Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/H Haste



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. , 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. , 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. , 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. ' (Carlyle), capable of being clothed; ', 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. ', one who does so.—v.i. ', to acquire certain necessary qualifications, esp. for the office of teacher in a German university (Ger. habilitiren). [Low L. habilitation —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. pa.p. —adj. ', clothed, dressed.—ns. ', one who makes women's riding-habits; ', a thin muslin or lace under-garment worn by women on the neck and shoulders, under the dress.—adj. ', formed or acquired by frequent use: customary.—adv. '.—v.t. ', to cause to acquire a habit: to accustom.—ns. '; ', tendency from acquiring a habit: usual manner; Habitué  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. ', '.—adv. '.—ns. ', an inhabitant; ', the natural abode or locality of an animal or plant: place of abode generally; ', 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. ', the operation of picking a worn grindstone, &c., with a hack-hammer.—adj. short and interrupted, as a broken, troublesome cough.—n. ', 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. , 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 '.—n. '. [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. ', a flax-dresser, heckler.—adj. ', 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 .—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. ', ', let out for hire: devoted to common use: much used.—ns. ', a coach let out for hire; '; , 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. ', ' (Scot.), a holding, residence.

Haddock, had′uk, n. a sea-fish of the cod family—(Scot.) . [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 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. , 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. ', the colouring matter of the blood.—adj. ', 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,  adj. serving to stop the flow of blood.—n.pl. , 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. ', '—n.pl. , 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. .

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. , 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. . [Gr. haimorrhagia—haima, blood, rhēgnynai, to burst.]

Hæmorrhoids, Hem-, hem′or-oidz, n.pl. dilated veins liable to discharge blood, esp. piles.—adj. . [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. , 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-like.—adv. '.—adj. ', ridden by witches, as a horse: troubled by nightmare.—ns. ', a witch's offspring; ', the personality of a hag; ', 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 . [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 ', '.—adjs. ', ', pertaining to the Haggada, said of free interpretation, opposed to Halachic or legal.—n. . [Heb.]

Haggard, hag′ard, adj. lean: hollow-eyed: wild, applied to an untrained hawk—(arch.) '.—n. ', a hawk.—adv. . [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. . [A variant of hackle, itself a freq. of hack, to cut.]

Hagiarchy, hā′ji-ar-ki, n. government by priests.—Also . [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. '.—n. ', one of the writers of the Hagiographa: a sacred writer.—adjs. ', ', pertaining to the Hagiographa. [Gr. hagiographa (biblia)—hagios, holy, graphein, to write.]

Hagiology, hag-i-ol′o-ji, n. history of saints.—n. ', a writer of saints' lives.—adjs. ', ', pertaining to the writing of saints' lives.—ns. ', the lives of saints as a branch of literature; ', one who worships saints; ', the worship of saints.—adjs. ', '.—n. , 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. . [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. , 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. ', small shot which scatters like hail; ', a single stone or ball of hail; ', a storm accompanied with hail.—adj. '. [A.S. hagol; Ger. hagel.]

