hold (Spens.), ground-tackle; Ground-ice, the ice formed at the bottom of a water first—also An′chor-ice; Ground′ing, the background of embroidery, &c.; Ground′-ī′vy, a common British creeping-plant whose leaves were once used for flavouring ale (gill-ale or gell-ale).—adj. Ground′less, without ground, foundation, or reason.—adv. Ground′lessly.—ns. Ground′lessness; Ground′ling, a fish which keeps near the bottom of the water, esp. the spinous loach: a spectator in the pit of a theatre—-hence one of the common herd: (pl.) the vulgar.—adj. (Lamb) base.—ns. Ground′-nut, ground-bean, or pea-nut, the fruit of the annual leguminous plant Arachis hypogæa; Ground′-oak, a sapling of oak; Ground′-plan, plan of the horizontal section of the lowest or ground story of a building: Ground′-plot, the plot of ground on which a building stands; Ground′-rent, rent paid to a landlord for the use of the ground for a specified term, usually in England ninety-nine years.—n.pl. Grounds, dregs of drink: sediment at the bottom of liquors (explained by Skeat as Celtic—Gael. grunndas, lees, grunnd, bottom, Ir. gruntas, grunnt, bottom).—ns. Ground′sell, Ground′sill, the timber of a building which lies next to the ground; Ground-squirr′el, the chipmuck or hackee; Ground′-swell, a broad, deep undulation of the ocean, proceeding from a distant storm; Ground′-tack′le, the tackle necessary for securing a vessel at anchor; Ground′work, that which forms the ground or foundation of anything: the basis: the essential part: the first principle.—Ground annual, in the law of Scotland, an annual payment, sometimes called a rent-charge, made for land—a substitute for feu-duty.—Be on one's own ground, to be dealing with a matter in which one is specially versed; Break ground, to take the first step in any project; Fall to the ground, to come to nothing; Gain ground, to advance, to obtain an advantage; Give ground, to yield advantage; Lose ground, to retire, to lose advantage; Slippery ground, an insecure footing; Stand, or Hold, one's ground, to stand firm. [A.S. grund; most prob. grund-en, pa.p. of grindan, and orig. meaning 'earth ground small;' cog. with Ger. grund, Ice. grunnr.]

Groundsel, grownd′sel, n. an annual plant, about a foot high, with small yellow flowers. [A.S. grundeswelge—grund, ground, swelgan, to swallow.]

Group, grōōp, n. a number of persons or things together: a number of individual things related, in some definite way differentiating them from others: (art) a combination of figures forming a harmonious whole.—v.t. to form into a group or groups.—v.i. to fall into harmonious combination.—n. Group′ing (art), the act of disposing and arranging figures or objects in a group. [Fr. groupe—It. groppo, a bunch, knot—Teut.; cf. Ger. kropf, protuberance.]

Grouse, grows, n. the heathcock or moorfowl, a plump bird with a short curved bill, short legs, and feathered feet, which frequents Scotch moors and hills—the Scotch ptarmigan, red-grouse: any bird of the family Tetraonidæ, and sub-family Tetraoninæ. [Prob. from the older grice (on the analogy of mouse, mice)—O. Fr. griesche, gray.]

Grout, growt, n. coarse meal: the sediment of liquor: lees: a thin coarse mortar: a fine plaster for finishing ceilings.—n. Grout′ing, the filling up or finishing with grout: the stuff so used.—adj. Grout′y, thick, muddy: sulky. [A.S. grút, coarse meal; cog. with Dut. grut, Ice. grautr, porridge, Ger. grütze, groats.]

Grove, grōv, n. a wood of small size, generally of a pleasant or ornamental character: an avenue of trees: (B.) an erroneous translation of Asherah, the wooden upright image of the lewdly worshipped goddess Ashtoreth; also of Heb. eshel in Gen. xxi. 33.—Groves of Academe, the shady walks of the Academy at Athens, any place of learned pursuits. [A.S. gráf, a grove—grafan, pa.t. gróf, to dig.]

Grovel, grov′el, v.i. to crawl on the earth, esp. in abject fear, &c.: to be base or mean:—pr.p. grov′elling; pa.p. grov′elled.—n. Grov′eller.—adj. Grov′elling, mean. [Explained by Skeat as due to M. E. groveling, flat on the ground, properly an adv., also grofling—Ice. grûfa.]

Grow, grō, v.i. to become enlarged by a natural process: to advance towards maturity: to increase in size: to develop: to become greater in any way: to extend: to improve: to pass from one state to another: to become.—v.t. to cause to grow: to cultivate:—pa.t. grew (grōō); pa.p. grown.—ns. Grow′er; Grow′ing; Growth, a growing: gradual increase: progress: development: that which has grown: product.—Grow on, to gain in the estimation of; Grow out of, to issue from, result from: to pass beyond in development, to give up; Grow to, to advance to; Grow together, to become united by growth; Grow up, to advance in growth, become full-grown; to take root, spring up. [A.S. grówan; Ice. gróa; conn. with green.]

Growl, growl, v.i. to utter a deep, murmuring sound like a dog: to grumble surlily.—v.t. to express by growling.—n. a murmuring, snarling sound, as of an angry dog.—ns. Growl′er, one who growls: a fish of the Perch family, abundant in North American rivers, so named from the sound it emits: (slang) a four-wheeled cab: (Amer.) a jug or pitcher used for carrying beer; Growl′ing, grumbling, snarling: a rumbling sound.—adv. Growl′ingly. [Dut. grollen, to grumble; allied to Gr. gryllizein, to grunt.]

Groyne, groin, n. a wooden breakwater. [Groin.]

Grub, grub, v.i. to dig in the dirt: to be occupied meanly: (slang) to eat.—v.t. to dig or root out of the ground (generally followed by up): (slang) to supply with victuals:—pr.p. grub′bing; pa.p. grubbed.—n. the larva of the beetle, moth, &c.: (slang) something to eat.—n. Grub′ber, he who, or that which, grubs: an agricultural implement for grubbing out weeds, &c., or for clearing and stirring up the soil, with obliquely placed tines or teeth set in a frame and moved forward on wheels.—v.i. and v.t. Grub′ble, to grope.—n. Grub′-street, a street in London inhabited by booksellers' hacks and shabby writers generally.—adj. applied to any mean literary production. [Prob. A.S. grápian, to grope.]

Grudge, gruj, v.t. to murmur at: to look upon with envy: to give or take unwillingly.—v.i. to show discontent.—n. secret enmity or envy: an old cause of quarrel.—adjs. Grudge′ful (Spens.), full of grudge, envious; Grudg′ing, given to grudge.—adv. Grudg′ingly, unwillingly. [M. E. grochen, grucchen—O. Fr. grocer, groucer, from an imitative root seen in Gr. gry, the grunt of a pig; also in growl, grunt.]

Gruel, grōō′el, n. a thin food made by boiling oatmeal in water. [O. Fr. gruel (Fr. gruau), groats—Low L. grutellum, dim. of grutum, meal—Old Low Ger. grut, groats, A.S. grút.]

Gruesome, grōō′sum, adj. horrible: fearful: dismal, depressing.—vs.i. Grue, Grew, to shudder: to feel horror or repulsiveness. [Scand.; Dan. gru, horror, with suff. -som; cf. Dut. gruwzaam, Ger. grausam.]

Gruff, gruf, adj. rough, stern, or abrupt in manner: churlish.—adv. Gruff′ly.—n. Gruff′ness. [Dut. grof; cog. with Sw. grof, Ger. grob, coarse.]

Grum, grum, adj. morose: surly: deep in the throat, as a sound.—adv. Grum′ly.—n. Grum′ness. [A.S. grom; cf. Dan. grum.]

Grumble, grum′bl, v.i. to murmur with discontent: to growl: to rumble.—n. the act of grumbling.—ns. Grum′bler; Grumbletō′nian, one of the country party as opposed to the court party, after 1689.—adv. Grum′blingly. [Old Dut. grommelen, freq. of grommen to mutter.]

Grume, grōōm, n. a thick consistence of fluid: a clot, as of blood.—adjs. Grum′ous, Grum′ose, thick: clotted. [O. Fr. grume, a bunch (Fr. grumeau, a clot)—L. grumus, a little heap.]

Grumph, grumf, n. (Scot.) a grunt.—v.i. to grunt.—n. Grumph′ie, a sow.

Grumpy, grum′pi, adj. surly: dissatisfied: melancholic.—adv. Grum′pily. [Grumble.]

Grundy, grund′i, Mrs, the invisible censor morum who is frequently appealed to in the phrase, 'But what will Mrs Grundy say?' in Thomas Morton's play, Speed the Plough (1800).

Grunt, grunt, v.i. to make a sound like a pig: to utter guttural sounds.—n. a short, guttural sound, as of a hog.—ns. Grunt′er; Grunt′ing.—adv. Grunt′ingly. [M. E. grunten—A.S. grunian; cf. Ger. grunzen, L. grunnīre; all imit.]

Grutch, gruch, v.t. or v.i. (Spens.) to grudge.

Gruyère, grōō-yār′, n. a famous whole-milk cheese, made at Gruyère and many other places in the canton of Freiburg, Switzerland.

Gryde, grīd, v.i. (Spens.) to gride.

Gryfon, Gryphon, grif′on, n. obsolete forms of griffin.—Also Grype.

Gryposis, gri-pō′sis, n. a curvature, esp. of the nails.

Grysie, grīz′i, adj. (Spens.) grisly: squalid: moist.

Guacharo, gwä′chä-rō, n. the oil-bird, a South American nocturnal frugivorous goatsucker. [Sp.]

Guacho, gwä′kō, n. a tropical American climbing composite: the medicinal substance in the leaves.

Guaiacum, gwā′ya-kum, n. a genus of trees in the West Indies, that yield a greenish resin used in medicine. [Sp. guayaco, from a Haytian word.]

Guan, gwän, n. the yacou, a South American genus of large arboreal game-birds, giving loud cries.

Guanaco, gwä-nä′ko, n. a cameloid ruminant widely spread in South America.

Guano, gwä′nō, n. the long-accumulated excrement of certain sea-fowl, found on certain coasts and islands, esp. about South America, much used for manure.—adj. Guanif′erous.—n. Guä′nin, a yellowish-white, amorphous substance, a constituent of guano, also of the liver and pancreas of mammals. [Sp. guano, or huano, from Peruv. huanu, dung.]

Guarana, gwä-rä′na, n. a paste prepared from the pounded seeds of Paullinia sorbilis, a climbing Brazilian shrub, made in round or oblong cakes—Guarana Bread.

Guarantee, gar-an-tē′, Guaranty, gar′an-ti, n. a warrant or surety: a contract to see performed what another has undertaken: the person who makes such a contract, one responsible for the performance of some action, the truth of some statement, &c.—v.t. to undertake that another shall perform certain engagements: to make sure:—pr.p. guarantee′ing; pa.p. guaranteed′.—n. Guar′antor, one who makes a guaranty.—Guarantee associations, joint-stock companies on the insurance principle, which become security for the integrity of cashiers, &c. [O. Fr. garantie, pa.p. of garantir, to warrant—garant, warrant. See Warrant.]

Guard, gärd, v.t. to ward, watch, or take care of: to protect from danger or attack: to protect the edge of, as by an ornamental border.—v.i. to watch: to be wary.—n. that which guards from danger: a man or body of men stationed to protect: one who has charge of a coach or railway-train: state of caution: posture of defence: part of the hilt of a sword: a watch-chain: (pl.) troops attached to the person of a sovereign: (cricket) the pads which protect the legs from swift balls.—adj. Guard′able.—n. Guard′age (Shak.), wardship.—adjs. Guard′ant (her.), having the face turned towards the beholder; Guard′ed, wary: cautious: uttered with caution.—adv. Guard′edly.—ns. Guard′edness; Guard′house, Guard′room, a house or room for the accommodation of a guard of soldiers, where defaulters are confined; Guard′ian, one who guards or takes care of: (law) one who has the care of an orphan minor.—adj. protecting.—n. Guard′ianship.—adj. Guard′less, without a guard: defenceless.—ns. Guard′ship, a ship of war that superintends marine affairs in a harbour and protects it: (Swift) guardianship; Guards′man, a soldier of the guards.—Guardian angel, an angel supposed to watch over a particular person: a person specially devoted to the interests of another.—Mount guard, to go on guard-duty; On, or Off, one's guard, on the watch, or the opposite; Run the guard, to get past a guard or sentinel without detection. [O. Fr. garder—Old High Ger. warten; A.S. weardian, Eng. ward.]

Guarish, gār′ish, v.t. (Spens.) to heal. [O. Fr. guarir (Fr. guérir), to heal.]

Guava, gwä′va, n. a genus of trees and shrubs of tropical America, with yellow, pear-shaped fruit made into jelly. [Sp. guayaba—Braz.]

Gubbins, gub′ins, n.pl. a half-savage race in Devonshire, described by the pastoral poet William Browne and by Fuller in his Worthies.

Gubernation, gū-bėr-nā′shun, n. government, rule.—adj. Gubernatō′rial. [L. gubernāre, govern.]

Guddle, gud′l v.t. (Scot.) to catch fish with the hands by groping under the stones or banks of a stream.

Gudgeon, guj′un, n. a genus of small, carp-like fishes common in the fresh waters of Europe—easily caught: a person easily cheated.—adj. foolish.—v.t. to impose on, cheat. [O. Fr. goujon—L. gobion-em—Gr. kōbios. See Goby.]

Gudgeon, guj′un, n. the bearing of a shaft, esp. when made of a separate piece: a metallic journal-piece let into the end of a wooden shaft: a pin. [O. Fr. goujon, the pin of a pulley.]

Gue, gū, n. a rude kind of violin used in Shetland.

Guebre, Gueber, gē′bėr, n. a follower of the ancient Persian religion as reformed by Zoroaster. [Pers. gabr; see Giaour; cf. Ar. kafir, unbeliever.]

Guelder-rose, gel′dėr-rōz, n. a species of Viburnum with large white ball-shaped flowers—also called Snowball-tree. [From Gueldres in Holland.]

Guelf, Guelph, gwelf, n. one of a papal and popular party in Italy in the Middle Ages which was opposed to the emperors.—adj. Guelf′ic, belonging to the Guelfs, in modern times the royal family of Hanover and England. [The party names Guelf and Ghibelline are from Welf and Waiblingen, two families which in the 12th century were at the head of two rival parties in the German Empire.]

Guerdon, gėr′dun, n. a reward or recompense.—v.t. to reward. [O. Fr. guerdon, guerredon (It. guidardone)—Low L. widerdonum, corr. from Old High Ger. widarlón (A.S. wiðerleán)—wider (A.S. wiðer), against, and lón (A.S. leán), reward; or more prob. the latter part of the word is from L. donum, a gift.]

Guereza, ger′e-za, n. a large, long-haired, black-and-white African monkey, with a bushy tail.

Guerilla, Guerrilla, gėr-ril′a, n. a mode of harassing an army by small bands adopted by the Spaniards against the French in the Peninsular war: a member of such a band.—adj. conducted by or conducting petty warfare. [Sp. guerrilla, dim. of guerra (Fr. guerre)—Old High Ger. werra.]

Guernsey, gėrn′zi, n. a sailor's closely-fitting knitted woollen shirt: one of a breed of dairy cattle from the island: the red-legged partridge. [From Guernsey in the Channel Islands.]

Guess, ges, v.t. to form an opinion on uncertain knowledge: to conjecture, to think.—v.i. to judge on uncertain knowledge: to conjecture rightly.—n. judgment or opinion without sufficient evidence or grounds.—adj. Guess′able, that may be guessed.—n. Guess′er, one who guesses or conjectures.—adv. Guess′ingly, by way of conjecture.—n. Guess′work, work done by guess: random action. [M. E. gessen; cog. with Dut. gissen; Dan. gisse, Ice. giska, for gitska—geta, to get, think, A.S. gitan, whence Eng. get. See Forget.]

Guest, gest, n. a visitor received and entertained.—n. Guest′-cham′ber (B.), a chamber or room for the accommodation of guests.—v.i. Guest′en (Scot.), to stay as a guest.—adv. Guest′wise, in the manner or capacity of a guest. [A.S. gest, gæst; allied to Dut. and Ger. gast, L. hostis, stranger, enemy.]

Gueux, gū, n.pl. the name assumed by the confederation (1565) of nobles and others to resist the introduction of the Inquisition into the Low Countries by Philip II. of Spain. [Fr., 'beggars.']

Guffaw, guf-faw′, v.i. to laugh loudly.—n. a loud laugh. [From the sound.]

Guggle, gug′l, v.i. to make a noise with the mouth or throat, to gurgle. [Formed from gurgle.]

Guicowar. Same as Gaikwar.

Guide, gīd, v.t. to lead or direct: to regulate: to influence.—n. he who, or that which, guides: one who directs another in his course of life: a soldier or other person employed to obtain information for an army: a guide-book: anything calculated to maintain in a certain direction or position.—adj. Guid′able.—ns. Guid′age, guidance; Guid′ance, direction: government; Guide′-book, a book of information for tourists.—adj. Guide′less, having no guide.—ns. Guide′post, a post erected at a roadside to guide the traveller; Guid′er, one who guides, a director; Guid′on, a forked guide-flag carried by a cavalry company or mounted battery, also the officer bearing it. [O. Fr. guider; prob. from a Teut. root, as in A.S. witan, to know, wís, wise, Ger. weisen, to show, conn. with wit, wise.]

Guild, Gild, gild, n. an association of men for mutual aid: a corporation: (orig.) an association in a town where payment was made for mutual support and protection.—ns. Guild′-broth′er, a fellow-member of a guild; Guild′hall, the hall of a guild, esp. in London; Guild′ry (Scot.), a guild, the members of such. [A.S. gild, money—gildan, to pay.]

Guilder, Gilder, gild′ėr, n. an old Dutch and German gold coin: now a silver coin=1s. 8d.: (Shak.) money generally. [Dut. gulden—Ger. gulden, gold.]

Guile, gīl, n. wile, jugglery: cunning: deceit.—v.t. (Spens.) to beguile.—p.adj. Guiled, armed with deceit: treacherous.—adj. Guile′ful, crafty: deceitful.—adv. Guile′fully.—n. Guile′fulness.—adj. Guile′less, without deceit: artless.—adv. Guile′lessly.—ns. Guile′lessness; Guil′er (Spens.), a deceiver. [O. Fr. guile, deceit; from a Teut. root, as in A.S. wíl, Ice. vel, a trick.]

Guillemot, gil′e-mot, n. a genus of diving birds of the Auk family, with long, straight, feathered bill and very short tail. [Fr., prob. Celt.; Bret. gwelan, gull, and O. Fr. moette, a sea-mew, from Teut.]

Guilloche, gil-losh′, n. an ornament formed of two or more bands intertwining in a continued series.—v.t. to decorate with intersecting curved lines. [Fr.; said to be from the name of its inventor, Guillot.]

Guillotine, gil′ō-tēn, n. an instrument for beheading—consisting of an upright frame down which a sharp heavy axe descends on the neck of the victim—adopted during the French Revolution, and named after Joseph Ignace Guillotin (1738-1814), a physician, who first proposed its adoption: a machine for cutting paper, straw, &c.: a surgical instrument for cutting the tonsils.—v.t. to behead with the guillotine.—n. Guill′otinement, death by the guillotine.

Guilt, gilt, n. punishable conduct: the state of having broken a law: crime: wickedness.—adv. Guilt′ily.—n. Guilt′iness.—adj. Guilt′less, free from crime: innocent.—adv. Guilt′lessly.—n. Guilt′lessness.—adj. Guilt′y, justly chargeable with a crime: wicked: pertaining to guilt.—adv. Guilt′y-like (Shak.), guiltily.—Guilty of (sometimes in B.), deserving. [Orig. a payment or fine for an offence; A.S. gylt, guilt—gildan, to pay, to atone.]

Guilt, gilt, p.adj. (Spens.) gilded.

Guinea, gin′i, n. an English gold coin, no longer used=21s., so called because first made of gold brought from Guinea, in Africa.—ns. Guin′ea-corn, a cereal extensively cultivated in Central Africa and India—also Indian millet; Guin′ea-fowl, a genus of African birds in the pheasant family, having dark-gray plumage with round spots of white, generally larger on the back and under surface; Guin′ea-grass, a grass of the same genus with millet, a native of Guinea and Senegal; Guin′ea-hen (Shak.), a courtesan; Guin′ea-pepp′er (see Pepper); Guin′ea-pig, a small South American rodent, somewhat resembling a small pig, the cavy: (slang) a professional company director, without time or real qualifications for the duties; Guin′ea-worm, a very slender thread-like nematode worm common in tropical Africa.

Guipure, gē-pōōr′, n. a kind of lace having no ground or mesh, the pattern fixed by interlacing threads: a species of gimp. [Fr. guipure—O. Fr. guiper, prob. Teut.; cf. Goth. veipan, to weave.]

Guise, gīz, n. manner, behaviour: external appearance: dress.—v.t. (arch.) to dress.—v.i. to act as a guiser.—ns. Guis′er (Scot.), Guis′ard, a person in disguise: a Christmas mummer. [O. Fr. guise; from Old High Ger. wísa (Ger. weise), a way, guise, which is cog. with A.S. wíse, way, wís, wise.]

Guitar, gi-tär′, n. a six-stringed musical instrument, somewhat like the lute, well adapted for accompanying the voice. [Fr. guitare—L. cithara—Gr. kithara, a lyre or lute. See Cithern.]

Gula, gū′la, n. a piece in some insects, esp. in the beetles, &c., forming the lower surface of the head, behind the mentum, bounded laterally by the genæ or cheeks: the upper part of a bird's throat, between mentum and jugulum.—adj. Gū′lar. [L., 'throat.']

Gulch, gulch, n. (U.S.) a ravine or narrow rocky valley, a gully.—v.t. (prov.) to swallow greedily. [Prob. the n. and v. are connected.]

Gulden, gōōl′den, n. a certain gold or silver coin in Germany in the Middle Ages: the unit of account in Austria, having the value of about 2s. [Ger.]

Gules, gūlz, n. (her.) a red colour, marked in engraved figures by perpendicular lines.—adj. Gū′ly. [O. Fr. gueules; acc. to Brachet, from Pers. ghul, a rose; acc. to others, from L. gula, the throat.]

Gulf, gulf, n. a hollow or indentation in the sea-coast: a deep place in the earth: an abyss: a whirlpool: anything insatiable: in Oxford and Cambridge examinations, the place of those next to the pass, but not bad enough to fail.—v.t. to engulf.—n. Gulf′-weed, a large olive-brown sea-weed with stalked air-bladders.—adj. Gulf′y, full of gulfs or whirlpools.—Gulf Stream, a great current of warm water flowing out of the Gulf of Mexico through the Strait of Florida, along the eastern coast of the United States of America, then deflected near the banks of Newfoundland diagonally across the Atlantic. [O. Fr. golfe—Late Gr. kolphos—Gr. kolpos, the bosom.]

Gull, gul, n. a web-footed sea-fowl belonging to the family Laridæ. [Celt.; Corn. gullan, W. gwylan, Bret. gwelan—gwela, to weep, to cry.]

Gull, gul, v.t. to beguile: to deceive.—n. a trick: one easily cheated: (Shak.) a nestling.—ns. Gull′-catch′er (Shak.), a cheat; Gull′er; Gull′ery, imposture; Gullibil′ity.—adj. Gull′ible, easily deceived.—n. Gullos′ity. [Same word as gull, a seafowl, the bird being thought stupid.]

Gullet, gul′et, n. the throat: the passage in the neck by which food is taken into the stomach.—n. Gulos′ity, gluttony. [O. Fr. goulet, dim. of O. Fr. goule (Fr. gueule)—L. gula, the throat.]

Gully, gul′i, n. (Scot.) a big knife.—Also Gull′ey.

Gully, gul′i, n. a channel worn by running water: a ditch: a ravine.—v.t. to wear a gully or channel in.—p.adj. Gull′ied.—ns. Gull′y-hole, a manhole into a drain, &c.; Gull′y-hunt′er, one who picks up things from gutters. [Prob. gullet.]

Gulp, gulp, v.t. to swallow eagerly or in large draughts.—n. a swallow: as much as is swallowed at once. [Dut. gulpen—gulp, a great draught.]

Gum, gum, n. the firm fleshy tissue which surrounds the teeth: (slang) insolence.—n. Gum′boil, a boil or small abscess on the gum. [A.S. góma, jaws; Ice. gómr, Ger. gaumen, palate.]

Gum, gum, n. a substance which exudes from certain trees and plants, and hardens on the surface, including those containing arabin, bassorin, and gum-resins.—v.t. to smear or unite with gum:—pr.p. gum′ming; pa.p. gummed.—ns. Gum′-ar′abic, a gum obtained from various species of acacia; Gum′-drag′on, tragacanth; Gum′-elas′tic, india-rubber or caoutchouc; Gum′-ju′niper, sandarac.—adj. Gummif′erous, producing gum.—ns. Gum′miness; Gum′ming, act of fastening with gum, esp. the application of gum-water to a lithographic stone: a disease, marked by a discharge of gum, affecting stone-fruit; Gummos′ity, gumminess.—adjs. Gum′mous, Gum′my, consisting of or resembling gum: producing or covered with gum.—ns. Gum′-rash, red-gum; Gum′-res′in, a vegetable secretion formed of resin mixed with more or less gum or mucilage; Gum′-tree, a name applied to various American and Australian trees; Chew′ing-gum (see Chew). [O. Fr. gomme—L. gummi—Gr. kommi; prob. Coptic komē, gum.]

Gumbo, gum′bō, n. the okra or its mucilaginous pods: a soup of which okra is an ingredient, also a dish of okra-pods seasoned: Creole patois in Louisiana.

Gumption, gump′shun, n. sense: shrewdness: common-sense.—adj. Gump′tious. [Doubtless conn. with A.S. gýman, to observe; cf. Goth. gaumjan.]

