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Encyclopedia of U® - Энциклопедия

H

H1  n. (also h) (pl. Hs or h's) 1 eighth letter of the alphabet (see *aitch). 2 anything having the form of an h (esp. In comb.: h-girder).

H2  abbr. (also h.) 1 (of a pencil-lead) hard. 2 (water) hydrant. 3 slang heroin. 4 henry(s).

H3  symb. Hydrogen.

H.  Abbr. (also h) 1 hecto-. 2 (also h) height. 3 hot. 4 hour(s).

Ha  symb. Hahnium.

Ha1  (also hah) —int. Expressing surprise, derision, triumph, etc. (cf. *ha ha). —v. In hum and ha: see *hum. [imitative]

Ha2  abbr. Hectare(s).

Habeas corpus  n. Writ requiring a person to be brought before a judge or into court, esp. To investigate the lawfulness of his or her detention. [latin, = you must have the body]

Haberdasher  n. Dealer in dress accessories and sewing-goods.  haberdashery n. (pl. -ies). [probably anglo-french]

Habiliment  n. (usu. In pl.) Archaic clothes. [french from habiller fit out]

Habit  n. 1 settled or regular tendency or practice (often foll. By of + verbal noun: has a habit of ignoring me). 2 practice that is hard to give up. 3 mental constitution or attitude. 4 dress, esp. Of a religious order. [latin habeo habit- have]

Habitable  adj. Suitable for living in.  habitability n. [latin habito inhabit]

Habitat  n. Natural home of an animal or plant. [latin, = it dwells]

Habitation  n. 1 inhabiting (fit for habitation). 2 house or home.

Habit-forming  adj. Causing addiction.

Habitual  adj. 1 done constantly or as a habit. 2 regular, usual. 3 given to a (specified) habit (habitual smoker).  habitually adv.

Habituate  v. (-ting) (often foll. By to) accustom.  habituation n. [latin: related to *habit]

Habitué  n. Habitual visitor or resident. [french]

Hácek  n. Diacritic (  ) placed over a letter to modify its sound in some languages. [czech, diminutive of hák hook]

Hachures  n.pl. Parallel lines on a map indicating the degree of steepness of hills. [french: related to *hatch3]

Hacienda  n. (in spanish-speaking countries) estate with a dwelling-house. [spanish, from latin facienda things to be done]

Hack1  —v. 1 cut or chop roughly. 2 football etc. Kick the shin of (an opponent). 3 (often foll. By at) deliver cutting blows. 4 cut (one's way) through foliage etc. 5 colloq. Gain unauthorized access to (data in a computer). 6 slang manage, cope with; tolerate. 7 (as hacking adj.) (of a cough) short, dry, and frequent. —n. 1 kick with the toe of a boot. 2 gash or wound, esp. From a kick. 3 a mattock. B miner's pick. [old english]

Hack2  —n. 1 a = *hackney. B horse let out for hire. 2 person hired to do dull routine work, esp. Writing. —attrib. Adj. 1 used as a hack. 2 typical of a hack; commonplace (hack work). —v. Ride on horseback on a road at an ordinary pace. [abbreviation of *hackney]

Hacker  n. 1 person or thing that hacks or cuts roughly. 2 colloq. A person whose hobby is computing or computer programming. B person who uses a computer to gain unauthorized access to a computer network.

Hackle  n. 1 a (in pl.) Erectile hairs on an animal's neck, rising when it is angry or alarmed. B feather(s) on the neck of a domestic cock etc. 2 steel comb for dressing flax.  make one's hackles rise cause one to be angry or indignant. [old english]

Hackney  n. (pl. -s) horse for ordinary riding. [hackney in london]

Hackney carriage  n. Taxi.

Hackneyed  adj. (of a phrase etc.) Made trite by overuse.

Hacksaw  n. Saw with a narrow blade set in a frame, for cutting metal.

Had  past and past part. Of *have.