Hain, hān, v.t. (Scot.) to save, preserve: to spare.—adj. Hained, saved, kept carefully.—n. , 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. ', ', the breadth of a hair (Hairbreadth 'scape, a very narrow escape): a very small distance; ', a brush for the hair; ', cloth made partly or entirely of hair; ', one who dresses or cuts hair: a barber.—adj. Haired, having hair—as black-haired, fair-haired, &c.—ns. ', a kind of grass found generally on poor soil, the bracts of whose florets are generally awned near the base; '.—adj. ', without hair.—ns. ', a line made of hair, used in fishing: a slender line made in writing or drawing: (print.) a very thin line on a type; ', perfumed oil used in dressing the hair; ', an artist's brush made of a few fine hairs; ', a pin used in hairdressing; ', a white powder for dusting the hair; ', a penitent's shirt of haircloth; ', the thinnest metal space used by compositors; ', one who makes too nice distinctions; ', the art of making minute and over-nice distinctions; ', a very fine hair-like spring coiled up within the balance-wheel of a watch; ', in writing, a fine stroke with the pen: a hair-line; ', a trigger which discharges a gun or pistol by a hair-like spring; ', work done or something made with hair, esp. human; ', a worm, like a horse-hair, which lives in the bodies of certain insects.—adj. , 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. ', ' (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, 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. , 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. , 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. . [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. ', a mixture of beer or porter and ale; ', 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. ', underdone: incomplete: half-witted.—v.t. ', to baptise privately and hastily.—ns. ', a style of bookbinding in which the backs and corners are of leather, and the sides of paper or cloth; ', relation between those who are of the same father or mother, but not of both.—adj. '.—ns. ' (naut.), a manœuvre by which a sailing-ship gains distance to windward by luffing up into the wind; ', a boot reaching half-way to the knee.—adj. ', bound only partly in leather, as a book.—n. ', one that is half-blooded.—adj. ', half or not well bred or trained: wanting in refinement.—ns. ', ', a brother or sister by one parent only; ' (Shak.), a cap only partly taken off: a slight salute; ', a person one of whose parents belongs to a Hindu caste, and the other is a European: any half-breed; ' (Shak.), a face in profile; ', the position of the cock of a gun when retained by the first notch (see Cock); ', a silver coin in England, of the value of two shillings and sixpence.—adj. ', almost dead, nearly exhausted.—n. ', a silver coin of the United States, worth 50 cents.—adj. ', not fully cooked, roasted, &c.—n. ', six.—adjs. ', imperfectly educated; ' (Spens.), half.—adv. ' (Spens.), half.—adjs. ' (Shak.), showing only part of the face: wretched-looking; ', cold, ungenerous: lukewarm: indifferent.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', half of a working day for recreation; ', a kind of jacket worn by women in the 16th and 17th centuries; ', a portrait or photograph showing the upper part of the body.—adj. of half-length.—ns. ', a half-grown person, between a boy and a man; ', the position of a flag lowered half-way down, in respect for the dead or in signal of distress; ', any means inadequate for the end proposed; ', the moon at the quarters when but half of it is illuminated: anything semicircular; ', a mourning costume less than deep or full mournings.—adj. ', as nearly naked as clothed.—ns. ' (mus.), a minim, being one-half of a semibreve or whole note; ' (golf), a handicap of one stroke every second hole; ', reduced pay, as of naval or military officers when not in active service.—adj. receiving half-pay.—ns. Halfpenny a copper coin worth half a penny: the value of half a penny: (Shak.) anything very small:—pl. Halfpence  ', the worth or value of a halfpenny; ', a pike with a shaft only half the length of the ordinary; ', a reduced charge of admission, &c.—adj. at half the usual prices.—adj. ' (Milt.), semicircular.—ns. ', a special kind of millboard or pasteboard; ', one-half of a bivalve, as in oysters 'on the half-shell.'—adj. ', short-sighted.—n. ', an English gold coin, worth ten shillings.—adj. ', having insufficient food.—ns. ', the body armour of the 17th century; ' (Shak.), fight within half a sword's length: close fight; ', the tide half-way between flood and ebb.—adj. left dry at half-tide.—ns. ', 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; ', an intermediate tint; ', 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; ', a statement conveying only part of the truth.—adv. ', at half the way or distance: imperfectly.—adj. equally distant from two points.—adjs. ', weak in intellect; ', occurring at every half-year or twice in a year.—adv. twice in a year.—n. ', 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 . [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. . [Gr. hals, sea, ous, ōtis, ear.]