Gun, gun, n. a firearm or weapon, from which balls or other projectiles are discharged, usually by means of gunpowder—now generally applied to cannon: one who carries a gun, a member of a shooting-party.—v.i. (Amer.) to shoot with a gun.—ns. Gun′-barr′el, the barrel or tube of a gun; Gun′boat, a boat or small vessel of light draught, fitted to carry one or more guns; Gun′-carr′iage, a carriage on which a gun or cannon is supported; Gun′-cott′on, an explosive prepared by saturating cotton with nitric acid; Gun′-fire (mil.), the hour at which the morning or evening gun is fired; Gun′-flint, a piece of flint fitted to the hammer of a flint-lock musket; Gun′-met′al, an alloy of copper and tin in the proportion of 9 to 1, used in making guns; Gun′nage, the number of guns carried by a ship of war; Gun′ner, one who works a gun or cannon: (naut.) a petty officer who has charge of the ordnance on board ship; Gun′nery, the art of managing guns, or the science of artillery; Gun′ning, shooting game; Gun′-port, a port-hole; Gun′powder, an explosive powder used for guns and firearms; Gun′-room, the apartment on board ship occupied by the gunner, or by the lieutenants as a mess-room; Gun′shot, the distance to which shot can be thrown from a gun.—adj. caused by the shot of a gun.—adj. Gun′-shy, frightened by guns (of a sporting dog).—ns. Gun′smith, a smith or workman who makes or repairs guns or small-arms; Gun′stick, a ramrod; Gun′stock, the stock or piece of wood on which the barrel of a gun is fixed; Gun′stone (Shak.), a stone, formerly used as shot for a gun; Gun′-tack′le (naut.), the tackle used on board ship by which the guns are run to and from the port-holes; Gun′-wad, a wad for a gun; Gat′ling-gun, a revolving battery-gun, invented by R. J. Gatling about 1861, usually having ten parallel barrels, capable of firing 1200 shots a minute; Machine′-gun (see Machine).—As sure as a gun, quite sure, certainly; Blow great guns, to blow tempestuously—of wind; Great gun, a cannon: (coll.) a person of great importance; Son of a gun, a rogue, rascal. [M. E. gonne, from W. gwn, a bowl, a gun, acc. to Skeat.]

Gunnel, gun′l, n. Same as Gunwale.

Gunny, gun′i, n. a strong coarse cloth manufactured in India from jute, and used as sacking. [Hind. gon, goní, sacking—Sans. goní, a sack.]

Gunter's scale. See Scale.

Gunwale, Gunnel, gun′el, n. the wale or upper edge of a ship's side next to the bulwarks, so called because the upper guns are pointed from it.

Gurge, gurj, n. (Milt.) a whirlpool. [L. gurges.]

Gurgle, gur′gl, v.i. to flow in an irregular noisy current: to make a bubbling sound. [Through an It. gorgogliare, from gorgo—L. gurges.]

Gurgoyle. Same as Gargoyle.

Gurly, gur′li, adj. (obs.) fierce, stormy.

Gurnard, gur′nard, n. a genus of fishes having the body rounded, tapering, and covered with small scales, an angular head, the eyes near the summit, and the teeth small and very numerous—(obs.) Gur′net. [From O. Fr. grongnard—grogner, to grunt—L. grunnīre, to grunt.]

Gurrah, gur′a, n. a coarse Indian muslin.

Gurry, gur′i, n. fish-offal.

Guru, gōō′rōō, n. a spiritual teacher, any venerable person.—Also Goo′roo. [Hind.—Sans.]

Gush, gush, v.i. to flow out with violence or copiously: to be effusive, or highly sentimental.—n. that which flows out: a violent issue of a fluid.—n. Gush′er, an oil-well not needing to be pumped.—adj. Gush′ing, rushing forth with violence, as a liquid: flowing copiously: effusive.—adv. Gush′ingly.—adj. Gush′y, effusively sentimental. [Scand.; Ice. gusa, gjósa; Dut. gudsen. See Geyser.]

Gusset, gus′et, n. the piece of cloth in a shirt which covers the armpit: an angular piece of cloth inserted in a garment to strengthen some part of it.—v.t. to make with a gusset: to insert a gusset into. [O. Fr. gousset—gousse—It. guscio, a pod, husk.]

Gust, gust, n. a sudden blast of wind: a violent burst of passion.—adjs. Gust′ful, Gust′y, stormy: irritable.—n. Gust′iness. [Ice. gustr, blast.]

Gust, gust, n. sense of pleasure of tasting: relish: gratification.—n. Gustā′tion, the act of tasting: the sense of taste.—adjs. Gust′ātive, Gus′tātory, of or pertaining to gustation.—n. Gust′o, taste: zest. [L. gustus, taste; cf. Gr. geuein, to make to taste.]

Gut, gut, n. the alimentary canal: intestines prepared for violin-strings, &c. (gut for angling, see Silkworm-gut): (pl.) the bowels.—v.t. to take out the bowels of: to plunder:—pr.p. gut′ting; pa.p. gut′ted.—n. Gut′-scrap′er, a fiddler.—v.t. and v.i. Gut′tle, to eat greedily. [A.S. gut, geótan, to pour; prov. Eng. gut, Ger. gosse, a drain.]

Gutta, gut′a, n. a drop: one of the small drop-like ornaments on the under side of the mutules and regulæ of the Doric entablature: a small round colour-spot:—pl. Gutt′æ.—adjs. Gutt′ate, -d, containing drops: spotted. [L.]

Gutta-percha, gut′a-pėrch′a, n. the solidified juice of various trees in the Malayan Islands. [Malay gatah, guttah, gum, percha, the tree producing it.]

Gutter, gut′ėr, n. a channel at the eaves of a roof for conveying away water: a channel for water: (print.) one of a number of pieces of wood or metal, grooved in the centre, used to separate the pages of type in a form: (pl.) mud, dirt (Scot.).—v.t. to cut or form into small hollows.—v.i. to become hollowed: to run down in drops, as a candle.—ns. Gutt′er-blood, a low-born person; Gutt′er-snipe, a neglected child, a street Arab.—adj. Guttif′erous, exuding gum or resin. [O. Fr. goutiere—goute—L. gutta, a drop.]

Guttural, gut′ur-al, adj. pertaining to the throat: formed in the throat: harsh or rasping in sound.—n. (gram.) a letter pronounced in the throat or the back part of the mouth (k, c hard, q, g, ng).—v.t. Gutt′uralise, Gutt′urise, to form (a sound) in the throat.—adv. Gutt′urally.—n. Gutt′uralness. [Fr.,—L. guttur, the throat.]

Guy, gī, n. (naut.) a rope to steady any suspended weight.—v.t. to keep in position by a guy. [Sp. guia, a guide.]

Guy, gī, n. an effigy of Guy Fawkes, dressed up grotesquely on the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot (5th Nov.): an odd figure.

Guzzle, guz′l, v.i. to eat and drink with haste and greediness.—v.t. to swallow with exceeding relish.—n. Guzz′ler. [O. Fr. (des-) gouziller, to swallow down; gosier, the throat.]

Gwiniad, gwin′i-ad, n. a fresh-water fish of about 10 or 12 inches in length, found in some of the lakes of Wales and Cumberland—the Fresh-water Herring. [W.,—gwyn, white.]

Gygis, jī′jis, n. a genus of small terns, white, with black bill, long-pointed wings, and a slightly forked tail. [Gr. gygēs, a water-bird.]

Gymkhana, jim-kä′na, n. a place of public resort for athletic games, &c., also a meeting for such sports. [A factitious word, according to Yule-Burnell, prob. based on gend-khāna ('ball-house'), the usual Hind. name for an English racket-court.]

Gymnasium, jim-nā′zi-um, n. a school for gymnastics: a school for the higher branches of literature and science: (orig.) a public place or building where the Greek youths exercised themselves, with running and wrestling grounds, baths, and halls for conversation:—pl. Gymnā′sia.—adj. Gymnā′sial.—n. Gymnā′siast.—adj. Gymnā′sic.—n. Gym′nast, one who teaches or practises gymnastics.—adjs. Gymnas′tic, -al, pertaining to athletic exercises: athletic, vigorous.—adv. Gymnas′tically.—n.pl. used as sing. Gymnas′tics, athletic exercises, devised to strengthen the muscles and bones, esp. those of the upper half of the body: the art of performing athletic exercises.—adj. Gym′nic (Milt.). [L.,—Gr. gymnasion—gymnazein, gymnos, naked.]

Gymnocarpous, jim-no-kär′pus, adj. (bot.) having the fruit naked, or not invested with a receptacle. [Gr. gymnos, naked, karpos, fruit.]

Gymnocitta, jim-no-sit′a, n. a genus of crow-like American jays with naked nostrils. [Gr. gymnos, naked, kitta, kissa, a jay.]

Gymnocladus, jim-nok′lad-us, n. a genus of North American trees, the pods slightly aperient. [Gr. gymnos, naked, klados, a branch.]

Gymnogynous, jim-noj′i-nus, adj. (bot.) having a naked ovary. [Gr. gymnos, naked, gynē, female.]

Gymnorhinal, jim-nō-rī′nal, adj. having the nostrils bare or unfeathered, as certain jays and auks. [Gr. gymnos, naked, hris, hrin-os, the nose.]

Gymnosophist, jim-nos′of-ist, n. the name given by the Greeks to those ancient Hindu philosophers who wore little or no clothing, and lived solitarily in mystical contemplation.—n. Gymnos′ophy. [Gr. gymnos, naked, sophos, wise.]

Gymnosperm, jim′nō-spėrm, n. one of the lower or more primitive group of seed plants—also Gym′nogen.—adj. Gymnosper′mous (bot.), having the seeds unenclosed in a capsule.—n. Gym′nospore, a naked spore. [Gr. gymnos, naked, sperma, seed.]

Gymnotus, jim-nō′tus, n. the most powerful of the electric fishes, occurring in the fresh waters of Brazil and Guiana.—Also Electric eel. [Formed from Gr. gymnos, naked, nōtos, the back.]

Gynæceum, Gynecium, jin-ē-sē′um, n. an apartment in a large house exclusively appropriated to women. [Gr. gynē, a woman, oikos, a house.]

Gynandria, ji-nan′dri-a, n. a Linnæan class of plants, in which the stamens are united with the pistil.—n. Gynan′der, a plant of the gynandria: a masculine woman.—adjs. Gynan′drian, Gynan′drous. [Gr. gynē, a female, anēr, andros, a man.]

Gynarchy, jin′är-ki, n. government by a female. [Gr. gynē, a woman, archē, rule.]

Gynecian, Gynæcian, ji-nē′shi-an, adj. relating to women.—adjs. Gynē′cic, Gynæ′cic, pertaining to women's diseases.—n. Gynœ′cium, the collective pistils of a flower.

Gynecocracy, jin-ē-kok′ra-si, n. government by women—also Gynoc′racy.—adj. Gynecrat′ic. [Gr. gynē, a woman, kratein, to rule.]

Gynecology, Gynæcology, jin-ē-kol′-o-ji, n. that branch of medicine which treats of the diseases and affections peculiar to woman and her physical organism.—adj. Gynecolog′ical.—n. Gynecol′ogist. [Gr. gynē, a woman, legein, to speak.]

Gyneolatry, jīnē-ol′at-ri, n. excessive worship of woman. [Gr. gynē, a woman, latreia, worship.]

Gynophore, jin′o-fōr, n. (bot.) an elongation or internode of the receptacle of a flower.

Gyp, jip, n. a male servant who attends to college rooms at Cambridge. [Perh. a contr. from gypsy; hardly from Gr. gyps, a vulture.]

Gypsum, jip′sum, n. a valuable mineral of a comparatively soft kind, burned in kilns, and afterwards ground to a fine powder, called plaster of Paris.—adjs. Gyp′seous, of or resembling gypsum; Gypsif′erous, producing or containing gypsum. [L.,—Gr. gypsos, chalk.]

Gypsy, Gypsyism. See Gipsy.

Gyrate, jī′rāt, v.i. to whirl round a central point: to move round.—adj. (bot.) winding round.—n. Gyrā′tion, act of whirling round a central point: a spiral motion.—adjs. Gy′ratory, Gyrā′tional, moving in a circle. [L. gyrāre, -ātum, to move in a circle.]

Gyre, jīr, n. a circular motion.—n. Gy′ra, the richly embroidered border of a robe:—pl. Gy′ræ.—adjs. Gy′ral, whirling, rotating; Gyroid′al, spiral in arrangement or movement. [L. gyrus—Gr. gyros, a ring, round.]

Gyre-carlin, gīr-kar′lin, n. (Scot.) a witch. [Ice. gýgr, a witch, karlinna, a carline.]

Gyrfalcon. See Gerfalcon.

Gyromancy, jī′ro-man-si, n. divination by walking in a circle till dizziness caused a fall towards one direction or another. [Gr. gyros, a circle, manteia, divination.]

Gyron, Giron, jī′ron, n. (her.) a bearing consisting of two straight lines drawn from any given part of the field and meeting in an acute angle in the fesse-point.—adjs. Gyronnet′ty, Gyron′ny, Giron′ny. [Fr., acc. to Skeat, from the Old High Ger. gérun, accus. of géro, a spear, gér; cf. A.S. gár, a spear.]

Gyroscope, jī′ro-skōp, n. an instrument for the exhibition of various properties of rotation, and the composition of rotations.—adj. Gyroscop′ic. [Gr. gyros, a circle, skopein, to see.]

Gyrose, jī′rōs, adj. (bot.) turned round like a crook.

Gyrostat, jī′rō-stat, n. an instrument contrived for illustrating the dynamics of rotating rigid bodies.—adj. Gyrostat′ic. [Gr. gyros, round, statikos, static.]

Gyrus, jī′rus, n. one of the rounded edges into which the surface of the cerebral hemisphere is divided by the fissures or sulci. [Gr. gyros, a circle.]

Gyte, gīt, adj. (Scot.) crazy, mad.

Gyte, gīt, n. (Scot.) a child: a first year's boy at Edinburgh High School. [Prob. a corr. of get, offspring.]

Gytrash, gī′trash, n. (prov.) a ghost.

Gyve, jīv, v.t. to fetter.—n.pl. Gyves, shackles, fetters. [M. E. gives, gyves. Of Celt. origin; cf. W. gefyn, Ir. geimheal.]

the eighth letter in our alphabet, its sound that of a strongly-marked continuous guttural, produced at the back of the palate, not existing in English, but heard in the Scotch loch and the German lachen. In Old English h was a guttural, or throat sound, but it gradually softened down to a spirant, and has now become almost a vowel: (chem.) a symbol denoting hydrogen: in medieval Roman notation=200, H=200,000.

Ha, hä, interj. denoting surprise, joy, or grief; and, when repeated, laughter: in continued speech, often an involuntary sound expressive of hesitation. [Imit.]

Ha′, haw, n. (Scot.) hall.

Haaf, häf, n. a deep-sea fishing-ground off the coast of Shetland.—n. Haaf′-fish′ing, deep-sea fishing, as for cod. [Ice. haf, sea.]

Haar, här, n. (Scot.) a fog.

Habble, häb′l, v.t. (Scot.) to perplex.—v.i. to stutter or stammer.—n. a perplexity, a squabble. [Hobble.]

Habeas-corpus (ad subjiciendum), hā′be-as-kor′pus, n. a writ to a jailer to produce the body of one detained in prison, and to state the reasons of such detention.—n. Haben′dum, the clause in a deed beginning 'habendum et tenendum' ('to have and to hold'), which determines the interest or estate granted by the deed. [L., lit. 'have the body,' from L. habēre, to have, and corpus, the body.]

Habenaria, hab-ē-nā′ri-a, n. a genus of tuberous orchidaceous plants. [L. habena, a thong.]

Haberdasher, hab′ėr-dash-ėr, n. a seller of small-wares, as ribbons, tape, &c.—n. Hab′erdashery, goods sold by a haberdasher. [O. Fr. hapertas; ety. dub.; not Ice.]

Haberdine, ha-ber-dīn′, n. (obs.) dried salt cod. [Old Dut. abberdaan, also labberdaen; prob. from Le Labourd, or Lapurdum (Bayonne).]

Habergeon, ha-bėr′je-un, n. a piece of armour to defend the neck and breast. [Fr. haubergeon, dim. of O. Fr. hauberc.]

Habile, hab′il, adj. (obs.) able, capable. [Fr.,—L. habilis. See Able.]

Habiliment, ha-bil′i-ment, n. a garment: (pl.) clothing, dress.—adjs. Hab′ilable (Carlyle), capable of being clothed; Habil′atory, having reference to dressing. [Fr. habillement—habiller, to dress—L. habilis, fit, ready—habēre.]

Habilitation, ha-bil-i-tā′shun, n. (Bacon) qualification: (U.S.) the act of supplying money to work a mine.—n. Habilitā′tor, one who does so.—v.i. Habil′itate, to acquire certain necessary qualifications, esp. for the office of teacher in a German university (Ger. habilitiren). [Low L. habilitation -em—L. habilis, able.]

Hability, ha-bil′i-ti, n. an obsolete form of ability.

Habit, hab′it, n. ordinary course of conduct: tendency to perform certain actions: general condition or tendency, as of the body: practice: custom: outward appearance: dress, esp. any official or customary costume: a garment, esp. a tight-fitting dress, with a skirt, worn by ladies on horseback.—v.t. to dress:—pr.p. hab′iting; pa.p. hab′ited.—adj. Hab′ited, clothed, dressed.—ns. Hab′it-mak′er, one who makes women's riding-habits; Hab′it-shirt, a thin muslin or lace under-garment worn by women on the neck and shoulders, under the dress.—adj. Habit′ūal, formed or acquired by frequent use: customary.—adv. Habit′ūally.—v.t. Habit′ūāte, to cause to acquire a habit: to accustom.—ns. Habitūā′tion; Hab′itūde, tendency from acquiring a habit: usual manner; Habitué (hab-it′ū-ā), a habitual frequenter of any place of entertainment, &c.—Habit and repute, a phrase in Scotch law to denote something so notorious that it affords strong and generally conclusive evidence of the facts to which it refers; Habit of body, the general condition of the body as outwardly apparent: any constitutional tendency or weakness. [Fr.,—L. habitus, state, dress—habēre, to have.]

Habitable, hab′it-a-bl, adj. that may be dwelt in.—ns. Habitabil′ity, Hab′itableness.—adv. Hab′itably.—ns. Hab′itant, an inhabitant; Hab′itat, the natural abode or locality of an animal or plant: place of abode generally; Habitā′tion, act of inhabiting: a dwelling or residence: a group, lodge, company, as of the so-called 'Primrose League.' [Fr.,—L. habitabilis—habitāre, -ātum, to inhabit, freq. of habēre, to have.]

Hable, hā′bl, adj. (Spens.). Same as Habile.

Hachel, hach′el, n. (Scot.) a sloven.

Hachure, hash′ūr, n. Same as Hatching.

Hacienda, as-i-en′da, n. an estate or establishment. [Sp.,—L. facienda, things to be done, facĕre, to do.]

Hack, hak, v.t. to cut: to chop or mangle: to notch: to kick (another) at football.—n. a cut made by hacking: a kick on the shin.—n. Hack′ing, the operation of picking a worn grindstone, &c., with a hack-hammer.—adj. short and interrupted, as a broken, troublesome cough.—n. Hack′-log, a chopping-block. [A.S. haccian, in composition tó-haccian; cf. Dut. hakken, Ger. hacken.]

Hack, hak, n. a horse kept for hire, esp. a poor one: any person overworked on hire: a literary drudge.—adj. hired, mercenary: used up.—v.t. to offer for hire: to use roughly.—n. Hack′-work, literary drudgery for which a person is hired by a publisher, as making dictionaries, &c. [Contr. of hackney.]

Hack, hak, n. a grated frame, as a rack for feeding cattle, a place for drying bricks, &c. [Hatch.]

Hackberry, hak′ber-i, n. an American tree, allied to the elm. [See Hagberry.]

Hackbut, hak′but, n. an arquebuse—also Hag′but.—n. Hackbuteer′. [O. Fr. haquebute, from Dut. haakbus. See Arquebuse.]

Hackee, hak′ē, n. the United States chipmuck or ground-squirrel. [Imit.]

Hackery, hak′er-i, n. a native bullock-cart. [Hind. chhakrā, a cart.]

Hackle, hak′l, n. an instrument with iron teeth for sorting hemp or flax: any flimsy substance unspun: a feather in a cock's neck: part of the dressing of a fly-hook used by anglers.—v.t. to dress with a hackle, as flax: to tear rudely asunder.—n. Hack′ler, a flax-dresser, heckler.—adj. Hack′ly, rough and broken, as if hacked or chopped: (min.) covered with sharp points. [Cf. Dut. hekel, Ger. hechel.]

Hacklet, hak′let, n. a kind of sea-bird, prob. the shear-water—also Hag′let.—The Hagden is the Greater Shear-water (Puffinus major).

Hackney, hak′ni, n. a horse for general use, esp. for hire: (obs.) a person hired for any mean work.—v.t. to carry in a hackney-coach: to use much: to make commonplace.—adjs. Hack′ney, Hack′neyed, let out for hire: devoted to common use: much used.—ns. Hack′ney-coach, a coach let out for hire; Hack′ney-coach′man; Hack′neyman, one who keeps hackney horses. [O. Fr. haquenee, an ambling nag; further history unknown.]

Hacqueton (Spens.). A form of acton.

Had, pa.t. and pa.p. of have: (B.) held.—ns. Had′ding, Had′din (Scot.), a holding, residence.

Haddock, had′uk, n. a sea-fish of the cod family—(Scot.) Hadd′ie. [M. E. haddoke; ety. unknown.]

Hade, hād, n. (min.) the dip or underlie of a lode or fault.—v.i. to underlay or incline from the vertical.

Hades, hā′dēz, n. the unseen world: the abode of the dead indefinitely, hell. [Gr. haidēs, hadēs, dubiously derived from a, neg., and idein, to see.]

Hadith, had′ith, n. the body of traditions about Mohammed, supplementary to the Koran. [Ar.]

Hadj, Hajj, haj, n. a Mohammedan pilgrimage to Mecca or Medina.—ns. Hadji, Hajji (haj′i), one who has performed a Hadj. [Ar., 'a pilgrimage.']

Hadrosaurus, had-rō-sä′rus, n. a very large Dinosaurian of the Cretaceous epoch—abundant in New Jersey. [Gr. hadros, thick, sauros, a lizard.]

Hae, hā, a Scotch form of have.

Hæcceity, hek-sē′i-ti, hēk-, n. Duns Scotus's word for that element of existence on which individuality depends, hereness-and-nowness. [Lit. 'thisness,' L. hæc.]

Hæmacyte, Hem-, hē′ma-sīt, n. a blood-corpuscle.—n. Hæmacytom′eter, an instrument for determining the number of such in a given quantity of blood.

Hæmadynamics, Hem-, hē-ma-di-nam′iks, n. the dynamics or theory of the circulation of the blood.

Hæmal, Hemal, hē′mal, adj. relating to the blood or blood-vessels: ventral, the opposite of Neural.—n. Hæ′machrome, the colouring matter of the blood.—adj. Hæ′matoid, resembling blood.—Hæmal arch, the position of a vertebra enclosing and protecting the heart and other viscera; Hæmal cavity, the thoracic-abdominal cavity, containing the heart, &c. [Gr. haima, blood.]

Hæmanthus, hē-man′thus, n. a genus of bulbous plants native to Africa, including the Cape tulip. [Gr. haima, blood, anthos, a flower.]

Hæmastatic, Hem-, -al, hē-ma-stat′ik, -al, adj. serving to stop the flow of blood.—n.pl. Hæmastat′ics, the statics of the blood and blood-vessels. [Gr. haima, blood, statikos, static.]

Hæmatein, Hem-, hē-ma-tē′in, n. an organic principle derived from the colouring matter of logwood.

Hæmatemesis, hē-ma-tem′e-sis, n. a vomiting of blood from the stomach. [Gr. haima, haimat-os, blood, emein, to vomit.]

Hæmatin, Hem-, hē′ma-tin, hem′a-tin, n. a brown substance associated with hemoglobin in the blood.—adjs. Hæmat′ic, Hæ′mic—n.pl. Hæmat′ics, that branch of medical science concerned with the blood.

Hæmatite, Hem-, hem′a-tīt, hē′ma-tīt, n. (min.) a valuable ore of iron, consisting chiefly of peroxide of iron—its two chief varieties, Red Hæmatite and Brown Hæmatite.—adj. Hæmatit′ic.

Hæmatoblast, hē′ma-to-blast, hem′-, n. one of the minute colourless discs, smaller than either the red or white corpuscles, found in the blood. [Gr. haima, haimat-os, blood, blastos, a germ.]

Hæmatocele, Hem-, hē′ma-to-sēl, n. a tumour containing blood. [Gr. haima, blood, kēlē, a tumour.]

Hæmatology, hē-ma-tol′o-ji, n. the branch of biology which relates to the blood.

Hæmatosis, hē-ma-tō′sis, n. the formation of blood, the conversion of venous into arterial blood.—n. Hæmatō′sin, hæmatin.

Hæmatoxylin, Hem-, hē-ma-tok′si-lin, n. a dye obtained from the logwood-tree. [Gr. haima, blood, xylon, wood.]

Hæmatozoa, hē-ma-to-zō′a, n. parasites occurring in the blood. [Gr. haima, haimat-os, blood, zōon, an animal.]

Hæmaturia, hē-ma-tū′ri-a, n. the discharge of blood with the urine, usually from disease of the kidneys or bladder. [Gr. haima, blood, ouron, urine.]

Hæmoglobin, Hem-, hē-mo-glō′bin, n. the red substance in the red blood-corpuscles. [Gr. haima, blood, L. globus, a ball.]

Hæmony, hē′mo-ni, n. a plant with sovereign properties against magic, &c., in Milton's Comus. [Prob. formed from Gr. haimōnios, blood-red.]

Hæmophilia, hē-mo-fil′i-a, hem-o-, n. a constitutional tendency to excessive bleeding when any blood-vessel is even slightly injured.