Haddock  n. (pl. Same) n. Atlantic marine fish used as food. [probably french]

Hades  n. (in greek mythology) the underworld. [greek, originally a name of pluto]

Hadj  var. Of *hajj.

Hadji  var. Of *hajji.

Hadn't  contr. Had not.

Haemal  adj. (us hem-) of the blood. [greek haima blood]

Haematite  n. (us hem-) a ferric oxide ore. [latin: related to *haemal]

Haematology  n. (us hem-) the study of the blood.  haematologist n.

Haemoglobin  n. (us hem-) oxygen-carrying substance in the red blood cells of vertebrates. [from *globulin]

Haemophilia  n. (us hem-) hereditary failure of the blood to clot normally with the tendency to bleed severely from even a slight injury. [greek haima blood, philia loving]

Haemophiliac  n. (us hem-) person with haemophilia.

Haemorrhage  (us hem-) —n. 1 profuse loss of blood from a ruptured blood-vessel. 2 damaging loss, esp. Of people or assets. —v. (-ging) suffer a haemorrhage. [greek haima blood, rhegnumi burst]

Haemorrhoids  n.pl. (us hem-) swollen veins in the wall of the anus; piles. [greek haima blood, -rhoos -flowing]

Hafnium  n. Silvery lustrous metallic element. [latin hafnia copenhagen]

Haft  n. Handle of a dagger, knife, etc. [old english]

Hag  n. 1 ugly old woman. 2 witch. [old english]

Haggard  adj. Looking exhausted and distraught. [french hagard]

Haggis  n. Scottish dish of offal boiled in a sheep's stomach with suet, oatmeal, etc. [origin unknown]

Haggle  —v. (-ling) (often foll. By about, over) bargain persistently. —n. Haggling. [old norse]

Hagio-  comb. Form of saints. [greek hagios holy]

Hagiography  n. Writing about saints' lives.  hagiographer n.

Hagiology  n. Literature dealing with the lives and legends of saints.

Hagridden  adj. Afflicted by nightmares or anxieties.

Hah  var. Of *ha1.

Ha ha  int. Representing laughter (iron. When spoken). [old english]

Ha-ha  n. Ditch with a wall in it, forming a boundary or fence without interrupting the view. [french]

Hahnium  n. Artificially produced radioactive element. [hahn, name of a chemist]

Haiku  n. (pl. Same) japanese three-part poem of usu. 17 syllables. [japanese]

Hail1  —n. 1 pellets of frozen rain. 2 (foll. By of) barrage or onslaught. —v. 1 a (prec. By it as subject) hail falls. B come down forcefully. 2 pour down (blows, words, etc.). [old english]

Hail2  —v. 1 signal to (a taxi etc.) To stop. 2 greet enthusiastically. 3 acclaim (hailed him king). 4 (foll. By from) originate or come (hails from leeds). —int. Archaic or joc. Expressing greeting. —n. Act of hailing. [old norse heill: related to *wassail]

Hail-fellow-well-met  adj. Friendly, esp. Too friendly towards strangers.

Hail mary  n. The ave maria (see *ave).

Hailstone  n. Pellet of hail.

Hailstorm  n. Period of heavy hail.

Hair  n. 1 a any of the fine threadlike strands growing from the skin of mammals, esp. From the human head. B these collectively (has long hair). 2 thing resembling a hair. 3 elongated cell growing from a plant. 4 very small quantity or extent (also attrib.: hair crack).  get in a person's hair colloq. Annoy a person. Keep one's hair on colloq. Keep calm; not get angry. Let one's hair down colloq. Enjoy oneself by abandoning restraint. Make one's hair stand on end colloq. Horrify one. Not turn a hair remain unmoved or unaffected.  hairless adj. [old english]

Hairbrush  n. Brush for tidying the hair.

Haircloth  n. Stiff cloth woven from hair.

Haircut  n. 1 act of cutting the hair (needs a haircut). 2 style in which the hair is cut.