Halitus, hal′i-tus, n. a vapour.—adj. . [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. ', toll paid for goods sold in a hall; ', 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. , 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  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-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. ' ' 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. ', the evening before All-Hallows or All-Saints' Day; ', 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. ', to suffer illusion.—adjs. ', , 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 —v.t. to surround with a halo.—n. , 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. '; ', like sea-salt.—ns. ', divination by means of salt; ', 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. '; '. [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. ', ' (-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. , 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. , 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. , 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 ', '. [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. ', a horizontal piece of timber in place of a tie-beam at or near the feet of a pair of rafters; ', ', a rapacious fish of the shark family—from the shape of its head.—adj. ', with a head shaped like a hammer: dull in intellect, stupid.—n. ', a dented, appearance on silverware effected by successive blows of a hammer.—adj. ', without a hammer—of a gun.—n. , 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 '.—adjs. ', like a small hook; ', having a small hook at the tip.—n. ', 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. ', fettered, impeded.—adv. '.—n. . [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. ', a large drinking-cup; ', 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. ', a bag for small articles, carried in the hand; ', the sport of throwing and catching a ball; ', a barrow without a wheel, carried by men: ', a small portable basket; ', a small bell held by the hand when rung, a table-bell; ', a pruning-hook used in the hand: a bill or loose sheet with some announcement; ', a manual or book of reference: a guide-book for travellers; ', the breadth of a hand: a palm; ', a small cart drawn by hand.—adj. ' (Milt.), with hands joined: (Shak.) having a hand of a certain sort.—ns. '; ', a firm grip, handle: a contract, esp. a betrothal.—adj. bound, espoused: tight-fisted.—adj. ', betrothed.—n. ', betrothal: a private or even probationary form of marriage.—adj. &apos;, having feet like hands, chiropod.—ns. ', as much as fills the hand: a small number or quantity:—pl. '; ', an easy gallop, in which the speed of the horse is restrained by the bridle-hand; ', a glass or small glazed frame used to protect plants: a small mirror; ', a grenade to be thrown by the hand; ', grasp, grip, close struggle; ', ', fighting hand to hand.—adj. ', awkward.—ns. Hand-line, a fishing-line worked by hand without a rod; ', a list for easy reference; ', a weaver's loom worked by hand, as distinguished from a power-loom.—adj. ', manufactured by hand, not by a machine.—ns. ', ', a female servant; ', a mill worked by hand for coffee, pepper, &c., a quern; ', a portable organ, played by means of a crank turned by the hand; ', a particular make of paper, early in use at the Record Office, with the water-mark of a hand pointing; ', a finger-post, guide; ', a form of betrothal amongst the Irish peasantry; ', a rail supported by balusters, as in staircases, to hold by.—adv. phrase, ', straight on, continuously.—ns. ', a saw manageable by the hand—also the same as ', in the proverb, 'not to know a hawk from a handsaw;&apos; , a small screen used to protect the face from the heat of the fire or sun; ', an appliance for raising heavy weights, a jack; ', a bar used with the hand as a lever.—n.pl. ' (B.), probably javelins.—ns. ', a helping hand, aid; ', work done by hand, as distinguished from machinery; ', the style of writing peculiar to each person: writing.—adj. , 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. , shackles for the hand locked upon the wrists of a prisoner.—v.t. to put handcuffs on:—pr.p. pa.p.  (-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. , 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. ', a man skilled in a manual art:—fem. '.

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. ', a person skilful in any special kind of manipulation; ', the touching or managing with the hand: action: manner of touch.- 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. '.—n. '. [Hand and cf. Dut. handzaam.]

Handy, han′di, adj. dexterous: ready to the hand: convenient: near.—adv. '.—ns. '; , 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. 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. '.—adj. ', liable to be hanged: punishable by hanging.—n. ', a low fellow.—adj. like such a fellow, esp. in his sneaking look.—ns. ', that on which anything is hung: a short sword, curved near the point; ', one who hangs on or sticks to a person or place: an importunate acquaintance: a dependent.—adj. ', deserving death by hanging.—n. death by the halter: that which is hung, as drapery, &c.:—used chiefly in pl.—ns. ', a buttress not standing solid on a foundation, but hanging or supported on a corbel; ', a public executioner; ' (see Agnail).—n.pl. ', 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. , 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. , to confront a member with his former opinions as recorded in his speeches in Hansard.