Hæmophthalmia, hē-mof-thal′mi-a, n. effusion of blood into the eye. [Gr. haima, blood, ophthalmos, the eye.]

Hæmoptysis, hē-mop′ti-sis, n. expectoration of blood. [Gr. haima, blood, ptysis, a spitting.]

Hæmorrhage, Hem-, hem′or-āj, n. a discharge of blood from the blood-vessels.—adj. Hæmorrhag′ic. [Gr. haimorrhagia—haima, blood, rhēgnynai, to burst.]

Hæmorrhoids, Hem-, hem′or-oidz, n.pl. dilated veins liable to discharge blood, esp. piles.—adj. Hæmorrhoid′al. [Gr. haimorrhoides—haima, blood, rhein, to flow.]

Hæmostasia, hē-mo-stā′si-a, n. stagnation of blood in any part: any operation for arresting the flow of blood, as the ligation of an artery.—adj. Hæmostat′ic, stopping or preventing hæmorrhage, styptic. [Gr. haima, blood, stasis, a standing.]

Haet, Hait, hāt, n. (Scot.) a whit.

Haffet, haf′et, n. (Scot.) the side of the head, the temples. [Prob. half-head—A.S. healf-héafod.]

Hafflin, haf′lin, adj. (Scot.) half-grown.—n. a fool.

Haft, haft, n. a handle.—v.t. to set in a haft: to establish firmly. [A.S. hæft; Ger. heft.]

Hag, hag, n. an ugly old woman, originally a witch: one of the Round Mouths, allied to the lamprey.—adj. Hag′gish, hag-like.—adv. Hag′gishly.—adj. Hag′-rid′den, ridden by witches, as a horse: troubled by nightmare.—ns. Hag′-seed, a witch's offspring; Hag′ship, the personality of a hag; Hag′weed, the common broom, a broomstick being usually bestridden by a witch in her flight through the air. [A.S. hægtesse, a witch; Ger. hexe.]

Hag, hag, n. (Scot.) any broken ground in a moss or bog: brushwood to be cut down.

Hagberry, hag′ber-i, n. the bird-cherry—sometimes Hack′berry. [Prob. Scand.; Ice. heggr.]

Hagbut. See Hackbut.

Hagden. See Hacklet.

Haggada, ha-gä′da, n. a free Rabbinical homiletical commentary on the whole Old Testament, forming, together with the Halacha, the Midrash, but from its especial popularity often itself styled the Midrash—also Haggä′dah, Agä′dah.—adjs. Haggad′ic, Haggadist′ic, pertaining to the Haggada, said of free interpretation, opposed to Halachic or legal.—n. Hagg′adist. [Heb.]

Haggard, hag′ard, adj. lean: hollow-eyed: wild, applied to an untrained hawk—(arch.) Hagg′ed.—n. Hagg′ard, a hawk.—adv. Hagg′ardly. [O. Fr. hagard, prob. related to haie, hedge.]

Haggard, hag′ard, n. a stackyard. [Hay-yard.]

Haggis, hag′is, n. a Scotch dish made of the heart, lungs, and liver of a sheep, calf, &c., chopped up with suet, onions, oatmeal, &c., seasoned and boiled in a sheep's stomach-bag. [Ety. unknown; not Fr. hachis, hash, assimilated with hag, hack.]

Haggle, hag′l, v.t. to cut unskilfully: to mangle.—v.i. to be slow and hard in making a bargain: to stick at trifles, to cavil.—n. Hagg′ler. [A variant of hackle, itself a freq. of hack, to cut.]

Hagiarchy, hā′ji-ar-ki, n. government by priests.—Also Hagioc′racy. [Gr. hagios, sacred, archē, rule.]

Hagiographa, hag-i-og′ra-fa, n.pl. the last of the three Jewish divisions of the Old Testament, comprehending the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ruth, Esther, Chronicles, Canticles, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes.—adj. Hagiog′raphal.—n. Hagiog′rapher, one of the writers of the Hagiographa: a sacred writer.—adjs. Hagiograph′ic, -al, pertaining to the Hagiographa. [Gr. hagiographa (biblia)—hagios, holy, graphein, to write.]

Hagiology, hag-i-ol′o-ji, n. history of saints.—n. Hagiog′rapher, a writer of saints' lives.—adjs. Hagiograph′ic, -al, pertaining to the writing of saints' lives.—ns. Hagiog′raphy, the lives of saints as a branch of literature; Hagiol′ater, one who worships saints; Hagiol′atry, the worship of saints.—adjs. Hagiolog′ic, -al.—n. Hagiol′ogist, one versed in the legends of saints. [Gr. hagios, holy, logia, discourse.]

Hagioscope, hag′-, or hā′ji-o-skōp, n. an oblique opening in the screen or chancel wall of a church to afford a view of the chief altar to those in a side chapel or aisle, a squint.—adj. Hagioscop′ic. [Gr. hagios, holy, skopein, to look.]

Hah, hä, interj. Same as Ha.

Ha-ha, imitation of the sound of laughter.

Ha-ha, Hawhaw, haw-haw′, n. a sunk fence, or a ditch not seen till close upon it.

Hahnemannian, hä-ne-man′i-an, adj. of or relating to C. F. S. Hahnemann (1755-1843), founder of the homeopathic method of treatment.

Haiduk, hī′duk, n. one of those, from the forests of eastern Hungary, who in the 16th century maintained a guerilla warfare against the Turks. [Hung. hajduk, pl. of hajdu, a cowherd.]

Haik, haik, n. an oblong piece of cloth which Arabs wrap round the head and body.—Also Haick, Haique, Hyke.

Haikh, haih, n. a branch of the Iranic group of Aryan languages, including Armenian and Ossetian: the native name of Armenia.—adj. Armenian.

Hail, hāl, v.t. to greet: to call to, at a distance: to address one passing.—n. a call: greeting.—interj. or imper. (lit.) may you be in health.—n. Hail′-fell′ow, a familiar friend.—adj. on hearty and intimate terms—'Hail, fellow! well met,' often used as a kind of descriptive adjective.—Hail from, to come from. [Ice. heill, health.]

Hail, hāl, n. frozen rain or particles of ice falling from the clouds.—v.i. to rain hail.—v.t. to pour down in rapid succession.—ns. Hail′shot, small shot which scatters like hail; Hail′stone, a single stone or ball of hail; Hail′-storm, a storm accompanied with hail.—adj. Hail′y. [A.S. hagol; Ger. hagel.]

Hain, hān, v.t. (Scot.) to save, preserve: to spare.—adj. Hained, saved, kept carefully.—n. Hain′ing, an enclosure. [Ice. hegna, to protect; cf. Sw. hägna; Dan. hegne.]

Hain't, Haint=have not, has not.

Hair, hār, n. a filament growing from the skin of an animal: the whole mass of hairs which forms a covering for the head or the whole body: (bot.) minute hair-like processes on the cuticle of plants: anything very small and fine: particular course, quality, or character: (mech.) a locking spring or other safety contrivance in the lock of a rifle, &c., capable of being released by a slight pressure on a hair-trigger.—ns. Hair′breadth, Hair's′-breadth, the breadth of a hair (Hairbreadth 'scape, a very narrow escape): a very small distance; Hair′-brush, a brush for the hair; Hair′cloth, cloth made partly or entirely of hair; Hair′dresser, one who dresses or cuts hair: a barber.—adj. Haired, having hair—as black-haired, fair-haired, &c.—ns. Hair′-grass, a kind of grass found generally on poor soil, the bracts of whose florets are generally awned near the base; Hair′iness.—adj. Hair′less, without hair.—ns. Hair′-line, a line made of hair, used in fishing: a slender line made in writing or drawing: (print.) a very thin line on a type; Hair′-oil, perfumed oil used in dressing the hair; Hair′-pen′cil, an artist's brush made of a few fine hairs; Hair′-pin, a pin used in hairdressing; Hair′-pow′der, a white powder for dusting the hair; Hair′-shirt, a penitent's shirt of haircloth; Hair′-space, the thinnest metal space used by compositors; Hair′-split′ter, one who makes too nice distinctions; Hair′-split′ting, the art of making minute and over-nice distinctions; Hair′spring, a very fine hair-like spring coiled up within the balance-wheel of a watch; Hair′-stroke, in writing, a fine stroke with the pen: a hair-line; Hair′-trigg′er, a trigger which discharges a gun or pistol by a hair-like spring; Hair′-work, work done or something made with hair, esp. human; Hair′worm, a worm, like a horse-hair, which lives in the bodies of certain insects.—adj. Hair′y, of or resembling hair: covered with hair.—Against the hair, against the grain: contrary to what is natural; A hair of the dog that bit him, a smaller dose of that which caused the trouble, esp. used of the morning glass after a night's debauch—a homeopathic dose; Comb a person's hair the wrong way, to irritate or provoke him; Keep one's hair on (slang) to keep cool; Make the hair stand on end, to give the greatest astonishment or fright to another; Not to turn a hair, not to be ruffled or disturbed; Put up the hair, to dress the hair up on the head instead of wearing it hanging; Split hairs, to make superfine distinctions; To a hair, To the turn of a hair, exactly, with perfect nicety. [A.S. hǽr, Ger., Dut., and Dan. haar, &c.]

Hairst, hārst, a Scotch form of harvest.

Haith, hāth, interj. (Scot.) by my faith!

Hajj. See Hadj.

Hake, hāk, n. a gadoid fish resembling the cod—varieties are the Silver Hake, the Merluccio, the Squirrel-hake, &c.—ns. Hā′ked, Hac′ot (prov.), the pike (A.S. hacod; Ger. hecht). [Prob. Scand.; cf. Norw. hake-fisk, lit. 'hook-fish.']

Hake, hāk, n. (prov.) a hook, esp. a pot-hook: a pike. [Prob. Ice. haki; cf. Dut. haak.]

Hake, hāk, v.i. to idle or loiter about. [Cf. Dut. haken, to hanker.]

Hakeem, Hakim, ha-kēm′, n. a physician. [Ar.]

Hakim, hā′kim, n. a judge or governor in Mohammedan India.

Halachah, Halakah, Halacha, ha-lak′ä, n. an amplification of points not explicitly set forth in the Mosaic law, deduced from it by analogy, and arranged in the collection of legal precepts designated Halachoth.—adj. Halach′ic, pertaining to halachoth, legal as opposed to homiletic or haggadic. [Heb.,—hālak, to walk.]

Halation, ha-lā′shun, n. a halo-like appearance in a photograph, caused by reflection of light.

Halberd, hal′bėrd, n. a weapon consisting of a wooden shaft some six feet long, surmounted by an axe-like instrument balanced on the opposite side by a hook or pick.—n. Halberdier′, one armed with a halberd. [O. Fr. halebard—Mid. High Ger. helmbarde (Ger. hellebarde)—halm, handle, or helm, helmet; Old High Ger. barta (Ger. barte), an axe.]

Halcyon, hal′si-un, n. the kingfisher, once believed to make a floating nest on the sea, which remained calm while it was hatching.—adj. calm: peaceful: happy—hence Halcyon-days, a time of peace and happiness. [L.,—Gr., alkyōn; as if hals, the sea, kyein, to conceive.]

Hald, a Scotch form of hold.

Hale, hāl, adj. healthy: robust: sound of body.—n. (Spens.) welfare.—n. Hale′ness. [Northern A.S. hál; the S. forms hôl, hool, produce whole. There is a parallel N. form from Norse heill.]

Hale, hāl, v.t. to drag. [A variant of haul.]

Half, häf, n. one of two equal parts: a contraction of half-year, as in a school session:—pl. Halves (hävz).—adj. having or consisting of one of two equal parts: being in part: incomplete, as measures.—adv. in an equal part or degree: in part: imperfectly.—v.i. to divide into two equal parts.—ns. Half′-and-half, a mixture of beer or porter and ale; Half′-back, in football, a position on the right or left side of the field, between the quarter-back and full-back, or directly behind the forwards: a player occupying this position.—adj. Half′-baked, underdone: incomplete: half-witted.—v.t. Half′-baptise′, to baptise privately and hastily.—ns. Half′-bind′ing, a style of bookbinding in which the backs and corners are of leather, and the sides of paper or cloth; Half′-blood, relation between those who are of the same father or mother, but not of both.—adj. Half′-blood′ed.—ns. Half′-board (naut.), a manœuvre by which a sailing-ship gains distance to windward by luffing up into the wind; Half′-boot, a boot reaching half-way to the knee.—adj. Half′-bound, bound only partly in leather, as a book.—n. Half′-breed, one that is half-blooded.—adj. Half′-bred, half or not well bred or trained: wanting in refinement.—ns. Half′-broth′er, Half′-sis′ter, a brother or sister by one parent only; Half′-cap (Shak.), a cap only partly taken off: a slight salute; Half′-caste, a person one of whose parents belongs to a Hindu caste, and the other is a European: any half-breed; Half′-cheek (Shak.), a face in profile; Half′-cock, the position of the cock of a gun when retained by the first notch (see Cock); Half′-crown, a silver coin in England, of the value of two shillings and sixpence.—adj. Half′-dead, almost dead, nearly exhausted.—n. Half′-doll′ar, a silver coin of the United States, worth 50 cents.—adj. Half′-done, not fully cooked, roasted, &c.—n. Half′-doz′en, six.—adjs. Half′-ed′ucated, imperfectly educated; Half′en (Spens.), half.—adv. Half′endeal (Spens.), half.—adjs. Half′-faced (Shak.), showing only part of the face: wretched-looking; Half′-heart′ed, cold, ungenerous: lukewarm: indifferent.—adv. Half′-heart′edly.—ns. Half′-heart′edness; Half′-holiday, half of a working day for recreation; Half′-kir′tle, a kind of jacket worn by women in the 16th and 17th centuries; Half′-length, a portrait or photograph showing the upper part of the body.—adj. of half-length.—ns. Half′ling, a half-grown person, between a boy and a man; Half′-mast, the position of a flag lowered half-way down, in respect for the dead or in signal of distress; Half′-meas′ure, any means inadequate for the end proposed; Half′-moon, the moon at the quarters when but half of it is illuminated: anything semicircular; Half′-mourn′ing, a mourning costume less than deep or full mournings.—adj. Half′-nā′ked, as nearly naked as clothed.—ns. Half′-note (mus.), a minim, being one-half of a semibreve or whole note; Half′-one (golf), a handicap of one stroke every second hole; Half′-pay, reduced pay, as of naval or military officers when not in active service.—adj. receiving half-pay.—ns. Halfpenny (hā′pen-i), a copper coin worth half a penny: the value of half a penny: (Shak.) anything very small:—pl. Halfpence (hā′pens); Half′pennyworth, the worth or value of a halfpenny; Half′-pike, a pike with a shaft only half the length of the ordinary; Half′-price, a reduced charge of admission, &c.—adj. at half the usual prices.—adj. Half′-round (Milt.), semicircular.—ns. Half′-roy′al, a special kind of millboard or pasteboard; Half′-shell, one-half of a bivalve, as in oysters 'on the half-shell.'—adj. Half′-sight′ed, short-sighted.—n. Half′-sov′ereign, an English gold coin, worth ten shillings.—adj. Half′-starved, having insufficient food.—ns. Half′-suit, the body armour of the 17th century; Half′-sword (Shak.), fight within half a sword's length: close fight; Half′-tide, the tide half-way between flood and ebb.—adj. left dry at half-tide.—ns. Half′-tim′er, one who works only half the usual time, esp. a pupil in an elementary school allowed to be absent half the school-day at some employment; Half′-tint, an intermediate tint; Half′-tī′tle, a short title of a book at the head of the first page of the text, or a title of any subdivision of a book when printed in a full page; Half′-truth, a statement conveying only part of the truth.—adv. Half′-way, at half the way or distance: imperfectly.—adj. equally distant from two points.—adjs. Half′-wit′ted, weak in intellect; Half′-year′ly, occurring at every half-year or twice in a year.—adv. twice in a year.—n. Bett′er-half, a wife.—Half-seas-over, half-drunk.—Not half, to a very slight extent: (slang) not at all.—Cry halves, to claim a half-share; Go halves, to share equally with a person. [A.S. healf (Ger. halb, Dan. halv); original meaning 'side.']

Halibut, hal′i-but, n. the largest kind of flat-fishes, in form more elongated than the flounder or the turbot.—Also Hol′ibut. [M. E. hali, holy, and butte, a flounder, plaice, the fish being much eaten on fast or holy days; cf. Dut. heilbot, Ger. heilbutt.]

Halicore, hal-ik′o-ri, n. a dugong.

Halidom, hal′i-dom, n. (Spens.) holiness—used chiefly as an oath. [A.S. hálig, holy, and affix -dom.]

Halieutics, hal-i-ū′tiks, n. a treatise on fishes or fishing. [L.,—Gr.,—hals, the sea.]

Haliotis, hal-i-ō′tis, n. a genus of univalve shells, the ear-shells, supplying mother-of-pearl.—adj. Hal′iotoid. [Gr. hals, sea, ous, ōtis, ear.]

Halitus, hal′i-tus, n. a vapour.—adj. Halit′uous. [L.]

Hall, hawl, n. a large room or passage at the entrance of a house: a large chamber for public business—for meetings, or for the sale of particular goods: an edifice in which courts of justice are held: a manor-house: the main building of a college, and in some cases, as at Oxford and Cambridge, the specific name of a college itself: an unendowed college: a licensed residence for students: the great room in which the students dine together—hence also the dinner itself: a place for special professional education, or for conferring professional degrees or licenses, as a Divinity Hall, Apothecaries' Hall.—ns. Hall′age, toll paid for goods sold in a hall; Hall′-door, the front door of a house.—A hall! a hall! a cry at a mask or the like for room for the dance, &c.; Bachelor's hall, a place free from the restraining presence of a wife; Liberty hall, a place where every one can do as he pleases. [A.S. heall; Dut. hal, Ice. holl, &c.]

Hallan, hal′an, n. (Scot.) a partition to keep out the cold between the door of a cottage and the fireplace.—n. Hallanshāk′er, a sturdy beggar.

Hallelujah, Halleluiah, hal-e-lōō′ya, n. the exclamation 'Praise (ye) the Lord' (Jah or Jehovah), which occurs in many songs and anthems: a song of praise to God, a musical composition based on the word, as the Hallelujah (chorus) in Handel's Messiah.—n. Hallel (hal-el′, hal′el), the hymn of praise chanted during the Passover supper, consisting of Psalms cxiii.-cxviii. inclusive. [Heb., 'Praise ye Jehovah,' halelu, praise ye, and Jāh, Jehovah.]

Halliard. See Halyard.

Hallion, hal′yon, n. a lazy rascal.—Also Hall′ian, Hall′yon.

Hall-mark, hawl′-märk, n. the authorised impression of certain symbols made on articles of gold and silver at the various assay offices in the United Kingdom to indicate their true value and the fineness of the metal: any mark of genuineness or good quality.—v.t. to assay and mark authoritatively.

Halloo, hal-lōō′, n. a hunting cry: a cry to draw attention.—v.i. to cry after dogs: to raise an outcry.—v.t. to encourage or chase with shouts.—interjs. Hallo′! Halloa′! used to call attention.—Halloo before one is out of the wood, to count on safety before one is out of danger. [Imit., A.S. éalá.]

Hallow, hal′ō, v.t. to make holy: to set apart for religious use: to reverence.—n. a saint.—ns. Hall′owe'en, the evening before All-Hallows or All-Saints' Day; Hall′owmas, the Feast of All-Saints, 1st November. [A.S. hálgian—hálig, holy.]

Hallucination, hal-lū-sin-ā′shun, n. error: delusion: the perception of things that do not externally exist.—v.i. Hallū′cinate, to suffer illusion.—adjs. Hallū′cinative, Hallū′cinatory, partaking of or tending to produce hallucination. [L. hallucinationem—alucināri, -ātus, to wander in mind.]

Hallux, hal′uks, n. the first or innermost digit of the foot, the great toe. [L. allex.]

Halm, Haulm, hawm, n. the stalk of any kind of grain. [A.S. healm; Ger. halm.]

Halma, hal′ma, n. a game played on a checkered board of 256 squares, by two or four persons, with thirteen to nineteen men each—also Hoppity: in the Greek pentathlon the long jump with weights in the hands. [Gr.,—hallesthai, to leap.]

Halmaturus, hal-ma-tū′rus, n. a genus of kangaroos.

Halo, hā′lō, n. a luminous circle round the sun or moon, due to the presence of ice-crystals in the air: (paint.) the bright ring round the heads of saints, hence any ideal or sentimental glory attaching to a thing:—pl. Halos (hā′lōz).—v.t. to surround with a halo.—n. Hal′oscope, an instrument exhibiting the phenomena connected with halos, parhelia, &c. [L. halos—Gr. halōs, threshing-floor.]

Halogen, hal′o-jen, n. a substance which by combination with a metal forms a saline compound.—adjs. Halog′enous; Ha′loid, like sea-salt.—ns. Hal′omancy, divination by means of salt; Hal′ophyte, the salt-wort, found in salt-marshes, &c. [Gr. hals, salt, genēs, producing.]

Halse, hawls, v.t. (Spens.) to clasp round the neck, to embrace.—n. (obs.) the neck, throat—(Scot.) Hawse. [A.S. heals, neck; Ger. hals.]

Halser, hawz′ėr, n. See Hawser.

Halt, hawlt, v.i. to stop from going on: (mil.) to stop in a march.—v.t. to stop.—n. (mil.) a stop in marching. [Orig. a Ger. military term, halt, stoppage.]

Halt, hawlt, n. a halting or limping.—adj. lame, crippled, limping.—v.i. to be lame, to limp: to walk unsteadily: to vacillate: to proceed lamely or imperfectly, to be at fault, as in logic, rhythm, &c.—ns. Halt′ing; Halt′ing-place. [A.S. halt, healt; Dan. and Sw. halt.]

Halter, hawlt′ėr, n. a head-rope for holding and leading a horse: a rope for hanging criminals: a strong strap or cord.—v.t. to catch or bind with a rope. [A.S. hælftre; Ger. halfter.]

Halve, häv, v.t. to divide into halves or two equal parts: to join two pieces of timber by notching or lapping.—adj. Halved, divided into halves: (bot.) appearing as if one side were cut away.—n.pl. Halves (see Half).

Halyard, Halliard, hal′yard, n. (naut.) a rope or purchase for hoisting or lowering a sail, yard, or flag, named from their use or position, as 'peak-halyards,' 'signal-halyards,' &c. [Skeat explains it as hale and yard; more prob. merely hale-ier.]

Ham, ham, n. the back of the thigh: the thigh of an animal, esp. of a hog salted and dried. [A.S. hamm; cf. dial. Ger. hamme.]

Hamadryad, ham′a-drī-ad, n. (myth.) a wood-nymph who lived and died with the tree in which she dwelt:—pl. Ham′adryads, Hamadry′ades (-ēz). [Gr. hamadryas—hama, together, drys, a tree.]

Hamarthritis, ham-ar-thrī′tis, n. gout in all the joints. [Gr. hama, together, arthritis, gout.]

Hamartialogy, ham-ar-ti-al′o-ji, n. that section of theology which treats of the nature and effects of sin. [Gr. hamartia, sin, logia, discourse.]

Hamate, hā′māt, adj. hooked, uncinate.—adj. Ham′iform, hamate.

Hamble, ham′bl, v.t. to mutilate, to cut out the balls of a dog's feet, making him useless for hunting.—v.i. to walk lame, to limp. [A.S. hamelian.]

Hamburg, ham′burg, n. a black variety of grape—often Black Hamburg: a small-sized variety of the domestic fowl, with blue legs, including the Black, Gold- and Silver-pencilled, and Gold- and Silver-spangled Hamburgs.

Hame, hām, n. one of the two curved bars to which the traces are attached in the harness of a draught-horse. [Cf. Dut. haam, Low Ger. ham.]

Hamesucken, hām′suk-n, n. (Scots law) the assaulting of a man in his own house. [A.S. hám-sócn, lit. 'home seeking,' an attack upon a house, also the fine exacted for such; cf. Ger. heimsuchung.]

Hamiltonian, ham-il-tō′ni-an, adj. pertaining to James Hamilton (1769-1831), or his method of teaching languages without grammar, by a literal interlinear word-for-word translation: pertaining to the philosophy of Sir W. Hamilton (1788-1856).

Hamitic, ham-it′ik, adj. pertaining to Ham, a son of Noah, or the races that used to be called his descendants, or their languages.—n.pl. Ham′ites, a physical and linguistic group, stretching across the north of Africa—the African branch of the Caucasic family—comprising Berbers, the Fellahin, &c.

Hamlet, ham′let, n. a cluster of houses in the country: a small village.—adj. Ham′leted, located in a hamlet. [O. Fr. hamel (Fr. hameau), and dim. affix -et—from Teut., Old Fris. ham, a home, Ger. heim, A.S. hám, a dwelling.]

Hammal, ham′al, n. a Turkish porter.

Hammam, ham′am, n. an Oriental bathing establishment, a Turkish bath.—Also Hum′maum, Hum′mum. [Ar.]

Hammer, ham′ėr, n. a tool for beating metal or driving nails: a striking-piece in the mechanism of a clock or piano: that part of the lock of a firearm which falls with a sharp blow and causes the discharge of the piece: the baton of an auctioneer, a knock from which signifies that an article is sold: a small bone of the ear, the malleus.—v.t. to drive, shape, or fashion with a hammer: to contrive by intellectual labour, to excogitate (with out): to declare (a person) a defaulter on the Stock Exchange: to beat down the price of (a stock), to depress (a market).—ns. Hamm′er-beam, a horizontal piece of timber in place of a tie-beam at or near the feet of a pair of rafters; Hamm′erhead, Hamm′er-fish, a rapacious fish of the shark family—from the shape of its head.—adj. Hamm′erheaded, with a head shaped like a hammer: dull in intellect, stupid.—n. Hamm′ering, a dented, appearance on silverware effected by successive blows of a hammer.—adj. Hamm′erless, without a hammer—of a gun.—n. Hamm′erman, a man who hammers, as a blacksmith, goldsmith, &c.—Hammer-and-tongs, with great noise and vigour, violently.—Bring to the hammer, to sell, or cause to sell, by auction; Up to the hammer, first-rate. [A.S. hamor; Ger. hammer, Ice. hamarr.]