Hairdo  n. (pl. -s) style of or act of styling the hair.

Hairdresser  n. 1 person who cuts and styles the hair, esp. For a living. 2 hairdresser's shop.  hairdressing n.

Hair-drier  n. (also hair-dryer) device for drying the hair with warm air.

Hairgrip  n. Flat hairpin with the ends close together.

Hairline  n. 1 edge of a person's hair, esp. On the forehead. 2 very narrow line, crack (usu. Hairline crack), etc.

Hairnet  n. Piece of netting for confining the hair.

Hair of the dog  n. Further alcoholic drink taken to cure the effects of drink.

Hairpiece  n. Quantity of hair augmenting a person's natural hair.

Hairpin  n. U-shaped pin for fastening the hair.

Hairpin bend  n. Sharp u-shaped bend in a road.

Hair-raising  adj. Terrifying.

Hair's breadth  n. A tiny amount or margin.

Hair shirt  n. Shirt of haircloth, worn formerly by penitents and ascetics.

Hair-slide  n. Clip for keeping the hair in place.

Hair-splitting  adj. & n. Quibbling.

Hairspray  n. Liquid sprayed on the hair to keep it in place.

Hairspring  n. Fine spring regulating the balance-wheel in a watch.

Hairstyle  n. Particular way of arranging the hair.  hairstylist n.

Hair-trigger  n. Trigger of a firearm set for release at the slightest pressure.

Hairy  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 covered with hair. 2 slang frightening, dangerous.  hairiness n.

Hajj  n. (also hadj) islamic pilgrimage to mecca. [arabic]

Hajji  n. (also hadji) (pl. -s) muslim who has made the pilgrimage to mecca. [persian from arabic]

Haka  n. Nz 1 maori ceremonial war dance with chanting. 2 imitation of this by a sports team before a match. [maori]

Hake  n. (pl. Same) marine fish resembling the cod, used as food. [origin uncertain]

Halal  n. (also hallal) (often attrib.) Meat from an animal killed according to muslim law. [arabic]

Halberd  n. Hist. Combined spear and battleaxe. [french from german]

Halcyon  adj. Calm, peaceful, happy (halcyon days). [greek, = kingfisher, because it was reputed to calm the sea at midwinter]

Hale  adj. Strong and healthy (esp. In hale and hearty). [var. Of *whole]

Half  —n. (pl. Halves) 1 either of two (esp. Equal) parts into which a thing is divided. 2 colloq. Half a pint, esp. Of beer. 3 sport either of two equal periods of play. 4 colloq. Half-price fare or ticket, esp. For a child. 5 colloq. = *half-back. —adj. 1 amounting to half (half the men). 2 forming a half (a half share). —adv. 1 (often in comb.) To the extent of half; partly (half cooked). 2 to some extent (esp. In idiomatic phrases: half dead; am half convinced). 3 (in reckoning time) by the amount of half (an hour etc.) (half past two).  at half cock see *cock1. By half (prec. By too + adj.) Excessively (too clever by half). By halves imperfectly or incompletely (does nothing by halves). Half a mind see *mind. Half the time see *time. Not half 1 slang extremely, violently (he didn't half swear). 2 not nearly (not half long enough). 3 colloq. Not at all (not half bad). [old english]

Usage  in sense 3 of the adverb, the word ‘past’ is often omitted in colloquial usage, e.g. Came at half two. In some parts of scotland and ireland this means ‘half past one’.

Half-and-half  adj. Being half one thing and half another.

Half-back  n. Sport player between the forwards and full backs.

Half-baked  adj. Colloq. 1 not thoroughly thought out; foolish. 2 (of enthusiasm etc.) Only partly committed.

Half board  n. Provision of bed, breakfast, and one main meal at a hotel etc.

Half-breed  n. Offens. = *half-caste.

Half-brother  n. Brother with whom one has only one parent in common.