Hanse, hans, n. a league.—adjs. Hanse, ', 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. ', , 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. ', that which happens by hazard: chance, accident.—adj. chance, accidental.—adv. at random.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. ', unlucky: unhappy.—adv. '.—n. '.—adv. ', by hap, chance, or accident: perhaps: it may be.—v.i. ', to fall out: to take place: to chance to be.—n. . [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. ', to make happy.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. ', 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 pa.p. harangued —n. . [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. '.—adv. '.—n. '.—p.adj. '.—adv. '.—n. '. [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 —v.t. to lodge or entertain: to protect: to possess or indulge, as thoughts.—v.i. to take shelter.—n. ', place of shelter: entertainment.—n.pl. ', charges for the use of a harbour.—n. ', one who harbours or entertains.—adj. '.—n. , 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. ', 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. ', a sweetmeat made of boiled sugar and almonds; ', the hornbeam.—adjs. ', having a hard bill or beak—of birds; ', given to hard biting, tough in fight; ', cured thoroughly, as fish, by drying in the sun.—n. ', a constant drunkard.—adj. ', earned with toil or difficulty.—v.t. ', 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. ', made hard, unfeeling.—n. '.—adj. ', having coarse features.—n. '.—adj. ', of hard, coarse, or forbidding features.—n. '.—adjs. ', having hard or strong fists or hands: close-fisted: niggardly; ', sorely contested; ', obtained with difficulty; ', having a close firm grain: uninviting.—n. ', the steeple-bush, an erect shrub of the rose family, with rose-coloured or white flowers.—adjs. ', having hard hands: rough: severe; ', shrewd, intelligent; ', having a hard or unfeeling heart: cruel.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. ', somewhat hard.—n. ', labour imposed on certain classes of criminals during their imprisonment.—adv. ', with difficulty: scarcely, not quite: severely, harshly.—adj. ', having a mouth hard or insensible to the bit: not easily managed.—n. ', the hard detritus often underlying the superficial soil: the lowest level.—adjs. ' (Shak.), ruled with difficulty; ', greatly pressed; ', beset by difficulty: rigid; ', having a hard shell: rigidly orthodox.—ns. ', a hard state, or that which is hard to bear, as toil, injury, &c.; ', ship-biscuit.—adj. ', of a hard, coarse, or forbidding visage.—ns. ', trade name for all sorts of articles made of the baser metals, such as iron or copper; '.—adj. ', won with toil and difficulty.—n.pl. , 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 ', ', .

Hardy, härd′i, adj. daring, brave, resolute: confident: impudent: able to bear cold, exposure, or fatigue.—ns. ', ', ' (arch.).—adv. '. [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; ', a plant with blue bell-shaped flowers.—adjs. ', giddy: heedless; ', swift of foot like a hare; ', somewhat like a hare.—n. ', a fissure in the upper human lip like that of a hare.—adj. '.—n. , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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. ', hurtful.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. ', not injurious, innocent: unharmed.—adv. '.—n. '. [A.S. hearm; Ger. harm.]

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

Harman, här′man, n. (slang) a policeman—also : (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. '.—n.pl. ', 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. ', having harmony: symmetrical, congruous: concordant.—adv. '.—ns. '; '.—v.i. ', to be in harmony: to agree.—v.t. to make in harmony: to cause to agree: (mus.) to provide parts to.—ns. '; , 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. ', 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; ', 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; ', 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; ', one who plays the harmonium; ', an instrument for tracing curves representing sonorous vibrations; ', 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. ; 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. , 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 ', ' (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. ', ', a player on the harp.—n.pl. ' (naut.), the fore-parts of the wales surrounding the bow extensions of the rib-bands.—n. ', 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. ', ', one who uses a harpoon; , 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. harp y ia—Gr., pl. harpyiai, 'snatchers,' symbols of the storm-wind—harpazein, to seize.]

Harquebus, Harquebuse, Harquebuss, 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. ', acutely distressing to the mind.—adv. '.—n. , 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. pa.p. —n. , 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. ', to render harsh.—adv. '.—n. . [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. ', ', a South African antelope; , the antlers of the red deer: a solution of ammonia, orig. a decoction of the shavings of a hart's horn; , 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. ') 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 '.—ns. ', ', 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. ', louse, tick, a mite or tick of minute size, abundant late in summer, and very troublesome to people with delicate skins; ', a reaper in harvests; ', the feast made at the ingathering of harvest; ', a field where a harvest is or has been; ', in U.S. the popular name for a species of cicada; ', the bringing home of the harvest: the feast held at the bringing home of the harvest; ', the head-reaper at the harvest; ' (B.), a labourer in harvest; ', the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox, rising nearly at the same hour for several days; ', a very small species of mouse, building its nest in the stalks of growing corn; , 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. .—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 . [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 . [L. hastātus—hasta, spear.]

Haste, hāst, n. speed, quickness, a hurry: rashness: vehemence.—vs.t. Haste, Hasten to put to speed: to hurry on: to drive forward.—vs.i. to move with speed: to be in a hurry:—pr.p.  hastening  pa.p.  hastened —n. '.—adv. '.—n. ', hurry: rashness: irritability.—adj. ', speedy: quick: rash: eager: passionate.—n. ', flour, milk, or oatmeal and water porridge.—adj. ', rash.—Make haste, to hasten. [O. Fr. haste (Fr. hâte), from Teut.; cf. A.S. hǽst, Dut. haast, Ger. hast.]