Hammercloth, ham′ėr-kloth, n. the cloth which covers a coach-box. [Skeat thinks it an adaptation of Dut. hemal, heaven, a covering, with the addition of cloth, by way of giving a sort of sense.]

Hammochrysos, ham-o-krī′sos, n. a sparkling stone of the ancients, perhaps yellow micaceous schist. [Gr., hammos, sand, chrysos, gold.]

Hammock, ham′uk, n. a piece of strong cloth or netting suspended by the corners, and used as a bed by sailors. [Sp. hamaca, of Carib origin.]

Hamose, hā′mos, adj. hooked—also Hā′mous.—adjs. Ham′ular, like a small hook; Ham′ulate, having a small hook at the tip.—n. Ham′ulus, a small hook or hook-like process. [L. hamus, hook.]

Hamper, ham′pėr, v.t. to impede or perplex: to shackle.—n. a chain or fetter.—p.adj. Ham′pered, fettered, impeded.—adv. Ham′peredly.—n. Ham′peredness. [First about 1350, in Northern writers, prob. rel. to Ice. hemja (pt.t. hamdi), to restrain; Ger. hemmen.]

Hamper, ham′pėr, n. a large basket for conveying goods.—v.t. to put in a hamper.—ns. Han′ap, a large drinking-cup; Han′aper, an old name for a receptacle for treasure, paper, &c., long the name of an office in the Court of Chancery. [For hanaper—O. Fr. hanapier—hanap, a drinking-cup—Old High Ger. hnapf; A.S. hnæp, a bowl.]

Hamshackle, ham′shak-l, v.t. to shackle a cow or horse by a rope joined to the head and fore-leg: to fetter, restrain. [Hamper and shackle.]

Hamster, ham′stėr, n. a genus of rodent mammals of the family Muridæ, having cheek-pouches reaching back almost to the shoulders. [Ger.]

Hamstring, ham′string, n. the great tendon at the back of the knee or hock of the hind-leg of a quadruped.—v.t. to lame by cutting the hamstring.

Han, han (Spens.), pl. of have.

Hanaper. See Hamper, n.

Hanaster, Hanster. See under Hanse.

Hance, hans, n. (naut.) a curved rise from a lower to a higher part—sometimes Hanch, Haunch: (archit.) the arc of smaller radius at the springing of an elliptical or many-centred arch—also Haunch. [O. Fr. hauce, haulce, rise.]

Hanch, hansh, v.i. and v.t. to snap at with the jaws.

Hand, hand, n. the extremity of the arm below the wrist: that which does the duty of a hand by pointing, as the hand of a clock: the fore-foot of a horse: a measure of four inches: an agent or workman: (pl.) work-people in a factory: performance, agency, co-operation: power or manner of performing: skill: possession: style of handwriting, sign-manual: side: direction: the set of cards held by a single player at whist, &c.: a single round at a game.—v.t. to give with the hand: to lead or conduct: (naut.) to furl, as sails.—ns. Hand′-bag, a bag for small articles, carried in the hand; Hand′-ball, the sport of throwing and catching a ball; Hand′-barr′ow, a barrow without a wheel, carried by men: Hand′-bas′ket, a small portable basket; Hand′-bell, a small bell held by the hand when rung, a table-bell; Hand′bill, a pruning-hook used in the hand: a bill or loose sheet with some announcement; Hand′book, a manual or book of reference: a guide-book for travellers; Hand′breadth, the breadth of a hand: a palm; Hand′-cart, a small cart drawn by hand.—adj. Hand′ed (Milt.), with hands joined: (Shak.) having a hand of a certain sort.—ns. Hand′er; Hand′fast, a firm grip, handle: a contract, esp. a betrothal.—adj. bound, espoused: tight-fisted.—adj. Hand′fasted, betrothed.—n. Hand′fasting, betrothal: a private or even probationary form of marriage.—adj. Hand′-foot′ed, having feet like hands, chiropod.—ns. Hand′ful, as much as fills the hand: a small number or quantity:—pl. Hand′fuls; Hand′-gall′op, an easy gallop, in which the speed of the horse is restrained by the bridle-hand; Hand′-glass, a glass or small glazed frame used to protect plants: a small mirror; Hand′-grenade′, a grenade to be thrown by the hand; Hand′grip, grasp, grip, close struggle; Hand′icuffs, Hand′ycuffs, fighting hand to hand.—adj. Hand′less, awkward.—ns. Hand-line, a fishing-line worked by hand without a rod; Hand′-list, a list for easy reference; Hand′-loom, a weaver's loom worked by hand, as distinguished from a power-loom.—adj. Hand′-made, manufactured by hand, not by a machine.—ns. Hand′maid, Hand′maiden, a female servant; Hand′-mill, a mill worked by hand for coffee, pepper, &c., a quern; Hand′-or′gan, a portable organ, played by means of a crank turned by the hand; Hand′-pā′per, a particular make of paper, early in use at the Record Office, with the water-mark of a hand pointing; Hand′-post, a finger-post, guide; Hand′-prom′ise, a form of betrothal amongst the Irish peasantry; Hand′rail, a rail supported by balusters, as in staircases, to hold by.—adv. phrase, Hand′-run′ning, straight on, continuously.—ns. Hand′-saw, a saw manageable by the hand—also the same as Hern′shaw, in the proverb, 'not to know a hawk from a handsaw;' Hand′-screen, a small screen used to protect the face from the heat of the fire or sun; Hand′-screw, an appliance for raising heavy weights, a jack; Hand′spike, a bar used with the hand as a lever.—n.pl. Hand′staves (B.), probably javelins.—ns. Hands′-turn, a helping hand, aid; Hand′work, work done by hand, as distinguished from machinery; Hand′writing, the style of writing peculiar to each person: writing.—adj. Hand′-wrought, made with the hands, not by machinery.—Hand and [in] glove (with), on very intimate terms; Hand down, to transmit in succession; Hand in hand, in union, conjointly; Hand of God, a term used for unforeseen unpreventable accidents, as lightning, tempest, &c.; Hand over hand, by passing the hands alternately one before or above the other; Hand over head, rashly; Hands down, with ease; Hands off! keep off! refrain from blows! Hands up, a bushranger's call to surrender; Hand to hand, at close quarters; Hand to mouth, without thought for the future, precariously.—A bird in the hand, any advantage at present held; A cool hand, a person not easily abashed; At any hand, In any hand (Shak.), at any rate, in any case; At first hand, from the producer or seller, or from the first source direct; At hand, near in place or time; At second hand, from an intermediate purchaser or source; Bear a hand, make haste to help; Bear in hand (Shak.), to keep in expectation; Be hand and glove, to be very intimate and familiar; Believed on all hands, generally believed; Bloody, or Red, hand, granted to baronets of Great Britain and Ireland in 1611; By the strong hand, by force; Cap in hand, humbly; Change hands, to pass from one owner to another; Come to one's hand, to be easy to do; Dead man's hand, Hand-of-glory, a charm to discover hidden treasure, &c., made from a mandrake root, or the hand of a man who has been executed, holding a candle; For one's own hand, on one's own account; From good hands, from a reliable source; Gain the upper hand, to obtain the mastery; Get one's hand in, to become familiar with.—Handwriting on the wall, any sign foreshadowing disaster (from Dan. v. 5).—Have a hand in, to be concerned in; Have clean hands, to be honest and incorruptible; Have full hands, to be fully occupied; Hold hand (Shak.), to compete successfully; Hold in hand, to restrain; In hand, as present payment: in preparation: under control; Kiss the hand, in token of submission; Lay hands on, to seize; Laying on of hands, the laying on of the hands of a bishop or presbyters in ordination; Lend a hand, to give assistance; Off-hand, Out of hand, at once, immediately, without premeditation; Off one's hands, no longer under one's responsible charge; Old hand, one experienced, as opposed to Young hand; On all hands, on all sides; On hand, ready, available: in one's possession; On one's hands, under one's care or responsibility; Poor hand, an unskilful one; Second-hand, inferior, not new; Set the hand to, to engage in, undertake; Show one's hand, to expose one's purpose to any one; Stand one's hand (slang), to pay for a drink to another; Strike hands, to make a contract; Take in hand, to undertake; Take off one's hands, to relieve of something troublesome; To one's hand, in readiness; Under one's hand, with one's proper signature attached; Wash one's hands (of), to disclaim the responsibility for anything (Matt. xxvii. 24); With a heavy hand, oppressively; With a high hand, without taking other people into consideration, audaciously. [A.S. hand; in all Teut. tongues, perh. rel. to Goth. hinthan, to seize.]

Handcuff, hand′kuf, n. esp. in pl. Hand′cuffs, shackles for the hand locked upon the wrists of a prisoner.—v.t. to put handcuffs on:—pr.p. hand′cuffing; pa.p. hand′cuffed (-kuft). [Hand and cuff.]

Handicap, hand′i-kap, v.t. to impose special disadvantages or impediments upon in order to offset advantages, and make a better contest—in a horse-race the superior horse carries a heavier weight, while foot-runners are placed at different distances, or start at different times: (fig.) to place at a disadvantage by some burden or disability.—n. any contest so adjusted, or the condition imposed.—n. Hand′icapper, one who handicaps. [Hand in the cap, from the usage in an ancient kind of sport and method of settling a bargain by arbitration.]

Handicraft, hand′i-kraft, n. a manual craft or trade.—n. Hand′icraftsman, a man skilled in a manual art:—fem. Hand′icraftswoman.

Handiwork, Handywork, hand′i-wurk, n. work done by the hands, performance generally: work of skill or wisdom: creation.

Handjar, Hanjar, hand′jar, n. a Persian dagger.

Handkerchief, hang′kėr-chif, n. a piece of linen, silk, or cotton cloth for wiping the nose, &c.: a neckerchief.—Throw the handkerchief, to call upon next—from the usage in a common game.

Handle, hand′l, v.t. to touch, hold, or use with the hand: to make familiar by frequent touching: to manage: to discuss: to practise: to trade or do business in.—v.i. to use the hands.—n. that part of anything held in the hand: (fig.) that of which use is made: a tool: occasion, opportunity, pretext.—ns. Hand′ler, a person skilful in any special kind of manipulation; Hand′ling, the touching or managing with the hand: action: manner of touch.--A handle to the name, an adjunct of honour, as 'Dr,' 'Col.,' &c.; Give a handle, to furnish an occasion to. [A.S. handlian—hand, a hand.]

Handsel, Hansel, hand′sel, han′sel, n. the first sale or using of anything: earnest-money or part-payment by way of binding a bargain: (Scot.) a gift made on the first Monday of the year to a child or servant: a New-year's gift.—v.t. to give a handsel: to use or do anything the first time. [A.S. handselen, a giving into the hands of another; or Ice. handsal.]

Handsome, han′sum, adj. good-looking, well-proportioned, graceful: with dignity: liberal or noble: generous: ample.—adv. Hand′somely.—n. Hand′someness. [Hand and -some; cf. Dut. handzaam.]

Handy, han′di, adj. dexterous: ready to the hand: convenient: near.—adv. Hand′ily.—ns. Handi′ness; Hand′y-man, a man for doing odd jobs.

Handy-dandy, hand′i-dand′i, n. (Shak.) an old game among children, in which something is rapidly changed from one hand into the other, while another guesses in which hand it is. [A jingle on hand.]

Hang, hang, v.t. to hook or fix to some high point: to suspend: to decorate with pictures, &c., as a wall: to put to death by suspending and choking.—v.i. to be hanging, so as to allow of free motion: to lean, or rest for support: to drag: to hover or impend: to be in suspense: to linger:—pr.p. hang′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. hanged or hung.—n. action of hanging, bending down, &c.: a declivity: mode in which anything hangs: a slackening of motion: a hanging mass (Not a hang, not a bit, not in the least).—n. Hangabil′ity.—adj. Hang′able, liable to be hanged: punishable by hanging.—n. Hang′-dog, a low fellow.—adj. like such a fellow, esp. in his sneaking look.—ns. Hang′er, that on which anything is hung: a short sword, curved near the point; Hang′er-on, one who hangs on or sticks to a person or place: an importunate acquaintance: a dependent.—adj. Hang′ing, deserving death by hanging.—n. death by the halter: that which is hung, as drapery, &c.:—used chiefly in pl.—ns. Hang′ing-butt′ress, a buttress not standing solid on a foundation, but hanging or supported on a corbel; Hang′man, a public executioner; Hang′nail (see Agnail).—n.pl. Hang′-nests, a family of finch-like perching birds peculiar to America—often called American orioles, many weaving curious purse-like nests.—Hang back, to hesitate; Hang by a thread, to be in a very precarious position—from the sword of Damocles; Hang, draw, and quarter, to execute by hanging, cutting down while still alive, disembowelling, and cutting the body in pieces for exposure at different places; Hang fire, to be long in exploding or discharging, as a gun: to hesitate; Hang in doubt, to remain in a state of uncertainty; Hang in the balance, to be in doubt or suspense; Hang off, to let go, to hold off; Hang on, to cling to, to regard with admiration: to depend upon: to weigh down or oppress: to be importunate; Hang out (slang), to lodge or reside; Hang over, to project over; Hang together, to keep united; Hang up one's hat, to make one's self completely at home in a house. [A.S. hangian, causal form of hón, pa.t. heng, pa.p. hangen; Dut. and Ger. hangen, Goth. hahan.]

Hangar, hang′ar, n. a covered shed for carriages.

Hank, hangk, n. two or more skeins of thread tied together: a string, clasp, or other means of fastening. [Ice. hanki, a hasp.]

Hanker, hangk′ėr, v.i. to long for with eagerness: to linger about (with after, for).—n. Hank′ering, a lingering craving for something. [A freq. of hang, in sense to hang on; cf. Dut. hunkeren.]

Hanky-panky, hangk′i-pangk′i, n. jugglery, trickery. [A meaningless jingle, like hocus-pocus, &c.]

Hanoverian, han-o-vē′ri-an, adj. pertaining to Hanover, as of the brown rat, and the dynasty that came to the throne of England in 1714.—n. a supporter of the house of Hanover, as opposed to a Jacobite.

Hansard, han′sard, n. a name applied to the printed reports of the debates in parliament, from Luke Hansard (1752-1828), whose descendants continued to print these down to the beginning of 1889.—v.t. Han′sardise, to confront a member with his former opinions as recorded in his speeches in Hansard.

Hanse, hans, n. a league.—adjs. Hanse, Hanseat′ic, applied to certain commercial cities in Germany whose famous league for mutual defence and commercial association began in a compact between Hamburg and Lübeck in 1241.—ns. Han′aster, Han′ster, the ancient Oxford name for persons paying the entrance-fee of the guild-merchant, and admitted as freemen of the city. [O. Fr. hanse—Old High Ger. hansa, a band of men (Ger. hanse).]

Hansom-cab, han′sum-kab, n. a light two-wheeled cab or hackney-carriage with the driver's seat raised behind. [From the name of the inventor, Joseph Aloysius Hansom, 1803-82.]

Ha'n't, hānt, a coll. contr. for have not or has not.

Hantle, han′tl, n. (Scot.) a considerable number. [Cf. Dan. antal, Dut. aantal, Ger. anzahl. Some explain as hand and tale, number.]

Hap, hap, n. chance: fortune: accident.—v.i. to befall.—n. Hap-haz′ard, that which happens by hazard: chance, accident.—adj. chance, accidental.—adv. at random.—adv. Hap-haz′ardly.—n. Hap-haz′ardness.—adj. Hap′less, unlucky: unhappy.—adv. Hap′lessly.—n. Hap′lessness.—adv. Hap′ly, by hap, chance, or accident: perhaps: it may be.—v.i. Happ′en, to fall out: to take place: to chance to be.—n. Happ′ening. [Ice. happ, good luck.]

Hap, hap, v.t. (Scot.) to wrap up from the cold or rain.—n. a cloak or other covering.

Haplodon, hap′lō-don, n. a peculiar terrestrial rodent regarded as a connecting-link between beavers and squirrels, its single species (H. rufus) popularly known as the Sewellel, Boomer, and Mountain Beaver. [Gr. haploos, single, odous, odontos, tooth.]

Haplography, hap-log′raf-i, n. the inadvertent writing of a letter or word, or series of letters or words, once, when it should be written twice. [Gr. haploos, single, graphia, graphein, to write.]

Hap′orth, hā′pėrth, for halfpennyworth.

Happy, hap′i, adj. lucky, successful: possessing or enjoying pleasure or good: secure of good: furnishing enjoyment: dexterous, apt, felicitous.—v.t. (Shak.) to make happy.—v.t. Happ′ify, to make happy.—adv. Happ′ily.—n. Happ′iness.—adj. Happ′y-go-luck′y, easy-going: taking things as they come.—adv. in any way one pleases.—Happy despatch, a euphemism for the Hara-kiri (q.v.). [Hap.]

Haqueton, hak′ton, n. a stuffed jacket worn under the mail—same as Acton (q.v.).

Hara-kiri, har′a-kir′e, n. involuntary suicide by disembowelment, formerly practised in Japan by daimios and members of the military class, unable to outlive disgrace, or in order to anticipate execution. [Japanese hara, belly, kiri, cut.]

Harangue, ha-rang′, n. a loud speech addressed to a multitude: a popular, pompous address.—v.i. to deliver a harangue.—v.t. to address by a harangue:—pr.p. haranguing (-rang′ing); pa.p. harangued (-rangd′).—n. Harang′uer. [O. Fr. arenge, harangue, from Old High Ger. hring (Ger. ring), a ring of auditors.]

Harass, har′as, v.t. to fatigue: to annoy or torment.—p.adj. Har′assed.—adv. Har′assedly.—n. Har′asser.—p.adj. Har′assing.—adv. Har′assingly.—n. Har′assment. [O. Fr. harasser; prob. from harer, to incite a dog.]

Harbinger, här′bin-jėr, n. a forerunner, pioneer, originally one who goes forward to provide lodging.—v.t. to precede, as a harbinger. [M. E. herbergeour. See Harbour.]

Harbour, här′bur, n. any refuge or shelter: a port for ships—obs. form Har′borough.—v.t. to lodge or entertain: to protect: to possess or indulge, as thoughts.—v.i. to take shelter.—n. Har′bourage, place of shelter: entertainment.—n.pl. Har′bour-dues, charges for the use of a harbour.—n. Har′bourer, one who harbours or entertains.—adj. Har′bourless.—n. Har′bour-mas′ter, the public officer who has charge of a harbour.—Harbour of refuge, a harbour constructed to give shelter to ships on some exposed coast: any protection for one in distress. [M. E. herberwe—an assumed A.S. herebeorg—here, army, beorg, protection; cf. Ger. herberge, Ice. herbergi.]

Hard, härd, adj. not easily penetrated, firm, solid: difficult to understand or accomplish: violent, vehement: rigorous: close, earnest, industrious: coarse, scanty: stingy, niggardly: difficult to bear, painful: unjust: difficult to please: unfeeling: severe: stiff: constrained: intractable, resistant in some use, as water, &c.: strong, spirituous: (of silk) without having the natural gum boiled off: surd or breathed, as opposed to sonant or voiced.—n. a firm beach or foreshore: hard labour.—adv. with urgency, vigour, &c.: earnestly, forcibly: with difficulty: close, near, as in Hard by.—adv. Hard-a-lee, close to the lee-side, &c.—adj. Hard′-and-fast′, rigidly laid down and adhered to.—adv. Hard aport! a command instructing the helmsman to turn the tiller to the left or port side of the ship, thus causing the ship to swerve to the right or starboard.—ns. Hard′-bake, a sweetmeat made of boiled sugar and almonds; Hard′beam, the hornbeam.—adjs. Hard′-billed, having a hard bill or beak—of birds; Hard′-bitt′en, given to hard biting, tough in fight; Hard′-cured, cured thoroughly, as fish, by drying in the sun.—n. Hard′-drink′er, a constant drunkard.—adj. Hard′-earned, earned with toil or difficulty.—v.t. Hard′en, to make hard or harder: to make firm: to strengthen: to confirm in wickedness: to make insensible.—v.i. to become hard or harder, either lit. or fig.—adj. Hard′ened, made hard, unfeeling.—n. Hard′ener.—adj. Hard′-fav′oured, having coarse features.—n. Hard′-fav′ouredness.—adj. Hard′-feat′ured, of hard, coarse, or forbidding features.—n. Hard′-feat′uredness.—adjs. Hard′-fist′ed, having hard or strong fists or hands: close-fisted: niggardly; Hard′-fought, sorely contested; Hard′-gott′en, obtained with difficulty; Hard′-grained, having a close firm grain: uninviting.—n. Hard′-hack, the steeple-bush, an erect shrub of the rose family, with rose-coloured or white flowers.—adjs. Hard′-hand′ed, having hard hands: rough: severe; Hard′-head′ed, shrewd, intelligent; Hard′-heart′ed, having a hard or unfeeling heart: cruel.—adv. Hard′-heart′edly.—n. Hard′-heart′edness.—adj. Hard′ish, somewhat hard.—n. Hard′-lā′bour, labour imposed on certain classes of criminals during their imprisonment.—adv. Hard′ly, with difficulty: scarcely, not quite: severely, harshly.—adj. Hard′-mouthed, having a mouth hard or insensible to the bit: not easily managed.—n. Hard′-pan, the hard detritus often underlying the superficial soil: the lowest level.—adjs. Hard′-ruled (Shak.), ruled with difficulty; Hard′-run, greatly pressed; Hard′-set, beset by difficulty: rigid; Hard′-shell, having a hard shell: rigidly orthodox.—ns. Hard′ship, a hard state, or that which is hard to bear, as toil, injury, &c.; Hard′-tack, ship-biscuit.—adj. Hard′-vis′aged, of a hard, coarse, or forbidding visage.—ns. Hard′ware, trade name for all sorts of articles made of the baser metals, such as iron or copper; Hard′wareman.—adj. Hard′-won, won with toil and difficulty.—n.pl. Hard′wood-trees, forest trees of comparatively slow growth, producing compact hard timber, as oak, ash, elm, walnut, beech, birch, &c.—Hard hit, seriously hurt, as by a loss of money: deeply smitten with love; Hard lines, a hard lot; Hard metal, an alloy of two parts of copper with one of tin for gun metal; Hard money, money emphatically, prop. coin; Hard of hearing, pretty deaf; Hard swearing, swearing (as a witness) persistently to what is false, perjury; Hard up, short of money.—Be hard put to it, to be in great straits or difficulty; Die hard, to die only after a desperate struggle for life. [A.S. heard; Dut. hard, Ger. hart, Goth. hardus; allied to Gr. kratys, strong.]

Hardock. See Harlock.

Hards, härdz, n.pl. also Hurds, coarse or refuse flax or hemp from which is made the coarse fabric Hard′en, Herd′en, Hurd′en.

Hardy, härd′i, adj. daring, brave, resolute: confident: impudent: able to bear cold, exposure, or fatigue.—ns. Hard′ihood, Hard′iness, Hard′iment (arch.).—adv. Hard′ily. [O. Fr. hardi—Old High Ger. hartjan, to make hard.]

Hare, hār, n. a common and very timid animal, with a divided upper lip and long hind-legs, which runs swiftly by leaps.—ns. Hare-and-hounds, a boys' game in which some set off on a long run across country, dropping pieces of paper (the scent) as they go, and others try to overtake, following their trail; Hare′bell, a plant with blue bell-shaped flowers.—adjs. Hare′-brained, giddy: heedless; Hare′-foot, swift of foot like a hare; Har′ish, somewhat like a hare.—n. Hare′-lip, a fissure in the upper human lip like that of a hare.—adj. Hare′-lipped.—n. Hare's′-ear, a genus of umbelliferous plants having yellow flowers.—First catch your hare, make sure you have a thing first before you think what to do with it—from a direction in Mrs Glasse's cookery-book, where catch, however, was a misprint for 'case'=skin; Hold with the hare and run with the hounds, to play a double and deceitful game, to be with both sides at once; Jugged hare, hare cut into pieces and stewed with wine and other seasoning; Mad as a March hare, from the gambols of the hare during the breeding season. [A.S. hara; Dut. haas, Dan. hare, Ger. hase.]

Hareld, har′eld, n. a genus of northern sea-ducks. [Norw. havella—hav, sea.]

Harem, hā′rem, n. the portion of a Mohammedan house allotted to females: the collection of wives and concubines belonging to one Mussulman. [Ar. haram, anything forbidden—harama, to forbid.]

Haricot, har′i-ko, -kot, n. a kind of ragout or stew of mutton and beans or other vegetables: the kidney-bean or French bean. [Fr. haricot.]

Hari-kari, an incorrect form of hara-kiri.

Hark, härk, interj. or imper. listen.—n. a whisper.—n. Hark′-back, a backward move.—Hark back, to revert to the original point. [Hearken.]

Harl, härl, n. the skin of flax: any filamentous substance.

Harl, härl, v.t. (Scot.) to drag along the ground: to rough-cast a wall with lime.—v.i. to drag one's self: to troll for fish.—n. act of dragging: a small quantity, a scraping of anything.

Harleian, har-lē′an, här′li-an, adj. pertaining to Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford (1661-1724), and his son, Edward Harley, esp. in reference to the library of books and MSS. collected by them—the latter in the British Museum since 1753.

Harlequin, här′le-kwin, or -kin, n. the leading character in a pantomime, the lover of Columbine, in a tight spangled dress, with a wand, by means of which he is supposed to be invisible and to play tricks: a buffoon.—v.i. to play the harlequin.—n. Harlequināde′, the portion of a pantomime in which the harlequin plays a chief part.—Harlequin duck, a species of northern sea-duck, so called from its variegated markings. [Fr. harlequin, arlequin (It. arlecchino), prob. the same as O. Fr. Hellequin, a devil in medieval legend, perh. of Teut. origin.]