Half-caste  n. Offens. Person of mixed race.

Half-crown  n. (also half a crown) former coin and monetary unit worth 2s. 6d. (121/2p).

Half-cut  adj.  Slang fairly drunk.

Half-dozen  n. (also half a dozen) colloq. Six, or about six.

Half-duplex  n. Computing (of a circuit) allowing the two-way transmission of signals but not simultaneously.

Half-hardy  adj. (of a plant) able to grow in the open except in severe frost.

Half-hearted  adj. Lacking enthusiasm.  half-heartedly adv. Half-heartedness n.

Half hitch  n. Knot formed by passing the end of a rope round its standing part and then through the loop.

Half holiday  n. Half a day as holiday.

Half-hour  n. 1 (also half an hour) period of 30 minutes. 2 point of time 30 minutes after any hour o'clock.  half-hourly adj. & adv.

Half-life  n. Time taken for radioactivity etc. To fall to half its original value.

Half-light  n. Dim imperfect light.

Half-mast  n. Position of a flag halfway down a mast, as a mark of respect for a deceased person.

Half measures  n.pl. Unsatisfactory compromise or inadequate policy.

Half moon  n. 1 moon when only half its surface is illuminated. 2 time when this occurs. 3 semicircular object.

Half nelson  see *nelson.

Halfpenny  n. (pl. -pennies or -pence) former coin worth half a penny.

Usage  the halfpenny was withdrawn from circulation in 1984.

Half-sister  n. Sister with whom one has only one parent in common.

Half-term  n. Short holiday halfway through a school term.

Half-timbered  adj. Having walls with a timber frame and a brick or plaster filling.

Half-time  n. 1 mid-point of a game or contest. 2 short break occurring at this time.

Half-title  n. Title or short title of a book printed on the front of the leaf preceding the title-page.

Halftone  n. Photographic illustration in which various tones of grey are produced from small and large black dots.

Half-truth  n. Statement that (esp. Deliberately) conveys only part of the truth.

Half-volley  n. (in ball games) playing of the ball as soon as it bounces off the ground.

Halfway  —adv. 1 at a point midway between two others (halfway to rome). 2 to some extent, more or less (is halfway acceptable). —adj. Situated halfway (reached a halfway point).

Halfway house  n. 1 compromise. 2 halfway point in a progression. 3 centre for rehabilitating ex-prisoners etc. 4 inn midway between two towns.

Halfwit  n. Foolish or stupid person.  halfwitted adj.

Halibut  n. (pl. Same) large marine flat-fish used as food. [from *holy (perhaps because eaten on holy days), butt flat-fish]

Halitosis  n. = *bad breath. [latin halitus breath]

Hall  n. 1 area into which the front entrance of a house etc. Opens. 2 large room or building for meetings, concerts, etc. 3 large country house or estate. 4 (in full hall of residence) residence for students. 5 (in a college etc.) Dining-room. 6 premises of a guild (fishmongers' hall). 7 large public room in a palace etc. [old english]

Hallal  var. Of *halal.

Hallelujah  var. Of *alleluia.

Halliard  var. Of *halyard.

Hallmark  —n. 1 mark indicating the standard of gold, silver, and platinum. 2 distinctive feature. —v. Stamp with a hallmark.

Hallo  var. Of *hello.

Halloo  int. Inciting dogs to the chase or calling attention. [perhaps from hallow pursue with shouts]

Hallow  v. 1 make holy, consecrate. 2 honour as holy. [old english: related to *holy]

Hallowe'en  n. Eve of all saints' day, 31 oct.

Hallucinate  v. (-ting) experience hallucinations.  hallucinant adj. & n. [greek alusso be uneasy]

Hallucination  n. Illusion of seeing or hearing something not actually present.  hallucinatory adj.

Hallucinogen  n. Drug causing hallucinations.  hallucinogenic adj.

Hallway  n. Entrance-hall or corridor.