Harlock, här′lok, n. (Shak.) a flower not identified, not charlock=wild mustard, or hardock=burdock.

Harlot, här′lot, n. a woman who prostitutes her body for hire, a whore.—adj. wanton: lewd.—n. Har′lotry, prostitution, unchastity: (obs.) a woman given to such: meretriciousness. [O. Fr. herlot, arlot, a base fellow; origin dub., perh. from Old High Ger. karl (A.S. ceorl).]

Harm, härm, n. injury: moral wrong.—v.t. to injure.—adj. Harm′ful, hurtful.—adv. Harm′fully.—n. Harm′fulness.—adj. Harm′less, not injurious, innocent: unharmed.—adv. Harm′lessly.—n. Harm′lessness. [A.S. hearm; Ger. harm.]

Harmala, här′ma-la, n. wild rue—also Har′mel.—ns. Har′maline, a white crystalline alkaloid obtained from the seeds of wild rue; Har′malol, Har′mine, other alkaloids from the same source. [Gr., from Semitic; cf. Ar. harmil.]

Harman, här′man, n. (slang) a policeman—also Har′man-beck: (pl.) the stocks.

Harmattan, har-mat′an, n. a hot, dry, noxious wind which blows periodically from the interior of Africa to the Atlantic along the Guinea coast during December, January, and February. [Fanti.]

Harmonic, -al, har-mon′ik, -al, adj. pertaining to harmony: musical: concordant: recurring periodically.—n. a secondary tone, overtone; a note on a stringed instrument produced by lightly stopping a string: (math.) one of a class of functions that enter into the development of the potential of a nearly spherical mass due to its attraction.—adv. Harmon′ically.—n.pl. Harmon′ics, used as sing. the science of harmony or of musical sounds—as pl. consonances, the component sounds included in what appears to the ear to be a single sound.—adj. Harmō′nious, having harmony: symmetrical, congruous: concordant.—adv. Harmō′niously.—ns. Harmō′niousness; Harmonisā′tion.—v.i. Har′monīse, to be in harmony: to agree.—v.t. to make in harmony: to cause to agree: (mus.) to provide parts to.—ns. Harmonīs′er; Har′monist, one skilled in harmony: a musical composer.—Harmonic engine, an invention of Edison's, in which the energy of an electric current is used, by means of two small electro-magnets, to keep up the vibrations of a large and heavily-weighted tuning-fork whose arms are connected with two pistons working a miniature pump; Harmonic progression, a series of numbers the reciprocals of which are in arithmetical progression; Harmonic proportion, the relation of three quantities in harmonic progression—the 2d a harmonic mean between the 1st and 3d, as in the three numbers 2, 3, and 6; Harmonic triad, the common chord.

Harmonium, har-mō′ni-um, n. a reed-organ, esp. one in which the air is compressed in the bellows and driven thence through the reeds.—ns. Harmon′ica, the musical glasses—an instrument invented by Franklin, the sounds of which were produced from bell-shaped glasses placed on a framework that revolved on its centre, while the rims were touched by the moistened finger: a musical instrument consisting of a series of glass or metal plates played by striking with a small mallet: a mouth-organ or harmonicon; Harmon′icon, a mouth-organ: an acoustic apparatus by which a musical note is evolved when a long dry tube, open at both ends, is held over a jet of burning hydrogen; Harmon′iphone, a musical instrument played with a keyboard, in which the sounds are produced by reeds set in a tube, and vibrating under pressure from the breath; Harmō′niumist, one who plays the harmonium; Harmon′ograph, an instrument for tracing curves representing sonorous vibrations; Harmonom′eter, one for measuring the harmonic relations of sounds.

Harmony, här′mo-ni, n. a fitting together of parts so as to form a connected whole, agreement in relation: in art, a normal state of completeness and order in the relations of things to each other: (mus.) a simultaneous combination of accordant sounds: the whole chordal structure of a piece, as distinguished from its melody or its rhythm: concord, music in general: a collation of parallel passages regarding the same event arranged to demonstrate the substantial unity—as of the Gospels.—Harmony, or Music, of the spheres, a harmony formed by the regular movements of the heavenly bodies throughout space, determined by the relation to each other of the intervals of separation; Pre-established harmony, the designation of Leibnitz for his theory of the divinely established relation between body and mind—the movements of monads and the succession of ideas, as it were a constant agreement between two clocks. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr. harmonia—harmos, a fitting—arein, to fit.]

Harmost, här′most, n. a Spartan governor of a subject city or province.—n. Har′mosty; the office of such.

Harmotome, här′mō-tōm, n. a hydrous silicate of aluminium and barium.—Also Cross-stone.

Harness, här′nes, n. the equipments of a horse: formerly, the armour of a man or horse: equipment for any kind of labour.—v.t. to equip with armour: to put the harness on a horse.—n. Har′ness-cask, a tub, a cask with rimmed cover on a ship's deck holding the salt meat for daily use.—Die in harness, to die at one's work. [O. Fr. harneis, armour; dubiously referred to Celt., as in Bret. harnez, old iron, also armour.]

Harns, härnz, n.pl. (Scot.) the brains. [A.S. hærnes, most prob. Norse hjarne; cf. Ger. hirn.]

Haro, hä′ro, n. an old term for a form of appeal in the Channel Islands, a demand for protection against harm, or for assistance to arrest an adversary.—Also Ha′row, Har′row (Spens.), a mere exclamation of distress. [O. Fr. haro, harou, of unknown origin; not ha Rou! an appeal to Rolf, Rollo, or Rou, the first Duke of Normandy.]

Harp, härp, n. a musical stringed instrument much esteemed by the ancients.—v.i. to play on the harp: to dwell tediously upon anything.—v.t. to give voice to.—ns. Harp′er, Harp′ist, a player on the harp.—n.pl. Harp′ings (naut.), the fore-parts of the wales surrounding the bow extensions of the rib-bands.—n. Harp′-shell, a genus of gasteropodous molluscs with inflated shell.—Harp on one string, to dwell constantly on one topic. [A.S. hearpe; Ger. harfe.]

Harpoon, här-pōōn′, n. a dart for striking and killing whales.—v.t. to strike with the harpoon.—ns. Harpoon′er, Harpooneer′, one who uses a harpoon; Harpoon′-gun, a gun from which a harpoon or toggle-iron may be discharged. [Fr. harpon—harpe, a clamp—L. harpa, Gr. harpē, sickle.]

Harpsichord, härp′si-kord, n. an old-fashioned keyed musical instrument, where the sound is produced by the twitching of the strings by a piece of crow-quill or hard leather. [O. Fr. harpechorde.]

Harpy, här′pi, n. (myth.) a rapacious and filthy monster, with the body of a woman and the wings, feet, and claws of a bird of prey, considered as a minister of the vengeance of the gods: (her.) a vulture with the head and breast of a woman: a South American eagle, larger than the golden eagle, and of great strength and rapacity: a rapacious person. [L. harpyia—Gr., pl. harpyiai, 'snatchers,' symbols of the storm-wind—harpazein, to seize.]

Harquebus, Harquebuse, Harquebuss, här′kwi-bus, n. Same as Arquebuse.

Harridan, har′i-dan, n. a vixenish old woman. [Prob. O. Fr. haridelle, a lean horse, a jade.]

Harrier, har′i-ėr, n. a small kind of dog with a keen smell, for hunting hares: (pl.) a name taken by some clubs of cross-country runners (see Hare-and-hounds). [Formed from hare, like graz-i-er.]

Harrovian, har-ō′vi-an, adj. pertaining to Harrow.—n. one educated at the public school there.

Harrow, har′ō, n. a frame of wood or iron toothed with spikes for smoothing and pulverising ploughed land, and for covering seeds sown.—v.t. to draw a harrow over: to harass: to tear.—adj. Harr′owing, acutely distressing to the mind.—adv. Harr′owingly.—n. Chain′-harr′ow, a harrow composed of rings for breaking clods of earth.—Under the harrow, in distress or anxiety. [A.S. hearge; cf. Ice. herfi, Dan. harv.]

Harrow. See Haro.

Harry, har′i, v.t. to plunder: to ravage: to destroy: to harass:—pr.p. harr′ying; pa.p. harr′ied.—n. Harr′ier, one who, or that which, harries: a kind of hawk so named from its harrying or destroying small animals.—Harrying, or Harrowing, of hell, the spoiling of hell, the delivery by Christ, upon His descent into hell after the crucifixion, of the souls of patriarchs and prophets there held in bondage by Satan (1 Pet. iii. 19)—a favourite subject of Christian art, and of our own medieval writers of Mysteries. [A.S. hergian, from A.S. here, gen. herg-es, an army; Ger. heer.]

Harsh, härsh, adj. rough: bitter: jarring: abusive: severe: unkind.—v.t. Harsh′en, to render harsh.—adv. Harsh′ly.—n. Harsh′ness. [M. E. harsk, a northern word; cf. Sw. härsk and Dan. harsk, rancid, Ger. harsch, hard.]

Hart, härt, n. the stag or male deer from the age of six years, when the crown or sur-royal antler begins to appear:—fem. Hind.—ns. Hart′ebeest, Hart′beest, a South African antelope; Harts′horn, the antlers of the red deer: a solution of ammonia, orig. a decoction of the shavings of a hart's horn; Harts′tongue, a genus of widely distributed ferns, one species native to Britain, common in moist woods.—Hart of grease, a hart of the season when fat. [A.S. heort; Dut. hert, Ger. hirsch.]

Harum-scarum, hā′rum-skā′rum, adj. flighty: rash.—n. a giddy, rash person. [Prob. compounded of hare, from the sense of haste and fright, and scare.]

Haruspex, ha-rus′peks, n. (pl. Harus′pices) a soothsayer or diviner among the Etruscans, and from them adopted by the Romans, who foretold future events from the inspection of the entrails of animals offered in sacrifice—also Harus′pice.—ns. Haruspicā′tion, Harus′picy, divination as by a haruspex. [L., from an assumed haru, cog. with Sans. hirâ, entrails, and L. specĕre, to view.]

Harvest, här′vest, n. the time of gathering in the ripened crops: the crops gathered in: fruits: the product of any labour: consequences.—v.t. to reap and gather in.—ns. Har′vest-bug, -louse, -tick, a mite or tick of minute size, abundant late in summer, and very troublesome to people with delicate skins; Har′vester, a reaper in harvests; Har′vest-feast, the feast made at the ingathering of harvest; Har′vest-field, a field where a harvest is or has been; Har′vest-fly, in U.S. the popular name for a species of cicada; Har′vest-home, the bringing home of the harvest: the feast held at the bringing home of the harvest; Har′vest-lord, the head-reaper at the harvest; Har′vest-man (B.), a labourer in harvest; Har′vest-moon, the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox, rising nearly at the same hour for several days; Har′vest-mouse, a very small species of mouse, building its nest in the stalks of growing corn; Har′vest-queen, an image of Ceres, the queen or goddess of fruits, in ancient times carried about on the last day of harvest. [A.S. hærfest; Ger. herbst, Dut. herfst.]

Has, haz, 3d pers. sing. pres. ind. of have.

Hash, hash, v.t. to hack: to mince: to chop small.—n. that which is hashed: a mixed dish of meat and vegetables in small pieces: a mixture and preparation of old matter: (Scot.) a stupid fellow.—adj. Hash′y.—Make a hash of, to spoil or ruin completely; Settle a person's hash (slang), to silence him: to make an end of him. [O. Fr.,—Fr. hacher—hache, hatchet.]

Hashish, hash′ish, -ēsh, n. name given to the leaves of the Indian hemp, from which an intoxicating preparation is made. See Bhang and Assassin. [Ar.]

Hask, hask, n. (Spens.) a fish-basket made of rushes. [Prob. from root of hassock.]

Haslet, has′let, n. the edible entrails of an animal, esp. the hog.—Also Hars′let. [O. Fr. hastelet, haste, a spit—L. hasta, a spear.]

Hasp, hasp, n. a clasp: the clasp of a padlock: a spindle: a skein of yarn.—v.t. to fasten with a hasp. [A.S. hæpse; Dan. and Ger. haspe.]

Hassock, has′uk, n. a thick cushion used as a footstool or for kneeling on in church: Kentish rag-stone. [A.S. hassuc; prob. W. hesg, sedge.]

Hast, hast, 2d pers. sing. pres. ind. of have.

Hastate, -d, hast′āt, -ed, adj. (bot.) spear-shaped.—Also Hast′iform. [L. hastātus—hasta, spear.]

Haste, hāst, n. speed, quickness, a hurry: rashness: vehemence.—vs.t. Haste, Hasten (hās′n), to put to speed: to hurry on: to drive forward.—vs.i. to move with speed: to be in a hurry:—pr.p. hāst′ing, hastening (hās′ning); pa.p. hāst′ed, hastened (hās′nd).—n. Hast′ener.—adv. Hast′ily.—n. Hast′iness, hurry: rashness: irritability.—adj. Hast′y, speedy: quick: rash: eager: passionate.—n. Hast′y-pudd′ing, flour, milk, or oatmeal and water porridge.—adj. Hast′y-wit′ted, rash.—Make haste, to hasten. [O. Fr. haste (Fr. hâte), from Teut.; cf. A.S. hǽst, Dut. haast, Ger. hast.]

Hat, hat, n. a covering for the head, generally with crown and brim: the dignity of a cardinal, so named from his red hat.—v.t. to provide with, or cover with, a hat.—ns. Hat′band, the ribbon round a hat, often a mourning-band; Hat′-box, a box in which a hat is carried; Hat′-peg, -rack, -rail, -stand, &c., a contrivance on which hats are hung.—adj. Hat′ted, covered with a hat.—ns. Hat′ter, one who makes or sells hats: a miner who works by himself; Hat′ting, giving a hat; Hat′-trick, any conjurer's trick with a hat: a House of Commons mode of securing a seat by placing one's hat on it: in cricket, the feat of a bowler who takes three wickets by three successive balls—deserving a new hat.—Chimney-pot, Cocked, and Crushed hat (see Chimney, Cock, Crush).—Hang up one's hat (see Hang); Mad as a hatter, completely insane: very angry; Pass round the hat, to beg for contributions, to take up a collection. [A.S. hæt, Dan. hat.]

Hatch, hach, n. a door with an opening over it, a wicket or door made of cross-bars; the covering of a hatchway.—v.t. to close as with a hatch.—ns. Hatch′-boat, a kind of half-decked fishing-boat; Hatch′way, the opening in a ship's deck into the hold, or from one deck to another.—Under hatches, below deck, off duty, under arrest. [A.S. hæc, a gate; Dut. hek, a gate.]

Hatch, hach, v.t. to produce, especially from eggs, by incubation: to originate: to plot.—v.i. to produce young: to be advancing towards maturity.—n. act of hatching: brood hatched.—ns. Hatch′er, one who, or that which, hatches; Hatch′ery, a place for hatching eggs, esp. those of fish, by artificial means.—Count the chickens before they are hatched, to depend too securely on some future and uncertain event. [Early M. E. hacchen, from an assumed A.S. hæccean; cf. Mid. High Ger. hecken, Sw. häcka.]

Hatch, hach, v.t. to shade by minute lines crossing each other in drawing and engraving.—n. Hatch′ing, the mode of so shading. [O. Fr. hacher, to chop.]

Hatchel, hach′el, n. and v. Same as Hackle.

Hatchet, hach′et, n. a small axe used by one hand.—adjs. Hatch′et-faced, having a thin, sharp-featured face; Hatch′ety, like a hatchet.—Bury the hatchet, to put an end to war, from the habit of the North American Indians. [Fr. hachette, hacher, to chop.]

Hatchment, hach′ment, n. the arms of a deceased person within a black lozenge-shaped frame, meant to be placed on the front of his house. [Corrupted from achievement.]

Hate, hāt, v.t. to dislike intensely: to dislike: to despise relatively to something else.—n. extreme dislike: hatred.—adjs. Hate′able, deserving to be hated; Hate′ful, exciting hate: odious: detestable: feeling or manifesting hate.—adv. Hate′fully.—ns. Hate′fulness; Hat′er; Hat′red, extreme dislike: enmity: malignity. [A.S. hete, hate, hatian, to hate; Ger. hasz.]

Hate, Haet, hāt, n. (Scot.) a whit.

Hathor, hath′or, n. name of an Egyptian goddess, ranked among the second class of deities, who was the daughter of Ra, the sun.

Hatter, hat′ėr, v.t. to trouble, annoy: to batter.

Hatti, hat′i, n. a Turkish decree of the highest authority, differing from a firman in being signed by the Sultan himself—in full, Hatti-sherif (sher-ēf′).

Hauberk, haw′bėrk, n. a tunic, worn by the Norman soldiers, covered with rings or mascles, reaching to the knees, slit at the sides or in the front and back for convenience in riding, though sometimes ending in short trousers, originally a piece of armour for the neck. [O. Fr. hauberc—Old High Ger. halsberg—hals, neck, bergan, to protect.]

Haugh, häh, n. (Scot.) a level plain, generally near a river. [A.S. healh, halh, a corner.]

Haughty, haw′ti, adj. proud: arrogant: contemptuous: (arch.) bold: (Spens.) high—Shakespeare has Haught.—adv. Haught′ily.—n. Haught′iness. [O. Fr. halt, haut, high—L. altus, high.]

Haul, hawl, v.t. to drag: to pull with violence.—v.i. to tug, to try to draw something: to alter a ship's course, to sail generally.—n. a pulling: a draught, as of fishes: a source of interest or profit.—ns. Haul′age, act of hauling: charge for hauling or pulling a ship or boat; Haul′er, Haul′ier.—Haul over the coals (see Coal); Haul off, or round, to turn a ship's course away from an object; Haul up, to come or bring to rest after hauling. [Hale.]

Hauld, häld, a Scotch form of hold, as in the prov. phrase, 'out of house and hauld'=homeless and completely destitute.

Haulm. See Halm.

Hault, hawlt, adj. (Spens.). Haughty.

Haunch, hawnsh, n. the fleshy part of the hip and buttock: (Shak.) the hip, the hind-part, the rear: (archit.) the middle part between the vertex or crown and the springing of an arch.—adjs. Haunch′less; Haunch′y. [O. Fr. hanche; prob. Ger., Old High Ger. anchâ, leg.]

Haunch, hawnsh, v.t. (prov.) to throw with an underhand movement.—n. a jerked underhand throw.

Haunt, hawnt, v.t. to frequent: to follow importunately: to intrude upon continually: to inhabit or visit as a ghost.—v.i. to be much about: to appear or visit frequently.—n. a place much resorted to: (Shak.) habit of frequenting.—p.adj Haunt′ed, frequented, infested, esp. by ghosts or apparitions.—n. Haunt′er.—adv. Haunt′ingly. [O. Fr. hanter; acc. to Littré, a corr. of L. habitāre.]

Haustellum, haws-tel′um, n. the sucking organ or proboscis of an insect or a crustacean:—pl. Haustella.—adj. Haus′tellate, provided with such.

Haussmannize, hows′man-īz, v.t. to open out, widen, and straighten streets, and generally rebuild, as Baron Haussmann did to Paris when prefect of the Seine (1853-70).—n. Haussmannizā′tion.

Haustorium, haws-tō′ri-um, n. a small sucker of a parasitic plant, penetrating the tissues of the host:—pl. Haustō′ria.

Hautboy, hō′boi, n. an older form of Oboe (q.v.): a large kind of strawberry. [Fr. hautbois—haut, high, bois, wood.]

Hauteur, hō-tār′, n. haughtiness: arrogance.—adj. Haut (Milt.), haughty.—ns. Haut-goût, flavour, spice, a taint: a highly seasoned dish; Haut-pas, a dais; Haut′-relief′, high relief.—Haut ton, high fashion, people of high fashion. [Fr.]

Haüyne, hä′win, n. a rock-forming mineral, a silicate of alumina and soda or lime, with sodium and calcium sulphate. [Named from René Just Haüy, a French mineralogist (1743-1822).]

Havana, ha-van′a, n. a fine quality of cigar, named from Havana, the capital of Cuba, fondly supposed to be made there.—Also Havann′a(h).

Have, hav, v.t. to own or possess: to hold, contain: to hold control of: to grasp the meaning of: to allow to be done, to cause: to regard, hold in opinion, esteem: to obtain: to enjoy: to bear or beget: to effect: to be affected by: to get the better of, outwit, to have hold upon:—pr.p. hav′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. had.—ns. Hav′er, one who has or possesses, a holder: (Scots law) a term to denote the person in whose custody a document is; Hav′ing, act of possessing: possession, estate: behaviour: (Scot. esp. in pl.) good manners.—adj. greedy.—Have as good, lief, to be as willing; Have at, attack, thrust; Have done (with), to come to the end of one's dealings; Have it out, to have something finally settled; Have on, to wear; Have rather, to prefer; Have up, to call to account before a court of justice, &c. [A.S. habban, pa.t. hæfde, pa.p. gehæfd; Ger. haben, Dan. have.]

Havelock, hav′lok, n. a white cover for a military cap, with a long rear flap as a protection from the sun. [From Gen. Henry Havelock, 1795-1857.]

Haven, hā′vn, an inlet of the sea, or mouth of a river, where ships can get good and safe anchorage: any place of safety: an asylum.—v.t. to shelter.—p.adj. Hā′vened, sheltered, as in a haven. [A.S. hæfen; Dut. haven, Ger. hafen.]

Haver, hāv′ėr, v.i. (Scot.) to talk nonsense, or foolishly.—n. Hav′erel, a foolish person.—n.pl. Hav′ers, foolish talk.

Haversack, hav′ėr-sak, n. a bag of strong linen for a soldier carrying his rations in.—n. Hav′er (prov.), oats. [Fr. havresac—Ger. habersack, oat-sack—haber, hafer, oats.]

Haversian, hav-er′si-an, adj. pertaining to or named after Clopton Havers, a 17th-cent. English anatomist who investigated the blood-vascular system of bone.

Havildar, hav′il-dar, n. the highest rank of non-commissioned officer among native troops in India and Ceylon. [Pers.]

Haviour, hāv′ūr, n. (obs.) behaviour.

Havoc, hav′ok, n. general waste or destruction: devastation.—v.t. to lay waste.—interj. an ancient hunting or war cry. [O. Fr. havot, plunder, of Teut. origin.]

Haw, haw, n. a hedge or enclosure: a field: the berry of the hawthorn.—ns. Haw′-buck, a clown; Haw′finch, the common grosbeak; Haw′thorn, a shrub or small tree, much planted both for hedges and for ornament: the white flower of the hawthorn. [A.S. haga, a yard or enclosure; Dut. haag, a hedge, Ger. hag, a hedge, Ice. hagi, a field.]

Haw, haw, v.i. to speak with hesitation or a drawling manner, real or affected—hence adj. Haw-haw, in an affected tone of voice.—n. a hesitation in speech: loud vulgar laughter.—v.i. to guffaw, to laugh boisterously. [Imit.]

Haw, haw, n. the nictitating membrane or third eyelid, as of a horse; also a disease of this membrane.

Hawk, hawk, n. the name of several birds of prey allied to the falcons: a rapacious person.—v.i. to hunt birds with hawks trained for the purpose: to attack on the wing.—ns. Hawk′-bell, a small bell attached to a hawk's leg; Hawk′bit, a genus of plants of order Compositæ, closely related to the dandelion; Hawk′er.—adj. Hawk′-eyed.—n. Hawk′ing.—adj. Hawk′ish.—n. Hawk′-moth, a very large kind of moth, so called from its hovering motion.—adj. Hawk′-nosed, having a nose like a hawk's beak.—ns. Hawks′beard, a genus of annual and biennial plants of order Compositæ, closely related to hawkweed; Hawk′weed, a genus of perennial plants of order Compositæ.—Know a hawk from a handsaw (prob. for hernshaw), to be able to judge between things pretty well. [A.S. hafoc; Dut. havik, Ger. habicht, Ice. haukr.]

Hawk, hawk, v.i. to force up matter from the throat.—n. the effort to do this. [Imit.]

Hawk, hawk, n. a plasterer's tool.

Hawked, hawkt, adj. (Scot.) spotted, streaked.—ns. Haw′key, Haw′kie, a dark cow with white-striped face.

Hawker, hawk′ėr, n. one who carries about goods for sale on his back, a pedlar.—v.t. Hawk, to carry about for sale: to cry for sale. [Cf. Low Ger. and Ger. höker, Dut. heuker.]

Hawm, hawm, v.i. (prov.) to lounge about.

Hawse, hawz, n. the part of a vessel's bow in which the hawse-holes are cut.—n.pl. Hawse′-holes, the holes in a ship's bow through which the cables pass.—ns. Hawse′-pipe, an iron pipe fitted into a hawse-hole, to save the wood; Hawse′-tim′ber, one of the upright timbers in the bow in which the hawse-holes are cut. [Ice. háls, the neck.]

Hawser, häz′ėr, n. a small cable, a large rope used in warping.—adj. Haws′er-laid, made of three small ropes laid up into one. [O. Fr. haucier, haulser, to raise—Low L. altiare—L. altus, high.]

Hawthorn. See Haw.

Hay, hā, n. grass cut down and dried for fodder.—ns. Hay′cock, a conical pile of hay in the field; Hay′-fē′ver, an ailment mostly met with in early summer, marked by excessive irritation of the nose, throat, &c., and accompanied with violent sneezing and intense headache—also called Hay′-asth′ma; Hay′field, a field where hay is made; Hay′-fork, a long-handled fork used in turning over hay to dry, or in lifting it; Hay′-knife, a broad knife, with a handle set cross-wise at one end, used for cutting hay from a stack; Hay′-loft, a loft in which hay is kept; Hay′-mak′er, one employed in cutting and drying grass for hay: (pl.) a kind of country-dance; Hay′-mak′ing; Hay′-mow, a rick of hay: a mass of hay stored in a barn; Hay′-rick, a pile of hay; Hay′-stack, a stack of hay; Hay′-ted′der, a machine for scattering hay and exposing it to the sun and air.—Look for a needle in a hay-stack, to look for something where it is barely possible to be found; Make hay, to throw things into confusion; Make hay while the sun shines, to seize a favourable opportunity. [A.S. híeg, híg, hég; Ger. heu, Dut. hooï, Ice. hey.]

Hay, hā, n. a hedge, fence.—n. Hay′-ward, one who herded the common cattle of a town. [A.S. hege—haga, a hedge.]

Hay, hā, n. (Shak.) a home-thrust in fencing. [It. hai, avere—L. habēre, to have.]

Hay, hā, n. a country-dance with winding movement.

Hazard, haz′ard, n. a game played with a dice-box and two dice by any number of players: chance: accident: risk: (billiards) the pocketing of the object ball (winning hazard), of the player's own ball after contact (losing hazard): (tennis) the side of the court into which the ball is served: (golf) a general term for all difficulties on a golf-links—bunkers, long grass, roads, water, whins, &c.—v.t. to expose to chance: to risk: to venture.—v.i. to run a risk.—adj. Haz′ardable.—n. Haz′ardise (Spens.), hazard.—adj. Haz′ardous, dangerous: perilous: uncertain.—adv. Haz′ardously.—ns. Haz′ardousness; Haz′ardry (Spens.), playing at games of hazard or chance: rashness; Chick′en-haz′ard, a game of chance with very small stakes. [O. Fr. hasard; prob. through the Sp. from Arab. al zār, the die; but Littré favours William of Tyre's derivation from Hasart, a castle in Syria, where the game was discovered during the Crusades.]

Haze, hāz, n. vapour which renders the air thick: obscurity.—v.i. to form a haze.—adv. Haz′ily.—n. Haz′iness.—adj. Haz′y, thick with haze: obscure: confused (of the mind). [App. not the A.S. hasu, haswe, gray; prob. Ice. höss, gray.]

Haze, hāz, v.t. to vex with needless tasks: to play tricks upon, to bully.—ns. Haz′er, a player of boorish pranks and practical jokes; Haz′ing, brutal horse-play. [O. Fr. haser, to annoy.]

Hazel, hā′zl, n. a bush or small tree of genus Corylus, of the oak family (Cupuliferæ), yielding an ovoid bony nut enclosed in a leafy involucre.—adj. pertaining to the hazel: of a light-brown colour, like a hazel-nut.—n. Hā′zeline, an alcoholic distillate from the Witch Hazel.—adj. Hā′zelly, light brown like the hazel-nut.—n. Hā′zel-nut, the nut of the hazel-tree. [A.S. hæsel; Ger. hasel, Ice. hasl, L. corulus.]

He, hē, pron. of the third person: the male person named before: a male person or animal.—adj. male. [A.S. hé; Dut. hij, Ice. hann.]

Head, hed, n. the uppermost or foremost part of an animal's body: the brain: the understanding: a chief or leader: the place of honour or command: the front or top of anything: an individual animal or person: a topic or chief point of a discourse: a title, heading: the source or spring: height of the source of water: highest point of anything: culmination: a cape: strength: a froth on beer, porter, &c., when poured into a glass.—v.t. to act as a head to, to lead or govern: to go in front of: to commence: to check: (naut.) to be contrary: (obs.) to behead.—v.i. to grow to a head: to originate: to go head foremost.—n. Head′ache, an internal pain in the head.—adj. Head′achy, afflicted with headaches.—ns. Head′band, a band or fillet for the head: the band at each end of a book: a thin slip of iron on the tympan of a printing-press; Head′-block, in a sawmill carriage, a cross-block on which the head of the log rests: a piece of wood in a carriage, connected with the spring and the perches, and joining the fore-gear and the hind-gear; Head′-board, a board placed at the head of anything, esp. a bedstead; Head′-boom, a jib-boom or a flying jib-boom; Head′bor′ough, an old term for the head of a borough, the chief of a frank pledge, tithing, or decennary; Head′-boy, the senior boy in a public school; Head′chair, a high-backed chair with a rest for the head; Head′-cheese, pork-cheese, brawn; Head′-chute, a canvas tube used to convey refuse matter from a ship's bows down to the water; Head′-cloth, a piece of cloth covering the head, wound round a turban, &c.; Head′-dress, an ornamental dress or covering for the head, worn by women.—p.adj. Head′ed, having a head: (Shak.) come to a head.—ns. Head′er, one who puts a head on something: a dive, head foremost, into water: a brick laid lengthwise along the thickness of a wall, serving as a bond: a heavy stone extending through the thickness of a wall; Head′-fast, a rope at the bows of a ship used to fasten it to a wharf, &c.; Head′-frame, the structure over a mine-shaft supporting the head-gear or winding machinery; Head′-gear, gear, covering, or ornament of the head; Head′-hunt′ing, the practice among the Dyaks of Borneo, &c., of making raids to procure human heads for trophies, &c.—adv. Head′ily.—ns. Head′iness; Head′ing, the act of furnishing with a head; that which stands at the head: material forming a head; Head′land, a point of land running out into the sea: a cape.—adj. Head′less, without a head.—ns. Head′-light, a light carried in front of a vessel, locomotive, or vehicle, as a signal, or for light; Head′-line, the line at the head or top of a page containing the folio or number of the page: (pl.) the sails and ropes next the yards (naut.).—adv. Head′long, with the head foremost or first: without thought, rashly: precipitately.—adj. rash: precipitous, steep.—adj. Head′-lugged (Shak.), lugged or dragged along by the head.—ns. Head′-man, a chief, a leader; Head′mark, a characteristic peculiar to a certain class; Head′-mas′ter, the principal master of a school; Head′-mold, the skull proper: (archit.) a moulding round or over the head of a door, &c.; Head′-money, a tax counted per head: a reward by the head for persons captured at sea, &c.: a reward for a proscribed outlaw's head.—adj. Head′most, most advanced, or forward.—ns. Head′-note, a note placed at the head of a chapter or page, esp. a condensed statement of points of law involved introductory to the report of a legal decision; Head′piece, a helmet: a hat: head, intelligence: (print.) a decorative engraving placed at the top of the first page of a volume, and at the beginning of books, chapters, &c.; Head′-pump, a small pump at a ship's bows to pump up sea-water for washing decks.—n.pl. Head′quarters, the quarters or residence of a commander-in-chief or general.—ns. Head′-race, the race which brings the water to a water-wheel; Head′-reach, the distance to windward made by a vessel while tacking.—v.i. to shoot ahead, in tacking.—ns. Head′-rest, a support for the head, esp. the adjustable apparatus of the barber's chair, and that used by the photographer to steady the sitter's head; Head′-ring, a palm-leaf ornament worn by Kaffir men in their hair after marriage; Head′-shake, a significant shake or motion of the head; Head′-ship, the office of a head or chief authority: dignity; Heads′man, a man who cuts off heads: an executioner; Head′stall, the part of a bridle round the head; Head′-stā′tion, the dwelling-house, &c., on an Australian sheep or cattle station; Head′-stick (print.), a straight piece of furniture placed at the head of a form, between the chase and the type; Head′stone, the principal stone of a building: the corner-stone: the stone at the head of a grave; Head′-stream, the highest of the streams which combine to form a river.—adj. Head′strong, self-willed: obstinate.—ns. Head′-tire, a head-dress; Head′-wa′ter, the highest part of a stream, before receiving affluents; Head′way, motion ahead, esp. of a ship; Head′-wind, a wind blowing right against a ship's head; Head′-word, a title word or heading usually in distinctive type; Head′-work, intellectual labour.—adj. Head′y, affecting the head or the brain: intoxicating: inflamed: rash: violent.—Head and ears, with the whole person: completely; Head and shoulders, very much, as if taller by a head and shoulders: violently; Head foremost, with the head first, esp. of falling from a height; Head or tail, the side of a coin with the sovereign's head, or the reverse: a phrase used in tossing up a coin to decide a point ('to make neither head nor tail of anything'—to be unable to understand it); Head over heels, in a somersault.—Come to a head, to reach a climax; Eat one's head off, to be consumed with mortification; Go by the head, to sink head foremost; Have a head on one's shoulders, to have brains or ability; Head off, to prevent by some counteraction; Lose one's head, to become very much excited: to lose presence of mind; Make head against, to resist successfully: to advance; Off one's head, demented, crazy; Out of one's own head, spontaneously; Over head and ears, deeply engrossed; Turn a person's head (see Turn). [A.S. héafod, Dut. hoofd, Ger. haupt.]

Heal, hēl, v.t. to make whole and healthy: to cure: to remove or subdue what is evil: to restore to soundness, to remedy, repair.—v.i. to grow sound:—pr.p. heal′ing; pa.p. healed.—adj. Heal′able.—ns. Heal′er; Heal′ing, the act or process by which anything is healed or cured: the power to heal.—adj. tending to cure, mild.—adv. Heal′ingly.—adj. Heal′some (Scot.), wholesome. [A.S. hǽlan, hál, whole; cf. Ger. heil, Dut. heel, Ice. heill; also Eng. hail, hale, whole.]

Heald, hēld, n. the same as Heddle (q.v.).

Health, helth, n. wholeness or soundness of body: general state of the body, as in 'ill health,' 'good health,' soundness and vigour of mind: a toast, as 'to drink one's health'—to drink to the health of: (B.) salvation, or divine favour.—adj. Health′ful, full of or enjoying health: indicating health: wholesome: salutary.—adv. Health′fully.—n. Health′fulness.—adv. Health′ily.—n. Health′iness.—adj. Health′less, sickly, ailing.—ns. Health′lessness; Health′-resort′, a place to which people go for the good of their health.—adjs. Health′some (Shak.), healthy, wholesome; Health′y, in a state of good health: conducive to health: sound in body or mind: vigorous. [A.S. hælth—hál, whole.]

Heap, hēp, n. a pile or mass heaved or thrown together: a great number of things, a great deal, a collection: (B.) a ruin.—v.t. to throw in a heap or pile: to amass: to pile above the top:—pr.p. heap′ing; pa.p. heaped.—adj. Heap′y, full of heaps.—A heap, a good many; Knock all of a heap, to confound utterly. [A.S. héap: Ice. hópr, Ger. haufe, Dut. hoop.]

Hear, hēr, v.t. to perceive by the ear: to comprehend: to listen to: to grant or obey: to answer favourably: to attend to: to try judicially: to be a hearer of: (Milt.) to be called.—v.i. to have the sense of hearing: to listen: to be told:—pr.p. hear′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. heard (hėrd).—ns. Hear′er; Hear′ing, act of perceiving by the ear: the sense of perceiving sound: opportunity to be heard: audience: judicial investigation and hearing of arguments, esp. of trial without a jury: reach of the ear: (coll.) a scolding; Hear′say, common talk: rumour: report.—adj. of or pertaining to a report given by others.—v.i. to repeat rumours.—Hear, hear! an exclamation of approval, uttered by the hearers of a speech; Hearsay evidence, evidence at second hand; Hear tell of, to hear some one speak of; I will not hear of, I will not listen to the notion or proposal. [A.S. hýran; Dut. hooren, Ice. heyra, Ger. hören, Goth. hausjan.]

Hearken, härk′n, v.i. to hear attentively: to listen. [A.S. hýrcnian, from hýran, to hear; Ger. horchen.]

Hearsal, hėr′sal, n. (Spens.). Same as Rehearsal.

Hearse, hėrs, n. a carriage in which the dead are conveyed to the grave: (orig.) a triangular framework for holding candles at a church service, and esp. at a funeral service.—v.t. to put on or in a hearse.—n. Hearse′-cloth, a pall for a corpse laid on a bier.—adj. Hearse′-like, suitable to a funeral, mournful. [O. Fr. herse (It. erpice)—L. hirpicem, accus. of hirpex, a harrow.]

Heart, härt, n. the organ in animal systems that circulates the blood: the vital, inner, or chief part of anything: the seat of the affections, &c., esp. love: the affections: courage: vigour: secret meaning or design: that which resembles a heart: a person, esp. as implying courage or affectionateness—a term of endearment or encouragement: anything heart-shaped, esp. that one of the four suits in a pack of cards bearing a heart in red.—v.t. to encourage, hearten.—v.i. to form a compact head, as a plant.—ns. Heart′ache, sorrow: anguish; Heart′-beat, a pulsation of the heart: a throb of emotion, a thought; Heart′-blood, blood of the heart: life, essence; Heart′-bond, in masonry, a bond in which one header overlaps two others; Heart′-break, a sorrow or grief.—v.t. to break the heart of.—n. Heart′-break′er, a flirt: a curl, love-lock.—adjs. Heart′-break′ing, crushing with grief or sorrow; Heart′-brok′en, intensely afflicted or grieved.—ns. Heart′burn, a burning, acrid feeling, said to be due to the irritation of the upper end of the stomach by the fumes of its acrid contents: cardialgia: Heart′burning, discontent: secret enmity.—adj. Heart′-dear (Shak.), dear to the heart, sincerely beloved.—n. Heart′-disease′, any morbid condition of the heart, whether of the various tissues composing it, or of the nervous arrangements governing it.—adjs. Heart′-eas′ing, giving peace to the mind; Heart′ed, having a heart of a specified kind (hard-hearted, &c.): seated or fixed in the heart, laid up in the heart.—v.t. Heart′en, to encourage, stimulate: to add strength to.—adjs. Heart′-felt, felt deeply: sincere; Heart′free, having the affections free or disengaged.—ns. Heart′-grief, grief or affliction of the heart; Heart′-heav′iness, depression of spirits.—adv. Heart′ily, in a hearty manner: cordially: eagerly.—n. Heart′iness, the state or quality of being hearty.—adj. Heart′less, without heart, courage, or feeling.—adv. Heart′lessly.—ns. Heart′lessness; Heart′let, a little heart.—interj. Heart′ling (Shak.), little heart, used in a minced oath.—n. Heart′-quake, trembling, fear.—adjs. Heart′-rend′ing, deeply afflictive: agonising; Heart′-rob′bing (Spens.), stealing the affections: blissful.—ns. Heart′-rot, a disease producing decay in the hearts of trees, caused by the mycelia of various fungi; Heart's′-ease, a common name for the pansy, a species of violet, an infusion of which was once thought to ease the love-sick heart; Heart′-seed, a general name of plants of genus Cardiospermum, esp. the U.S. balloon-vine; Heart′-serv′ice, sincere devotion, as opposed to Eye-service.—adjs. Heart′-shaped, shaped like the human heart; Heart′-sick, pained in mind: depressed.—n. Heart′-sick′ness.—adjs. Heart′some, exhilarating: merry; Heart′-sore, caused by pain at the heart.—n. (Spens.) grief.—n. Heart′-spoon, the depression in the breastbone: the breastbone.—adj. Heart′-stir′ring, arousing the heart, exhilarating.—n. Heart′-string, a nerve or tendon supposed to brace and sustain the heart: (pl.) affections.—adjs. Heart′-struck (Shak.), driven to the heart, deeply fixed in the mind: (Milt.) shocked, dismayed; Heart′-swell′ing (Spens.), rankling in the heart or mind.—ns. Heart′-wheel, Heart′-cam, a form of cam-wheel used for converting uniform rotary motion into uniform reciprocating motion.—adj. Heart′-whole, whole at heart: unmoved in the affections or spirits.—n. Heart′-wood, the hard inner wood of a tree—also called Duramen.—adjs. Heart′y, full of, or proceeding from, the heart: warm: genuine: strong: healthy; Heart′y-hale (Spens.), wholesome or good for the heart.—Heart-and-hand, Heart-and-soul, with complete heartiness, with complete devotion to a cause; Heart of hearts, the inmost heart: deepest affections; Heart of oak, a brave, resolute heart.—After my own heart, to my own liking; At heart, in real character: substantially; Break the heart, to die of grief or disappointment: to cause deep grief to any one; By heart, by rote: in the memory; Eat one's heart (see Eat); Find in one's heart, to be willing or ready to do something; For one's heart, for one's life; Get, Have, by heart, to commit to memory, or to hold in one's memory; Have at heart, to wish earnestly for: to hold in dear esteem; Have one's heart in one's boots, mouth, to be in a state of terror; Lay, Take, to heart, to set one's mind strongly upon: to be deeply moved by something; Out of heart, in low spirits; Set the heart at rest, to become easy in mind; Set the heart upon, to desire earnestly; Speak to the heart (B.), to comfort, encourage; Take heart, to be encouraged; Take heart of grace (see Grace); Take to heart, to be deeply pained at anything; Wear the heart upon the sleeve, to show the feelings, &c., openly; With all my heart, most willingly. [A.S. heorte; Dut. hart, Ger. herz; cog. with L. cor, cordis, Gr. kardia.]

Hearth, härth, n. the part of the floor on which the fire is made: the fireside: the house itself: the home-circle: the lowest part of a blast-furnace: a brazier, chafing-dish, or fire-box.—ns. Hearth′-mon′ey, Hearth′-penn′y, Hearth′-tax, a tax in England, formerly laid upon hearths; Hearth′-rug, a rug used for covering the hearth-stone; Hearth′-stone, a stone forming a hearth, the fireside: a soft stone used for whitening hearths, doorsteps, &c. [A.S. heorð; Dut. haard, Ger. herd.]

Heast, hēst, n. (Spens.) command—same as Hest (q.v.).

Heat, hēt, n. that which excites the sensation of warmth: sensation of warmth: a heating: exposure to intense heat: a warm temperature: the warmest period, as the heat of the day: indication of warmth, flush, redness: vehemence, passion; sexual excitement, or its period, esp. of the female, corresponding to rut in the male: a single course in a race: animation.—v.t. to make hot: to agitate.—v.i. to become hot:—pr.p. heat′ing; pa.p. heat′ed.—n. Heat′-ap′oplexy, sunstroke.—p.adj. Heat′ed.—ns. Heat′-en′gine, an engine which transforms heat into mechanical work; Heat′er, one who, or that which, heats: a piece of cast-iron heated and then placed in a hollow flat-iron, &c.—adjs. Heat′er-shaped, triangular, like the common heater; Heat′ing, causing or imparting heat.—ns. Heat′-spot, a spot on the surface of the body where a sensation of heat is felt; Heat′-ū′nit, amount of heat required to raise a pound of water one degree.—Latent heat, the quantity of heat absorbed when bodies pass from the solid into the liquid, or from the liquid into the gaseous, state; Mechanical equivalent of heat, the relation between heat and work—viz. the amount of molecular energy required to produce one heat-unit; Specific heat, the number of heat-units necessary to raise the unit of mass of a given substance one degree in temperature. [A.S. hǽto, heat, hát, hot; Ger. hitze.]

Heath, hēth, n. a barren open country: any shrub of genus Erica, or its congener Calluna, of the heath family (Ericaceæ), a hardy evergreen under-shrub.—ns. Heath′-bell, same as Heather-bell; Heath′-cock, a large bird which frequents heaths: the black grouse:—fem. Heath′-hen; Heath′-poult, the heath-bird, esp. the female or young.—adj. Heath′y, abounding with heath. [A.S. hǽð; Ger. heide, Goth. haithi, a waste.]

Heathen, hē′thn, n. an inhabitant of an unchristian country, one neither Christian, Jewish, nor Mohammedan: (B.) the Gentiles: a pagan: an irreligious person.—adj. pagan, irreligious.—n. Hea′thendom, the condition of a heathen: those regions of the world where heathenism prevails.—v.t. Hea′thenise, to make heathen or heathenish.—adj. Hea′thenish, relating to the heathen: rude: uncivilised: cruel.—adv. Hea′thenishly.—ns. Hea′thenishness; Hea′thenism, the religious system of the heathens: paganism: barbarism; Hea′thenry, heathenism: heathendom. [A.S. hǽðen, a heathen; Dut. heiden.]

Heather, heth′ėr, n. the Scotch name for the native species of the Linnæan genus Erica, called in the north of England Ling, esp. Erica (now Calluna) vulgaris, Common Heather, and Erica cinerea, Fine-leaved Heath or Lesser Bell-heather.—adj. of the colour of heather.—ns. Heath′er-ale, a famous liquor traditionally brewed in Scotland from the bells of heather; Heath′er-bell, a name given to Erica tetralix (or specially to its blossom), and sometimes also to Erica cinerea.—adj. Heath′ery, of or pertaining to heather.—Set the heather on fire, to create a disturbance; Take to the heather, to become an outlaw. [Usually derived from heath.]

Heaume, hōm, n. (arch.) a massive helmet.

Heave, hēv, v.t. to lift up: to throw upward: to draw in any direction, as by a windlass: to cause to swell: to force from the breast: (geol.) to move away or displace (a vein or stratum).—v.i. to be raised: to rise and fall: to try to vomit:—pr.p. heav′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. heaved or (naut.) hōve.—n. an effort upward: a throw: a swelling: an effort to vomit: broken wind in horses.—ns. Heave′-off′ering, a voluntary Jewish offering lifted up before the Lord by the priest; Heav′er, one who, or that which, heaves; Heaves, a disease in horses; Heave′-shoul′der, the shoulder of an animal elevated in sacrifice; Heav′ing, a rising: swell: (Shak.) panting.—Heave ho! an exclamation used by sailors in putting forth exertion, as in heaving the anchor; Heave in sight, to come into view; Heave to, to bring a vessel to a stand-still, to make her lie to. [A.S. hebban, pa.t. hóf, pa.p. hafen; Ger. heben.]

Heaven, hev′n, n. the arch of sky overhanging the earth: the air: a zone or region: a very great and indefinite height: the dwelling-place of the Deity and the blessed: the Deity as inhabiting heaven: supreme happiness.—adjs. Heav′en-born, descended from heaven; Heav′en-bred (Shak.), bred or produced in heaven; Heav′en-direct′ed, pointing to the sky: divinely guided; Heav′en-fall′en (Milt.), fallen from heaven, having rebelled against God; Heav′en-gift′ed, granted by heaven; Heav′en-kiss′ing (Shak.), kissing or touching, as it were, the sky.—n. Heav′enliness.—adj. Heav′enly, of or inhabiting heaven: celestial: pure: supremely blessed: very excellent.—adv. in a manner like that of heaven: by the influence of heaven.—adj. Heav′enly-mind′ed, having the mind placed upon heavenly things: pure.—n. Heav′enly-mind′edness.—advs. Heav′enward, Heav′enwards, toward or in the direction of heaven.—Heaven of heavens (B.), the highest of the heavens, the abode and seat of God; In the seventh heaven, in a state of the most exalted happiness—from the system of the Cabbalists, who divided the heavens into seven in an ascending scale of happiness up to the abode of God. [A.S. heofon; not to be conn. with heave.]

Heavy, hev′i, adj. weighty: not easy to bear: oppressive: afflicted: inactive: dull, lacking brightness and interest: inclined to slumber: violent: loud: not easily digested, as food: miry, as soil: having strength, as liquor: dark with clouds: gloomy: expensive: (B.) sad: (theat.) pertaining to the representation of grave or serious parts.—adv. Heav′ily.—n. Heav′iness.—adjs. Heav′y-armed, bearing heavy armour or arms; Heav′y-hand′ed, clumsy, awkward: oppressive; Heav′y-head′ed, having a heavy or large head: dull, stupid, drowsy; Heav′y-heart′ed, weighed down with grief; Heav′y-lād′en, laden with a heavy burden.—n. Heav′y-spar, native sulphate of barium, barytes.—Heavy marching order, the condition of troops fully equipped for field service; Heavy metal, guns or shot of large size: great influence or power; Heavy-weight, one beyond the average weight, esp. in sporting phrase, one placed highest in the ascending scale, feather-weight, light-weight, middle-weight, heavy-weight; Heavy wet, a drink of strong ale or ale and porter mixed.—The heavies (mil.), the heavy cavalry: those who play heavy parts. [A.S. hefig—hebban, to heave; Old High Ger. hebîg.]

Hebdomadal, heb-dom′a-dal, adj. occurring every seven days: weekly—also Hebdom′adary.—n. Heb′domad, the number seven, a group of seven things, a week: in some Gnostic systems, a group of superhuman beings, angels, or divine emanations, the sphere of the Demiurge lower than the ogdoad—from the idea of the seven planets.—adv. Hebdom′adally, from week to week.—n. Hebdom′adary, a member of a chapter or convent who officiates in the choir, &c., on a certain week.—Hebdomadal Council, a board which practically manages the business of the university of Oxford, usually meeting weekly. [L. hebdomadalis—Gr. hebdomas, a period of seven days—hepta, seven.]

Hebe, hē′bē, n. a personification of youth and spring, from the name of the daughter of Zeus and Hera, who was cup-bearer of Olympus.

Heben, heb′n, n. and adj. (Spens.) ebony.

Hebenon, heb′e-non, n. (Shak.) a poisonous juice. [Perh. ebony, or a corr. of henbane.]

Hebetate, heb′e-tāt, v.t. to make dull or blunt.—adj. Heb′etant, making dull.—ns. Hebetā′tion, Heb′etūde; Hebetudinos′ity.—adj. Hebetū′dinous. [L. hebetāre, -ātum—hebes, blunt.]

Hebrew, hē′brōō, n. one of the descendants of Abraham, who emigrated from beyond the Euphrates into Palestine: an Israelite, a Jew: the language of the Hebrews (fem. Hē′brewess, B.): (coll.) unintelligible speech.—adj. relating to the Hebrews.—adjs. Hebrā′ic, -al, relating to the Hebrews or to their language.—adv. Hebrā′ically, after the manner of the Hebrew language: from right to left.—n. Hebrā′icism.—v.t. Hē′braise, to express as in Hebrew: to conform or incline to Hebrew ideals.—ns. Hē′braiser; Hē′braism, a Hebrew idiom; Hē′braist, one skilled in Hebrew.—adjs. Hebraist′ic, -al, of or like Hebrew.—adv. Hebraist′ically.—n. Hē′brewism. [O. Fr. Ebreu—L. Hebræus—Gr. Hebraios—Heb. ‛ibrî, lit. 'one from the other side (of the river).']

Hebridean, hē-brid′ē-an, -i-an, adj. pertaining to the Hebrides—also Hebrid′ian.—n. a native thereof.