Halm  var. Of *haulm.

Halo  —n. (pl. -es) 1 disc or circle of light shown surrounding the head of a sacred person. 2 glory associated with an idealized person etc. 3 circle of white or coloured light round a luminous body, esp. The sun or moon. —v. (-es, -ed) surround with a halo. [greek halos threshing-floor, disc of the sun or moon]

Halogen  n. Any of the non-metallic elements (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine) which form a salt (e.g. Sodium chloride) when combined with a metal. [greek hals halos salt, *-gen]

Halon  n. Any of various gaseous compounds of carbon, bromine, and other halogens, used to extinguish fires. [related to *halogen]

Halt1  —n. 1 stop (usu. Temporary) (come to a halt). 2 minor stopping-place on a local railway line. —v. Stop; come or bring to a halt.  call a halt (to) decide to stop. [german: related to *hold1]

Halt2  —v. (esp. As halting adj.) Proceed hesitantly. —adj. Archaic lame.  haltingly adv. [old english]

Halter  n. 1 headstall and rope for leading or tying up a horse etc. 2 a strap round the neck holding a dress etc. Up and leaving the shoulders and back bare. B (also halterneck) dress etc. Held by this. [old english]

Halva  n. Confection of sesame flour and honey etc. [yiddish from turkish helva from arabic halwa]

Halve  v. (-ving) 1 divide into two halves or parts; share equally between two. 2 reduce by half. 3 golf use the same number of strokes as one's opponent in (a hole or match).

Halves  pl. Of *half.

Halyard  n. (also halliard) rope or tackle for raising or lowering a sail, yard, etc. [archaic hale drag forcibly]

Ham  —n. 1 a upper part of a pig's leg salted and dried or smoked for food. B meat from this. 2 back of the thigh; thigh and buttock. 3 colloq. (often attrib.) Inexpert or unsubtle actor or piece of acting. 4 colloq. Operator of an amateur radio station. —v. (-mm-) (usu. In ham it up) colloq. Overact. [old english]

Hamburger  n. Cake of minced beef, usu. Eaten in a soft bread roll. [hamburg in germany]

Ham-fisted  adj. (also ham-handed) colloq. Clumsy.

Hamitic  —n. Group of african languages including ancient egyptian and berber. —adj. Of this group. [from the name ham (gen. 10:6 ff.)]

Hamlet  n. Small village, esp. Without a church. [french hamelet diminutive]

Hammer  —n. 1 a tool with a heavy metal head at right angles to its handle, used for driving nails etc. B similar device, as for exploding the charge in a gun, striking the strings of a piano, etc. 2 auctioneer's mallet. 3 metal ball attached to a wire for throwing in an athletic contest. —v. 1 a hit or beat with or as with a hammer. B strike loudly. 2 a drive in (nails) with a hammer. B fasten or secure by hammering (hammered the lid down). 3 (usu. Foll. By in) inculcate (ideas, knowledge, etc.) Forcefully or repeatedly. 4 colloq. Defeat utterly; beat up. 5 (foll. By at, away at) work hard or persistently at.  come under the hammer be sold at auction. Hammer out 1 make flat or smooth by hammering. 2 work out details of (a plan etc.) Laboriously. 3 play (a tune, esp. On the piano) loudly or clumsily.  hammering n. (esp. In sense 4 of v.). [old english]

Hammer and sickle  n. Symbols of the industrial worker and peasant used as an emblem of the former ussr and international communism.

Hammer and tongs  adv. Colloq. With great vigour and commotion.

Hammerhead  n. Shark with a flattened head and with eyes in lateral extensions of it.

Hammerlock  n. Wrestling hold in which the arm is twisted and bent behind the back.

Hammer-toe  n. Toe bent permanently downwards.

Hammock  n. Bed of canvas or rope network suspended by cords at the ends. [spanish from carib]

Hammy  adj. (-ier, -iest) colloq. Over-theatrical.