Hecate, hek′a-tē, n. a mysterious goddess, in Hesiod having power over earth, heaven, and sea—afterwards identified with many other goddesses, her power above all displayed in the matter of ghosts and bogies. [L.,—Gr. Hekatē—hekas, far.]

Hecatomb, hek′a-tom, n. among the Greeks and Romans, a sacrifice of a hundred oxen: a great public sacrifice: any large number of victims. [Gr. hekatombē—hekaton, a hundred, bous, an ox.]

Hecatontome, hek′a-ton-tōm, n. (Milt.) a very large number of books. [Gr. hekaton, a hundred, tomos, a volume.]

Hech, heh, interj. (Scot.) an exclamation of surprise.

Hecht, heht, Scotch form of hight, v.

Heck, hek, n. (Scot.) a rack in a stable for hay, &c.: a grated contrivance for catching fish: a contrivance in a spinning-wheel, and also in a warping-mill, by which the yarn or thread is guided to the reels.—Live at heck and manger, to be in very comfortable quarters. [A.S. hec, hæc; Dut. hek.]

Heckle, hek′l, v.i. to comb: to put a parliamentary candidate, or the like, through a series of embarrassing questions.—n. the same as Hack′le, Hatch′el.—ns. Heck′le, the long shining feathers on a cock's neck, a feather ornament in the full-dress bonnets of Highland regiments; Heck′ler, one who torments a candidate with catching questions.

Hectare, hek′tär, n. a superficial measure=100 ares, 10,000 sq. metres, or nearly 2½ acres (2.471). [Fr.,—Gr. hekaton, 100, L. area, area.]

Hectic, -al, hek′tik, -al, adj. pertaining to the constitution or habit of body: affected with hectic fever.—n. Hec′tic, a habitual or remittent fever, usually associated with consumption.—adj. Hec′toid, of a hectic appearance.—Hectic fever, the name given to the fever which occurs in connection with certain wasting diseases of long duration. [Fr.,—Gr. hektikos, habitual—hexis, habit.]

Hectogramme, hek′to-gram, n. a weight of 100 grammes, or nearly ¼ lb. (3.527 ounces). [Fr.,—Gr. hekaton, 100, and gramme.]

Hectograph, hek′to-graf, n. a gelatine pad for receiving a copy and therefrom multiplying a writing or drawing.—v.t. to reproduce by means of this.—adj. Hectograph′ic. [Gr. hekaton, a hundred, graph—graphein, to write.]

Hectolitre, hek′to-lit′r, n. a unit of capacity of 100 litres, 22.01 imperial gallons.

Hectometre, hek′to-mēt-ėr, n. a unit of length equal to 100 metres, or about 1⁄16th (.0621) of a mile.

Hector, hek′tor, n. a bully, a street brawler: one who annoys.—v.t. to treat insolently: to annoy.—v.i. to play the bully.—ns. Hec′torer; Hec′torism.—adv. Hec′torly.—n. Hec′torship. [Hector, the Trojan.]

Hectostere, hek′to-stēr, n. a measure of solidity of 100 cubic metres, 3531.56 Eng. cubic feet.

Heddle, hed′l, n. a series of vertical cords or wires, each having in the middle a loop (Hedd′le-eye) to receive a warp-thread, and passing round and between parallel bars.—v.t. to draw warp-threads through heddle-eyes. [An assumed A.S. hefedl, earlier form of hefeld.]

Hedeoma, hē-dē-ō′ma, n. a genus of herbaceous aromatic plants, the best-known species being the American Pennyroyal. [Gr. hēdys, sweet.]

Hedera, hed′er-a, n. a genus of climbing plants, best represented by the common ivy.—adjs. Hederā′ceous; Hed′eral; Hed′erated; Heder′ic; Hederif′erous. [L.]

Hedge, hej, n. a thicket of bushes: a fence round a field, &c.: any means of protection.—v.t. to enclose with a hedge: to obstruct: to surround: to guard: to protect one's self from loss by betting on both sides.—v.i. to shuffle: to be shifty: to skulk.—ns. Hedge′bill, Hedg′ing-bill, a bill or hatchet for dressing hedges.—adj. Hedge′-born, of low birth, as if born under a hedge or in the woods: low: obscure.—ns. Hedge′bote, an old word for the right of a tenant to cut wood on the farm or land for repairing the hedges or fences; Hedge′-creep′er, a sneaking rogue; Hedge′hog, a small prickly-backed quadruped, so called from living in hedges and bushes, and its resemblance to a hog or pig; Hedge′hog-plant, a species of medick, having the pods spirally twisted and rolled up into a ball beset with spines; Hedge′hog-this′tle, hedgehog-cactus; Hedge′-hyss′op, a European perennial plant of the figwort family, with emetic and purgative qualities; Hedge′-knife, an instrument for trimming hedges; Hedge′-mar′riage, a clandestine marriage; Hedge′-mus′tard, a genus of plants of order Cruciferæ, annual or rarely perennial, with small yellow or white flowers; Hedge′-note, a valueless literary attempt; Hedge′-par′son, a mean parson, generally illiterate; Hedge′pig (Shak.), a young hedgehog; Hedge′-priest, an ignorant itinerant priest; Hedg′er, one who dresses hedges; Hedge′row, a row of trees or shrubs for hedging fields; Hedge′-school, an open-air school kept by the side of a hedge in Ireland; Hedge′-shrew, the field-mouse; Hedge′-sparr′ow, Hedge′-war′bler, a little singing bird, like a sparrow, which frequents hedges; Hedge′-writ′er, a Grub-street author; Hedg′ing, the work of a hedger.—adj. Hedg′y. [A.S. hecg, hegg; Dut. hegge, Ger. hecke.]

Hedonism, hēd′ō-nizm, n. in ethics, the doctrine that happiness is the highest good.—adjs. Hedon′ic, Hedonist′ic.—n.pl. Hedon′ics, the doctrine of pleasure.—n. Hē′donist, one who advocates hedonism. [Gr. hēdonē, pleasure.]

Hedyphane, hed′i-fān, n. a colourless mimetite, containing calcium: a variety of green lead ore. [Gr. hēdys, sweet, -phanēs, appearing.]

Heed, hēd, v.t. to observe: to look after: to attend to.—n. notice: caution: attention.—adj. Heed′ful, attentive, cautious.—adv. Heed′fully.—ns. Heed′fulness; Heed′iness (Spens.).—adj. Heed′less, inattentive: careless.—n. Heed′lesshood (Spens.).—adv. Heed′lessly.—n. Heed′lessness.—adj. Heed′y (Spens.), heedful, careful. [A.S. hédan; Dut. hoeden, Ger. hüten.]

Heehaw, hē′hä, v.i. to bray, like an ass. [Imit.]

Heel, hēl, n. the part of the foot projecting behind: the whole foot (esp. of beasts): the covering of the heel, as on a boot: a spur: the hinder part of anything.—v.t. to use the heel: to furnish with heels: to arm with a steel spur, as a fighting cock: to seize by the heels: (U.S.) to supply with money.—v.i. to follow well (of a dog).—n. Heel′-ball, a black waxy composition for blacking the heels and soles of boots, for taking impressions of coins, &c., by rubbing: a shoemaker's last.—p.adj. Heeled, provided with a heel, shod: (U.S.) comfortably supplied with money.—n. Heel′er (U.S.), an unscrupulous hanger-on of a political party; Heel′piece, a piece or cover for the heel; Heel′-tap, a small quantity of beer or spirits left in the glass after drinking.—Heel and toe, with proper walking, as opposed to running; Heels o'er gowdy (Scot.), heels over head; Heels over head, upside down.—At, On, Upon, a person's heels, close behind; Down at heel, having the heels of one's shoes trodden down: slovenly: in poor circumstances; Kick one's heels, to be kept waiting for some time; Lay, Set, Clap, by the heels, to fetter: to put in confinement; Out at heels, having the stockings or shoes worn out at the heels; Show a clean pair of heels, Take to one's heels, to run off with haste: to flee; Trip up (one's) heels, to trip up or overthrow him; Turn on (upon) one's heel, to turn sharply round, to turn back or away. [A.S. héla; Dut. hiel.]

Heel, hēl, v.i. to incline: to lean on one side, as a ship.—v.t. to tilt. [Earlier heeld, A.S. hieldan, to slope; cf. Dut. hellen.]

Heeze, hēz, v.t. (Scot.) a form of hoise.—n. a lift.

Heft, heft, n. heaving: (Shak.) retching: (U.S.) weight: the bulk of.—v.t. to try the weight of.—adj. Heft′y, rather heavy: easy to lift. [Heave.]

Heft (Spens.), obsolete form of heaved.

Heft, heft, v.t. to accustom to a thing or place: (Scot.) to attach. [Cf. Ice. hefdha, Sw. häfda, Dan. hævde.]

Heft, heft, n. a notebook, a number of sheets sewed together. [Ger.]

Hegelianism, hē-gē′li-an-izm, n. the philosophical principles of Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831).—adj. Hēgē′lian, of or pertaining to Hegel.—n. a follower of Hegel.

Hegemony, hē′jem-o-ni, n. leadership: control, esp. of one state over others.—adjs. Hegemon′ic, -al.—ns. Hegū′men, Hegū′menos, the head of a monastery:—fem. Hegū′mene, Hegū′meness. [Gr. hēgemonia—hēgemōn, leader—hēgeisthai, to go before.]

Hegira, Hejira, hej′i-ra, n. the flight of Mohammed from Mecca, 15th July 622 A.D., from which is dated the Mohammedan era: any flight. [Ar. hijrah, flight, hajara, to leave.]

Heifer, hef′ėr, n. a young cow. [A.S. héahfore, héahfru, -fre; prob. 'high-goer,' faran, to go.]

Heigh, hī, interj. a cry of encouragement or exultation—also Hey, Ha.—interj. Heigh′-ho, an exclamation expressive of weariness. [Imit.]

Height, hīt, n. the condition of being high: distance upwards: that which is elevated: a hill: elevation in rank or excellence: utmost degree.—v.t. Height′en, to make higher, to advance or improve: to make brighter or more prominent. [Corr. of highth—A.S. híehtho, héahthu—héah, high.]

Heinous, hā′nus, adj. wicked in a high degree, enormous: atrocious.—adv. Hei′nously.—n. Hei′nousness. [O. Fr. haïnos (Fr. haineux)—haïr, to hate.]

Heir, ār, n. one who inherits anything after the death of the owner: one entitled to anything after the present possessor: a child, offspring:—fem. Heiress (ār′es).—v.t. Heir, to inherit.—ns. Heir′-appā′rent, the one by law acknowledged to be heir; Heir′-at-law, an heir by legal right; Heir′dom, Heir′ship.—adj. Heir′less, without an heir.—ns. Heir′loom, any piece of furniture or personal property which descends to the heir-at-law by special custom; Heir′-presump′tive, one who will be heir if no nearer relative should be born.—Heir by custom, one whose right as heir is determined by customary modes of descent, as gavelkind, &c. [O. Fr. heir—L. hēres, an heir.]

Hejira. See Hegira.

Hel, hel, n. in Northern mythology, the goddess of the dead, the sister of the wolf Fenrir, and daughter of the evil-hearted Loki.

Helcoid, hel′koid, adj. ulcerous.—ns. Helcol′ogy, the branch of pathology concerned with ulcers; Hel′coplasty, the operation of grafting on an ulcer a piece of healthy skin; Helcō′sis, ulceration.—adj. Helcot′ic. [Gr. helkos, an ulcer.]

Held, pa.t. and pa.p. of hold.

Hele, hēl, v.t. (Spens.) to hide, conceal. [A.S. helian, helan, to hide; Ger. hehlen.]

Heliac, hē′li-ak, Heliacal, he-lī′ak-al, adj. (astron.) emerging from the light of the sun or passing into it.—adv. Helī′acally. [Gr. hēliakos—hēlios, the sun.]

Helianthus, hē-li-an′thus, n. a genus of order Compositae, including the common sunflower. [Gr. hēlios, the sun, anthos, a flower.]

Helical, Helicidæ, Helicograph, Helicoid. See Helix.

Heliconian, hel-i-kō′ni-an, adj. pertaining to Helicon, a mountain-range in Bœotia, in ancient Greece, the favourite seat of the Muses.

Heliocentric, -al, hē-li-o-sen′trik, -al, adj. (astron.) referred to the sun as centre.—adv. Heliocen′trically. [Gr. hēlios, the sun, kentron, the centre.]

Heliochromy, hē′li-ok-rō-mi, n. the art of producing photographs in the natural colours.—ns. Hē′liochrome, Heliochrō′motype, a photograph in the natural colours.—adj. Heliochrō′mic.

Heliograph, hē′li-o-graf, n. an apparatus for signalling by means of the sun's rays: an engraving obtained by a process in which a specially prepared plate is acted on chemically by exposure to light: an apparatus for taking photographs of the sun.—v.t. to signal to by means of the sun's rays.—n. Heliog′rapher.—adjs. Heliograph′ic, -al.—adv. Heliograph′ically.—ns. Heliog′raphy, a method of communicating swiftly between distant points by means of the sun's rays reflected from mirrors: photography; Heliogrā′vure (or hā-li-ō-gra-vür′), photo-engraving, or a print obtained by this process. [Gr. hēlios, the sun, graphē, a painting—graphein, to write.]

Heliolatry, hē-li-ol′a-tri, n. worship of the sun.—n. Heliol′ater, a worshipper of the sun.—adj. Heliol′atrous. [Gr. hēlios, the sun, latreia, worship.]

Heliology, hē-li-ol′ō-ji, n. the science of the sun.

Heliometer, hē-li-om′e-tėr, n. an instrument by which the diameters of the heavenly bodies can be measured with great accuracy.—adjs. Heliomet′ric, -al. [Gr. hēlios, sun, metron, a measure.]

Heliophilous, hē-li-of′i-lus, adj. fond of the sun—opp. to Heliophō′bic, fearing or shunning sunlight.

Helioscope, hē′li-o-skōp, n. a telescope for viewing the sun without injury to the eyes, by means of blackened glass or mirrors that reflect only a part of the light.—adj. Helioscop′ic. [Fr. hélioscope—Gr. hēlios, the sun, skopein, to look, to spy.]

Heliostat, hē′li-o-stat, n. an instrument by means of which a beam of sunlight is reflected in an invariable direction. [Gr. hēlios, sun, statos, fixed—histanai, to stand.]

Heliotrope, hē′li-o-trōp, n. a genus of plants of the natural order Boraginaceæ, many species with fragrant flowers, esp. the Peruvian heliotrope, with small lilac-blue flowers and a fragrance resembling vanilla or cherry-pie: (min.) a bloodstone, a variety of chalcedony of a dark-green colour variegated with red: a mirror placed at a distant station and adjusted by clockwork, so that at a particular hour of the day (arranged beforehand) the light of the sun shall be reflected from the mirror directly to the surveyor's station.—adjs. Heliotrop′ic, -al.—adv. Heliotrop′ically.—ns. Heliot′ropism, Heliot′ropy, the tendency that the stem and leaves of a seedling plant have to bend towards, and the roots from, the light when placed in a transparent vessel of water within reach of the light of a window. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr. hēliotropion—hēlios, the sun, tropos, a turn.]

Heliotypy, hē′li-ō-tī-pi, n. a photo-mechanical process in which the gelatine relief is itself used to print from in some form of printing-press, instead of being covered with tinfoil as in the stannotype process.—n. Hē′liotype, a photograph.—v.t. to produce a heliotype picture of.—v.i. to practise heliotypy.—adj. Heliotyp′ic. [Gr. hēlios, sun, typos, impression.]

Heliozoa, hē′li-ō-zō′a, n. a class of Protozoa of the Rhizopod type, with protruding processes of living matter. [Gr. hēlios, the sun, zōon, an animal.]

Helium, hē′li-um, n. a substance discovered by Lockyer in the sun's atmosphere, found by Ramsay in the rare Norwegian mineral cleveite.

Helix, hē′liks, n. a spiral, as of wire in a coil: (zool.) a genus of molluscs including the land-snails: the external part of the ear: a small volute or twist in the capital of a Corinthian column:—pl. Helices (hel′i-sēz).—adj. Hel′ical, spiral.—adv. Hel′ically.—n.pl. Helic′idæ, a large family of terrestrial, air-breathing gasteropods, of which snails are familiar examples.—n. Hel′icograph, a drawing instrument for describing a spiral line.—adjs. Hel′icoid, -al, like a helix, screw-shaped; Helispher′ic, -al, spiral. [L.,—Gr. helix, helissein, to turn round.]

Hell, hel, n. the place or state of punishment of the wicked after death: the place of the dead indefinitely: the abode of evil spirits: the powers of hell: any place of vice or misery: a gambling-house.—adjs. Hell′-black (Shak.), black as hell; Hell′-born, born in hell: of hellish origin; Hell′-bred.—ns. Hell′-broth (Shak.), a composition boiled up for malignant purposes; Hell′-cat, a malignant hag; Hell′-fire, the fire of hell: punishment in hell; Hell′-gate, the entrance into hell.—adj. Hell′-hat′ed (Shak.), hated or abhorred as hell.—n. Hell′hound, a hound of hell: an agent of hell.—adj. Hell′ish, pertaining to or like hell: very wicked.—adv. Hell′ishly.—ns. Hell′ishness; Hell′-kite (Shak.), a kite of infernal breed.—adv. Hell′ward, towards hell. [A.S. hel; Ice. hel, Ger. hölle.]

Hell, hel, v.t. (Spens.) to hide.

He′ll, contraction for he will.

Hellebore, hel′e-bōr, n. a plant of the genus Helleborus (Ranunculaceæ), whose root possesses drastic purgative properties, anciently used as a cure for insanity—varieties are the Black Hellebore or Christmas Rose, the Stinking and the Green Hellebore; similar plants of other genera are the Winter Hellebore and the American False or White Hellebore, known also as Indian Poke or Itch Weed. [Fr. hellébore—L. helleborus—Gr. helleboros.]

Hellenic, hel-len′ik, or hel-lē′nik, Hellenian, hel-lē′ni-an, adj. pertaining to the Hellenes or Greeks: Grecian, in art, esp. of the period from the primitive epoch to the Roman supremacy in Greece (beginning 146 B.C.), sometimes only from the time of Alexander the Great (c. 330 B.C.)—the term Hellenistic applying to later times.—n. Hell′ēne, an ancient Greek: a subject of the modern kingdom of Greece or Hellas:—pl. Hellē′nes, the name of the modern Greeks for themselves.—v.i. Hell′enise, to conform, or show a tendency to conform, to Greek usages.—ns. Hell′enism, a Greek idiom: the spirit of the Greek race; Hell′enist, one skilled in the Greek language: a Jew who used the Greek language and adopted Greek usages, in opposition to the Hebrews properly so called, whether of Palestine or of the Dispersion, and to the Hellenes or Greeks proper—they are called Grecians in the Authorised, Grecian Jews in the Revised Version.—adjs. Hellenist′ic, -al, pertaining to the Hellenists: pertaining to Greek with foreign, esp. Aramaic and Hebrew, idioms—a popular dialect which grew up at Alexandria and perpetuated itself in the Septuagint, and to a less marked degree in the New Testament.—adv. Hellenist′ically. [Gr. Hellēnios, Helēnikos—Hellēnes, a name ultimately given to all the Greeks—Hellēn, the son of Deucalion, the Greek Noah.]

Hellicat, hel′i-kat, adj. giddy-headed: flighty.—n. (Scot.) a wicked creature.

Helm, helm, n. the instrument by which a ship is steered: the station of management or government.—v.t. to direct.—n. Helm′age, guidance.—adj. Helm′less, of a ship, without a helm.—n. Helms′man, the one who steers. [A.S. helma; Ice. hjálm, a rudder, Gr. helm, a handle.]

Helm, helm, Helmet, hel′met, n. a covering of armour for the head: (bot.) the hooded upper lip of certain flowers.—adjs. Helmed, Hel′meted, furnished with a helmet.—n. Hel′met-shell, a genus of gasteropods having thick heavy shells with bold ridges: a cameo-shell. [A.S. helm—helan, to cover; Ger. helm.]

Helminth, hel′minth, n. a worm.—n. Helminth′agogue, a remedy against worms.—adj. Helmin′thic, pertaining to worms: (med.) expelling worms.—n. a medicine for expelling worms.—n. Helmin′thite, a long sinuous mark common on the surfaces of sandstone, and supposed to be the tracks of worms.—adjs. Helmin′thoid, worm-shaped; Helmintholog′ic, -al.—ns. Helminthol′ogist; Helminthol′ogy, that branch of natural history which treats of worms, or more particularly of the parasitic forms.—adj. Helminth′ous. [Gr. helmins, -inthos, a worm.]

Helot, hē′lot, or hel′ot, n. one of a class of slaves among the ancient Spartans.—ns. Hē′lotage, the state of a Helot; Hē′lotism, the condition of the Helots in ancient Sparta: slavery; Hē′lotry, the whole body of the Helots: any class of slaves. [Gr.; said to be derived from Helos, a town in Greece, reduced to slavery by the Spartans.]

Help, help, v.t. to support: to assist: to mitigate: to give means for doing anything: to provide or supply with: to remedy: to prevent, to keep from.—v.i. to give assistance: to contribute:—pa.p. helped, (B.) hōlp′en.—n. means or strength given to another for a purpose: assistance: relief: one who assists: (Amer.) a hired servant, esp. a domestic.—n. Help′er, one who helps: an assistant.—adj. Help′ful, giving help: useful.—n. Help′fulness.—adj. Help′less, without help or power in one's self: wanting assistance.—adv. Help′lessly.—ns. Help′lessness; Help′mate, an assistant: a partner: a wife—also written Help′meet, from Gen. ii. 18.—Help forward, to assist in making progress; Help off, to aid in disposing or getting rid of; Help on, to forward, to lift up; Help out, to aid in finishing a task, eking out a supply, &c.; Help over, to enable to surmount; Help to, to aid in obtaining for some one; Help up, to raise.—God help him, a phrase implying extreme pity or commiseration.—So help me God, a very strong asseveration, implying the willingness of the speaker to let his chance of salvation depend upon his truthfulness. [A.S. helpan, pa.t. healp, pa.p. holpen; Ice. hjálpa, Ger. helfen, to aid.]

Helter-skelter, hel′ter-skel′ter, adv. in a confused hurry: tumultuously.—n. a confused medley: disorderly motion.—adj. confused.—n. Hel′ter-skel′teriness. [Imit.]

Helve, helv, n. the handle of an axe or hatchet: the handle of a forehammer.—v.t. to furnish with a handle, as an axe.—n. Helve′-hamm′er, a trip-hammer. [A.S. hielfe, helfe, a handle.]

Helvetic, hel-vet′ik, adj. pertaining to Switzerland—also Helvē′tian.—Helvetic Confessions, two confessions of faith drawn up by the Swiss theologians in 1536 and 1566, in substance Protestant, Evangelical, moderately Calvinistic, and Zwinglian. [L.,—Helvetia, Latin name of Switzerland.]

Hem, hem, n. the border of a garment doubled down and sewed.—v.t. to form a hem on: to edge:—pr.p. hem′ming; pa.p. hemmed.—n. Hem′-stitch, the ornamental finishing of the inner side of a hem, made by pulling out several threads adjoining it and drawing together in groups the cross-threads by successive stitches.—v.t. to embroider with such.—Hem in, to surround. [A.S. hemm, a border; Ger. hamm, a fence.]

Hem, hem, n. and interj. a sort of half-cough to draw attention.—v.i. to utter the sound hem!—pr.p. hem′ming; pa.p. hemmed. [Imit.]

Hem, hem, (Spens.) them.

Hemeralopia, hem′e-ra-lō′pi-a, n. day-blindness, a defect of vision except in artificial or dim light; also applied to night-blindness. [Gr. hēmera, a day, alaos, blind, ōps, the eye.]

Hemianopsia, hem′i-an-op′si-a, n. complete or partial blindness as to half the field of vision—also Hemianōp′ia, Hemiō′pia, Hemiop′sia, Hem′opsy.—adjs. Hemianop′tic, Hemiop′ic. [Gr. hēmi-, half, an-, neg., opsis, sight.]

Hemicrania, hem-i-krā′ni-a, n. headache confined to one side of the head.—adj. Hemicran′ic.

Hemicycle, hem′i-sī-kl, n. a semicircle, a room with seats so arranged. [Fr.,—Gr.]

Hemihedrism, hem-i-hē′drizm, n. a property of crystals of being Hemihē′dral, or having half the number of symmetrically arranged planes occurring on a holohedron.—n. Hemihē′dron. [Gr. hēmi-, half, hedra, a seat.]

Hemiolic, hem-i-ol′ik, adj. constituting the proportion of 1½ to 1, or of 3 to 2. [Gr. hēmi-, half, holos, whole.]

Hemionus, hē-mī′o-nus, Hemione, hem′i-ōn, n. the half-ass, or dziggetai. [Gr. hēmi-, half, onos, an ass.]

Hemiplegia, hem-i-plē′ji-a, n. paralysis of one side of the face or body—also Hem′iplegy.—adj. Hemipleg′ic. [Gr. hēmi-, half, plēgē, a blow.]

Hemiptera, hem-ip′tėr-a, n. an order of Insecta, in the classification of Linnæus: in later systems, the same as Rhyncota, including aphides, coccus insects, cicadas, bugs, water-scorpions, lice (Ametabola).—n. Hemip′ter.—adjs. Hemip′teral, Hemip′teran, Hemip′terous. [Gr. hēmi-, half, pteron, a wing.]

Hemisphere, hem′i-sfēr, n. a half-sphere: half of the globe or a map of it.—adjs. Hemispher′ic, -al.—n. Hemisphē′roid, the half of a spheroid.—adj. Hemispheroi′dal.—Eastern and Western hemispheres, the eastern and western halves of the terrestrial globe, the former including Europe, Asia, and Africa; the latter, the Americas. [Gr. hēmisphairion—hēmi-, half, sphaira, a sphere.]

Hemistich, hem′i-stik, n. one of the two parts of a line of poetry as divided by the cesura: half a line, an incomplete or unfinished line: an epodic line or refrain.—adj. Hem′istichal. [L. hemistichium—Gr. hēmistichion—hēmi-, half, stichos, a line.]

Hemitrope, hem′i-trōp, n. a form in which one part of a crystal is in reverse position with reference to the other part, a twin-crystal.—adjs. Hem′itrope, Hemit′ropal, Hemitrop′ic, Hemit′ropous.

Hemlock, hem′lok, n. a genus of umbelliferous plants, the most common species being the poisonous spotted hemlock, used in medicine. [A.S. hemlic, the second syllable a weakened form of leác, a plant. Cf. Charlock, Garlic.]

Hemp, hemp, n. a plant with a fibrous bark used for cordage, coarse cloth, &c.: the fibrous rind prepared for spinning.—adj. Hemp′en, made of hemp.—ns. Hemp′-nett′le, a coarse bristly annual weed of the labiate family; Hemp′-palm, a palm of China and Japan, the fibre of the leaves of which is much employed for making cordage—hats, cloaks, and other garments are also made from it; Hemp′-seed, Mrs Quickly's word for homicide (Shak., 2 Henry IV., II. i. 64).—adj. Hemp′y, like hemp: roguish: romping.—n. (Scot.) a rogue.—Hempen collar, and caudle (Shak.), the hangman's noose; Hempen widow, the widow of a man who has been hanged. [A.S. henep, hænep—L. cannabis—Gr. kannabis.]

Hen, hen, n. the female of any bird, esp. of the domestic fowl.—ns. Hen′bane, a coarse annual or biennial herb of the nightshade family, poisonous, esp. to domestic fowls; Hen′coop, a coop or large cage for domestic fowls; Hen′-driv′er, Hen′-harr′ier, a species of falcon, the common harrier.—adj. Hen′-heart′ed, timid as a hen: cowardly.—ns. Hen′-house, a house, coop, or shelter for fowls; Hen′-huss′y, a man who meddles with women's affairs; Hen′-mould, a black, spongy soil; Hen′nery, a place where fowls are kept.—adj. Hen′ny, like a hen, feathered.—v.t. Hen′peck, of a wife, to domineer over her husband.—n. the subjection of a husband to his wife.—adj. Hen′pecked, weakly subject to his wife.—ns. Henpeck′ery, the state of being henpecked; Hen′-roost, a place where poultry roost at night; Hen′wife, Hen′-wom′an, a woman who has the charge of poultry. [A.S. henn—hana, a cock; Ger. hahn, fem. henne.]

Hence, hens, adv. from this place or time: in the future: from this cause or reason: from this origin.—interj. away! begone!—advs. Hence′forth, Hencefor′ward, from this time forth or forward. [M. E. hennes, henne—A.S. heonan, from the base of he; Ger. hinnen,hin, hence; so L. hinc, hence—hic, this.]

Henchman, hensh′man, n. a servant: a page. [Not from haunch-man, but from A.S. hengest, a horse (Ger. hengst), and man.]

Hend, hend, v.t. (Spens.) to seize, to grasp. [Hand.]

Hendecagon, hen-dek′a-gon, n. a plane figure of eleven angles and eleven sides.—adj. Hendecag′onal. [Gr. hendeka, eleven, gōnia, an angle.]

Hendecasyllable, hen′dek-a-sil-a-bl, n. a metrical line of eleven syllables.—adj. Hendecasyllab′ic. [Gr. hendeka, eleven, syllabē, a syllable.]

Hendiadys, hen-dī′a-dis, n. a rhetorical figure in which one and the same notion is presented in two expressions, as 'with might and main'=by main strength. [Gr. hen dia dyoin, lit. 'one by two.']

Henequen, hen′ē-ken, n. a fibre known as sisal-hemp, used for ships' cables, obtained chiefly from Agave Ixtli of Yucatan, also the plant itself.—Also Hen′equin, Hen′iquin. [Sp. jeniquen.]

Henna, hen′a, n. a small Oriental shrub of the loosestrife family, with fragrant white flowers: a pigment made from the shrub for dyeing the nails and hair. [Ar. henna.]

Henotheism, hen′ō-thē-izm, n. the ascribing of supreme power to some one of several gods in turn: the belief in a special supreme god over a particular people—a national or relative monotheism.—adj. Henotheist′ic. [Gr. heis (hen-), one, theos, god, and suff. -ism.]

Henotic, hen-ot′ik, adj. tending to unify or reconcile. [Gr. henōtikos—heis, one.]

Henry, hen′ri, n. (electr.) the practical unit of self-induction—from Joseph Henry, American physicist (1797-1878).

Hent, hent (Spens.), pa.t. of hend.—n. hold.

Hent, hent, v.t. to clear, go beyond. [A.S. hentan, to seize.]

Hep, hep, n. See Hip, the fruit of the dog-rose.

Hep, hep, interj. a cry said to come down from the Crusaders' time, often the cry of the mob in an outrage on the Jews—more probably an abbreviation of Hebrew than formed from the initials of Hierosolyma est perdita=Jerusalem is destroyed.

Hepar, hē′par, n. the name given by the older chemists to various compounds of sulphur, from their brown, liver-like colour.—adj. Hepat′ic, belonging to the liver.—ns.pl. Hepat′ica, medicines which affect the liver and its appendages; Hepat′icæ, the liver-worts, a sub-class of bryophytic or moss-like plants.—n. Hepatisā′tion, consolidation of tissue, as of the lungs in pneumonia, resulting in a liver-like solidification.—v.t. Hep′atise, to convert into a substance resembling liver.—ns. Hep′atīte, a variety of barium sulphate or barite, with a characteristic stink; Hepatī′tis, inflammation of the liver; Hep′atocele, hernia of the liver; Hepatol′ogist, a specialist in diseases of the liver; Hepatol′ogy, the science of, or a treatise on, the liver; Hepatorrhœ′a, a morbid flow of bile; Hepatos′copy, divination by inspection of the livers of animals. [Gr. hēpar, hēpătos, the liver.]

Heptachord, hep′ta-kord, n. in Greek music, a diatonic series of seven tones, containing five whole steps and one half-step: an instrument with seven strings.

Heptade, hep′tad, n. the sum or number of seven: (chem.) an atom, radical, or element having a combining power of seven. [Fr.,—Gr. heptas, heptados—hepta, seven.]

Heptaglot, hep′ta-glot, adj. in seven languages.—n. a book in seven languages. [Gr. heptaglōttos—hepta, seven, glōtta, glōssa, tongue.]

Heptagon, hep′ta-gon, n. a plane figure with seven angles and seven sides.—adj. Heptag′onal. [Gr. heptagōnos, seven-cornered—hepta, seven, gōnia, an angle.]

Heptagynia, hept-a-jin′i-a, n. an order of plants having seven styles.—adj. Heptag′ynous. [Gr. hepta, seven, gynē, a woman.]

Heptahedron, hep-ta-hē′dron, n. a solid figure with seven faces or sides.—adjs. Heptahē′dral, Heptahed′rical; Heptahexahē′dral, having seven ranges of faces one above another, each range containing six faces. [Gr. hepta, seven, hedrā, a seat, a base.]

Heptameride, hep-tam′e-rid, n. anything consisting of seven parts.—adj. Heptam′erous (bot.), consisting of seven members or parts.

Heptameron, hep′tam-e-ron, n. a book containing the transactions of seven days, esp. the 72 stories supposed to be told in seven days, bearing the name of Queen Margaret of Navarre (1492-1549). [Gr. hepta, seven, hēmera, a day.]

Heptameter, hep′tam-e-tėr, n. a verse of seven measures. [Gr. hepta, seven, metron, measure.]

Heptandria, hept-an′dri-a, n. a class of plants having seven stamens.—adj. Heptan′drous. [Gr. hepta, seven, anēr, andros, a man.]

Heptangular, hept-ang′gū-lar, adj. having seven angles. [Gr. hepta, seven, and angular.]

Heptaphyllous, hep-ta-fil′us, adj. having seven leaves.

Heptapody, hep-tap′o-di, n. a verse of seven feet.—adj. Heptapod′ic.

Heptarchy, hep′tär-ki, n. a government by seven persons: the country governed by seven: a period in the Saxon history of England—a misleading term in any other meaning than merely this, that the chief kingdoms at various periods from the 5th to the 9th century were seven—Wessex, Sussex, Kent, Essex, East Anglia, Mercia, and Northumbria.—ns. Hep′tarch, Hep′tarchist.—adj. Heptar′chic. [Gr. hepta, seven, archē, sovereignty.]

Heptaspermous, hep-ta-sper′mus, adj. having seven seeds.

Heptasyllabic, hep-ta-si-lab′ik, adj. seven-syllabled, like the second half of the elegiac pentameter.

Heptateuch, hep′ta-tūk, n. a word sometimes used for the first seven books of the Old Testament—formed on the analogy of Pentateuch and Hexateuch. [Gr. hepta, seven, teuchos, an instrument, a volume.]

Her, hėr, pron. objective and possessive case of she.—adj. belonging to a female. [M. E. here—A.S. hire, gen. and dat. sing. of heó, she.]

Heraclean, Heracleian, her-a-klē′an, adj. pertaining to Hercules.—adj. Heraclī′dan, Heraclei′dan, pertaining to the Heracleidæ or descendants of Heracles (Hercules), the aristocracy of Sparta.—n. Heraclid′, one claiming such descent.

Herald, her′ald, n. in ancient times, an officer who made public proclamations and arranged ceremonies: in medieval times, an officer who had charge of all the etiquette of chivalry, keeping a register of the genealogies and armorial bearings of the nobles: an officer whose duty is to read proclamations, to blazon the arms of the nobility, &c.: a proclaimer: a forerunner: the red-breasted merganser, usually Her′ald-duck.—v.t. to introduce, as by a herald: to proclaim.—adj. Heral′dic, of or relating to heralds or heraldry.—adv. Heral′dically.—ns. Her′aldry, the art or office of a herald: the science of recording genealogies and blazoning coats of arms; Her′aldship.—Heralds' College (see College). [O. Fr. herault; of Teut. origin, Old High Ger. hari (A.S. here, Ger. heer), an army, and wald=walt, strength, sway.]

Herb, hėrb, n. a plant the stem of which dies every year, as distinguished from a tree or shrub which has a permanent stem.—adj. Herbā′ceous, pertaining to, or of the nature of, herbs: (bot.) having a soft stem that dies to the root annually.—n. Herbage (hėrb′āj, or ėrb′āj), green food for cattle: pasture: herbs collectively.—adjs. Herb′aged, covered with grass; Herb′al, pertaining to herbs.—n. a book containing descriptions of plants with medicinal properties, orig. of all plants.—ns. Herb′alist, one who makes collections of herbs or plants: one skilled in plants; Herb′ar (Spens.), an herb; Herbā′rian, a herbalist; Herbā′rium, a classified collection of preserved herbs or plants:—pl. Herbā′riums, Herbā′ria; Herb′ary, a garden of herbs; Herb′-benn′et (see Avens).—adjs. Herbes′cent, growing into herbs, becoming herbaceous; Herbif′erous, bearing herbs.—n. Herb′ist, a herbalist.—n.pl. Herbiv′ora, a name loosely applied to hoofed quadrupeds.—n.sing. Herb′ivore.—adjs. Herbiv′orous, eating or living on herbaceous plants; Herb′less.—ns. Herb′let (Shak.), a small herb; Herb′-of-grace′, or -repent′ance, the common rue, the vervain; Herborisā′tion, the seeking for plants: (min.) the figure of plants.—v.i. Herb′orise, to search for plants: to botanise.—v.t. to form plant-like figures in, as in minerals.—n. Herb′orist, a herbalist.—adjs. Herb′ous, Herb′ose, abounding with herbs.—ns. Herb′-Par′is, Paris quadrifolia, related to wake-robin; Herb′-Pē′ter, the cowslip or primrose; Herb′-Rob′ert, a common kind of geranium; Herb′-trin′ity, the pansy.—adj. Herb′y, of or pertaining to herbs. [Fr. herbe—L. herba, akin to Gr. phorbē, pasture—pherbein, to feed.]

Herculanean, her-kū-lā′nē-an, adj. of or pertaining to Herculaneum, the ancient Roman city buried with Pompeii by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

Herculean, hėr-kū′lē-an, adj. of or pertaining to Hercules: extremely difficult or dangerous, as the twelve labours of the Greek hero Hercules: of extraordinary strength and size.—Hercules beetle, a gigantic Brazilian lamellicorn beetle, 6 in. long, with a long horn on the head of the male and a smaller one on the thorax; Hercules' choice, toil and duty chosen in preference to ease and pleasure—from a famous story in Xenophon's Memorabilia; Hercules club, a stick of great size and weight; Pillars of Hercules, the name given by the ancients to two rocks flanking the entrance to the Mediterranean at the Strait of Gibraltar.

Hercynian, her-sin′i-an, adj. of or pertaining to the forest-covered mountain region of northern Germany—apart the Harz Mountains.

Herd, hėrd, n. a number of beasts feeding together, and watched or tended: any collection of beasts, as distinguished from a flock: a company of people, the rabble.—v.i. to run in herds.—v.t. to tend, as a herdsman.—ns. Herd, one who tends a herd; Herd′groom (Spens.), a shepherd-lad; Herds′-grass, timothy-grass; Herds′man, a man employed to herd or tend cattle—(B.) Herd′man. [A.S. hirde, hierde; Ger. heerde, Sw. hjord.]

Herdic, her′dik, n. a low-hung two or four wheeled carriage with back entrance and side seats. [From the inventor, Peter Herdic of Pennsylvania.]

Here, hēr, adv. in this place: in the present life or state.—advs. Here′about, also -abouts, about this place; Hereaf′ter, after this, in some future time or state.—n. a future state.—advs. Here′at, at or by reason of this; Here′away (coll.), hereabout; Hereby′, not far off: by this; Herein′, in this: in regard to this; Hereinaf′ter, afterward in this (document, &c.):—opp. to Hereinbefore′; Hereof′, of this: as a result of this; Hereon′, on or upon this; Hereto′, till this time: for this object; Heretofore′, before this time: formerly; Hereunto′ (also -un′-), to this point or time; Hereupon′, on this: in consequence of this; Herewith′, with this.—Here and there, in this place, and then in that: thinly: irregularly; Here goes! an exclamation indicating that the speaker is about to do something; Here you are (coll.), this is what you want; Neither here nor there, of no special importance. [A.S. hér, from base of hé, he; Dut. and Ger. hier, Sw. här.]

Heredity, he-red′i-ti, n. the organic relation between generations, esp. between parents and offspring: the transmission of qualities from the parents or ancestors to their offspring.—adj. Hered′itable, that may be inherited.—ns. Heredit′ament, all property of whatever kind that may pass to an heir.—adv. Hered′itarily.—n. Hered′itariness, the quality of being hereditary.—adj. Hered′itary, descending by inheritance: transmitted from parents to their offspring. [L. hereditas, the state of an heir—heres, herēdis, an heir.]

Heresy, her′e-si, n. the adoption and maintaining opinions contrary to the authorised teaching of the religious community to which one naturally belongs: an opinion adopted for one's self in opposition to the usual belief: heterodoxy.—ns. Heresiarch (her′e-si-ärk, or he-rē′zi-ärk), a leader in heresy, a chief among heretics; Heresiog′rapher, one who writes about heresies; Heresiog′raphy, a treatise on heresies; Heresiol′ogist, a student of, or writer on, heresies; Heresiol′ogy, the study or the history of heresies; Her′etic, the upholder of a heresy.—adj. Heret′ical.—adv. Heret′ically.—v.t. Heret′icate, to denounce as heretical. [O. Fr. heresie—L. hæresis—Gr. hairesis—hairein, to take.]

Heriot, her′i-ot, n. (Eng. law) a kind of fine due to the lord of a manor on the death of a person holding land of the manor, and consisting of the best beast, jewel, or chattel that belonged to the deceased.—adj. Her′iotable. [A.S. heregeatu, a military preparation—here, an army, geatwe, apparatus.]

Herisson, her′i-son, n. a beam turning on a pivot and supplied with sharp spikes, for the defence of a gate, &c.: (her.) a hedgehog.—adj. Hérissé, bristled. [A doublet of urchin.]

Heritable, her′i-ta-bl, adj. that may be inherited.—n. Heritabil′ity.—adv. Her′itably.—n. Her′itor, in Scotland, a landholder in a parish.—Heritable property (Scots law), real property, as opposed to movable property or chattels; Heritable security, same as English mortgage. [O. Fr. heritable, hereditable—-Low L. hereditabilis—L. hereditas.]

Heritage, her′it-āj, n. that which is inherited: inherited lot, condition of one's birth: (B.) the children (of God). [O. Fr. heritage, heriter—Late L. hereditāre, to inherit.]

Herling, her′ling, n. the young of the sea-trout.

Hermæ. See Hermes.

Hermandad, ėr-man-dad′, n. a confederation of the entire burgher class of Spain for police and judicial purposes, formed in 1282, and formally legalised in 1485. [Sp., 'brotherhood,' hermano—L. germanus, kindred.]

Hermaphrodite, hėr-maf′rod-īt, n. an animal or a plant in which the two sexual characteristics are united: an abnormal individual in whom are united the properties of both sexes.—adj. uniting the distinctions of both sexes.—ns. Hermaph′rodism, Hermaph′roditism, the union of the two sexes in one body.—adjs. Hermaphrodit′ic, -al, pertaining to a hermaphrodite: partaking of both sexes.—Hermaphrodite brig, a brig square-rigged forward and schooner-rigged aft. [L.,—Gr. Hermaphrodītos, the son of Hermēs and Aphroditē, who, when bathing, grew together with the nymph Salmacis into one person.]

Hermeneutic, -al, hėr-me-nū′tik, -al, adj. interpreting: explanatory: exigetical.—adv. Hermeneu′tically.—n.sing. Hermeneu′tics, the science of interpretation or exegesis, esp. of the Scriptures.—n. Hermeneu′tist, one versed in hermeneutics. [Gr. hermēneu′tikos—hermēneus, an interpreter, from Hermēs, Mercury, the god of art and eloquence.]

Hermes, hėr′mēz, n. the herald and messenger of the gods of Greek mythology, patron of herdsmen, arts, and thieves: a head or bust on a square base, often double-faced:—pl. Hermæ (her′mē): the Egyptian Thoth, identified with the Greek Hermes.

Hermetic, -al, hėr-met′ik, -al, adj. belonging in any way to the the beliefs current in the Middle Ages under the name of Hermes, the Thrice Great: belonging to magic or alchemy, magical: perfectly close.—adv. Hermet′ically.—n.pl. Hermet′ics, the philosophy wrapped up in the Hermetic books, esoteric science: alchemy.—Hermetically sealed, closed completely, said of a glass vessel, the opening of which is closed by melting the glass. [From Hermēs Trismegistos, Hermes 'the thrice-greatest,' the Greek name for the Egyptian god Thoth, who was god of science, esp. alchemy.]

Hermit, hėr′mit, n. one who retires from society and lives in solitude or in the desert for purposes of devotion: one of certain animals of solitary habit.—ns. Her′mitāge, Her′mitary, the dwelling of a hermit: a retired abode: a wine produced near Valence, in Drôme; Her′mit-crab, the name of a family of crustaceans notable for their habit of sheltering themselves in gasteropod shells.—adj. Hermit′ical, relating to a hermit. [M. E. eremite, through Fr. and L. from Gr. erēmitēs—erēmos, solitary.]

Hern. Same as Heron.

Hern, a provincial form for hers.

Hernia, hėr′ni-a, n. a protrusion, through an abnormal or accidental opening, of the abdominal viscera, the condition popularly called rupture.—adjs. Her′nial; Her′niated; Her′nioid.—ns. Herniol′ogy, the branch of surgery which treats of ruptures; Herniot′omy, the operation of cutting for hernia. [L.]

Hernshaw, hėrn′shaw, n. (Spens.). Same as Heronshaw.

Hero, hē′rō, n. a man of distinguished bravery: any illustrious person: the principal figure in any history or work of fiction: (orig.) a demigod:—fem. Heroine (her′ō-in).—adj. Herō′ic, becoming a hero: courageous: illustrious: daring, rash.—n. a heroic verse: (pl.) extravagant phrases, bombast.—adj. Herō′ical.—adv. Herō′ically—(Milt.) Herō′icly.—ns. Herō′icalness, Herō′icness.—adjs. Herō′icomic, -al, consisting of a mixture of heroic and comic: designating the high burlesque.—ns. Her′oism, the qualities of a hero: courage: boldness; Hē′roship, the state of being a hero; Hē′ro-wor′ship, the worship of heroes: excessive admiration of great men.—Heroic age, the semi-mythical period of Greek history, when the heroes or demigods were represented to have lived among men; Heroic medicines, such as either kill or cure; Heroic size, in sculpture, larger than life, but less than colossal; Heroic verse, the style of verse in which the exploits of heroes are celebrated (in classical poetry, the hexameter; in English and German, the iambic of ten syllables; in French, the alexandrine). [Through O. Fr. and L. from Gr. hērōs; akin to L. vir, A.S. wer, a man, Sans. víra, a hero.]

Herodians, he-rō′di-ans, n.pl. a political rather than religious party among the Jews of the apostolic age, adherents of the family of Herod. Herod was represented as a swaggering tyrant in the old dramatic performances—hence 'to out-herod Herod' (Shak.)—to exceed in bombast and passionate grandiloquence.

Heron, her′un, n. a large screaming water-fowl, with long legs and neck.—n. Her′onry, a place where herons breed. [O. Fr. hairon—Old High Ger. heigir.]

Heronshaw, her′un-shaw, n. a young heron. [Properly heronswewe (O. Fr. herounçel), which was confounded with the old form hernshaw, a heronry, from heron, and shaw, a wood.]

Herpes, hėr′pēz, n. the name of a group of diseases of the skin, characterised by the presence of clusters of vesicles on an inflamed base—Catarrhal herpes and Herpes zoster or Shingles.—adj. Herpet′ic, relating to or resembling herpes: creeping. [Gr. herpēs—herpein, to creep.]

Herpestes, her-pes′tez, n. the typical genus of ichneumons or mongooses of the sub-family Herpestinæ, viverroid carnivores, having straight toes, claws not retractile. [Gr.]

Herpetology, her-pet-ol′oj-i, n. the branch of natural history which treats of reptiles.—adjs. Her′petoid, serpent-like; Herpetolog′ic, -al, pertaining to herpetology.—adv. Herpetolog′ically.—n. Herpetol′ogist, one versed in herpetology.

Herr, her, n. lord, master, the German term of address equivalent to Mr. [Ger.]

Herring, her′ing, n. a common small sea-fish of great commercial value, found moving in great shoals or multitudes.—adj. Herr′ing-bone, like the spine of a herring, applied to a kind of masonry in which the stones slope in different directions in alternate rows.—ns. Herr′inger, one whose employment is to catch herring; Herr′ing-fish′ery; Herr′ing-pond, the ocean, esp. the Atlantic or the English Channel.—Herring-bone stitch, a kind of cross-stitch used in embroidery, in mending sails, &c.—Kippered herring, herring smoked and preserved; Red herring, herring cured and dried, and having as the result a red appearance. [A.S. hǽring, héring; cf. Ger. häring, heer.]

Herrnhuter, hern′hut-ėr, n. one of the Moravians or United Brethren, so called from their settlement in 1722 at Herrnhut in Saxony.

Herry, a Scotch form of harry.—n. Herr′yment, harassment.

Hers, hėrz, pron. possessive of she.

Hersal, hėr′sal, n. (Spens.) rehearsal.

Herse, hėrs, n. (fort.) a portcullis: a species of cheval-de-frise.—adj. Hersed, arranged in harrow form. [Hearse.]

Herself, hėr-self′, pron. the emphatic form of she in the nominative or objective case: in her real character: having the command of her facilities, sane.

Hership, hėr′ship, n. the carrying off of cattle: (Scot.) foray. [Here, army, or stem of A.S. herjan, to harry; cf. Ice. herskapr, warfare—herr, army, and -skapr, -ship.]

Hery, hē′ri, v.t. (Spens.) to praise, to regard as holy. [A.S. herian, to praise.]

Hesitate, hez′i-tāt, v.i. to stop in making a decision: to be in doubt: to stammer.—v.t. (rare) to express with hesitation.—ns. Hes′itancy, Hesitā′tion, wavering: doubt: stammering.—adj. Hes′itan't, hesitating.—adv. Hes′itātingly.—adj. Hes′itātive, showing hesitation.—n. Hes′itātor, one who hesitates.—adj. Hes′itātory, hesitating. [L. hæsitāre, -ātum, freq. of hærēre, hæsum, to stick.]

Hesper, hes′pėr, Hesperus, hes′pėr-us, n. the Greek name for Venus as the evening-star.—adj. Hespē′rian, of Hesperus or the west. [L.,—Gr. hesperos, evening.]

Hesperides, hes-per′ī-dēz, n.pl. the name of the three sisters who guarded in their delightful gardens the golden apples which Hera, on her marriage with Zeus, had received from Gæa.

Hesperornis, hes-per-ōr′nis, n. an extinct form of bird, the remains of which have been met with in the American cretaceous deposits. [Gr. hesperos, western, ornis, a bird.]

Hessian, hesh′i-an, adj. of or pertaining to Hesse.—n. a native of Hesse: (pl.) short for Hessian boots, a kind of long boots first worn by Hessian troops.—Hessian fly, a dipterous insect, in its larval state attacking stems of barley, wheat, and rye. [From Hesse, a grand-duchy of the German Empire.]

Hest, hest, n. (Shak.) behest, command. [A.S. hǽs, a command—hátan, to command.]

Hesternal, hes-ter′nal, adj. of yesterday.

Hesvan, hes′van, n. the second month of the Jewish civil year.—Also Hesh′van. [Heb.]

Hesychast, hes′i-kast, n. one of a mystic and contemplative sect of the Greek Church in the 14th century, whose members may be described as the Quietists of the East.—n. Hes′ychasm, their doctrines and practice. [Gr. hēsychastēs—hēsychos, quiet.]