Hamper1  n. Large basket, usu. With a hinged lid and containing food. [french hanap goblet]

Hamper2  v. Prevent the free movement of; hinder. [origin unknown]

Hamster  n. Mouselike rodent with a short tail and large cheek-pouches for storing food. [german]

Hamstring  —n. 1 each of five tendons at the back of the knee. 2 great tendon at the back of the hock in quadrupeds. —v. (past and past part. -strung or -stringed) 1 cripple by cutting the hamstrings of (a person or animal). 2 impair the activity or efficiency of.

Hand  —n. 1 a end part of the human arm beyond the wrist. B (in other primates) end part of a forelimb. 2 a (often in pl.) Control, management, custody, disposal (is in good hands). B agency or influence (suffered at their hands). C share in an action; active support (had a hand in it; give me a hand). 3 thing like a hand, esp. The pointer of a clock. 4 right or left side or direction relative to a person or thing. 5 a skill (has a hand for making pastry). B person skilful in some respect. 6 person who does or makes something, esp. Distinctively (picture by the same hand). 7 person's writing or its style. 8 person etc. As a source (at first hand). 9 pledge of marriage. 10 manual worker, esp. At a factory or farm; member of a ship's crew. 11 a playing-cards dealt to a player. B round of play. 12 colloq. Burst of applause. 13 unit of measure of a horse's height, 4 inches (10.16 cm). 14 forehock of pork. 15 (attrib.) A operated by or held in the hand (hand-drill). B done by hand, not machine (hand-knitted). —v. 1 (foll. By in, to, over, etc.) Deliver; transfer by hand or otherwise. 2 colloq. Give away too readily (handed them the advantage).  all hands entire crew or workforce. At hand 1 close by. 2 about to happen. By hand 1 by a person, not a machine. 2 delivered privately, not by post. From hand to mouth satisfying only one's immediate needs. Get (or have or keep) one's hand in become (or be or remain) in practice. Hand down 1 pass ownership or use of to a later generation etc. 2 a transmit (a decision) from a higher court etc. B us express (an opinion or verdict). Hand it to colloq. Award deserved praise to. Hand on pass (a thing) to the next in a series. Hand out 1 serve, distribute.

Handbag  n. Small bag carried esp. By a woman.

Handball  n. 1 game with a ball thrown by hand among players or against a wall. 2 football intentional touching of the ball, constituting a foul.

Handbell  n. Small bell for ringing by hand, esp. One of a set.

Handbill  n. Printed notice distributed by hand.

Handbook  n. Short manual or guidebook.

Handbrake  n. Brake operated by hand.

H. & c.  Abbr. Hot and cold (water).

Handcart  n. Small cart pushed or drawn by hand.

Handclap  n. Clapping of the hands.

Handcraft  —n. = *handicraft. —v. Make by handicraft.

Handcuff  —n. Each of a pair of linked metal rings for securing a prisoner's wrist(s). —v. Put handcuffs on.

Handful  n. (pl. -s) 1 quantity that fills the hand. 2 small number or amount. 3 colloq. Troublesome person or task.

Hand-grenade  see *grenade.

Handgun  n. Small firearm held in and fired with one hand.

Handhold  n. Something for the hand to grip on (in climbing etc.).

Handicap  —n. 1 physical or mental disability. 2 thing that makes progress or success difficult. 3 a disadvantage imposed on a superior competitor to make chances more equal. B race etc. In which this is imposed. 4 number of strokes by which a golfer normally exceeds par for a course. —v. (-pp-) 1 impose a handicap on. 2 place at a disadvantage. [hand i' (= in) cap describing a kind of sporting lottery]

Handicapped  adj. Suffering from a physical or mental disability.

Handicraft  n. Work requiring manual and artistic skill. [from earlier *handcraft]

Hand in glove  adj. In collusion or association.

Hand in hand  adv. 1 in close association (power and money go hand in hand). 2 (hand-in-hand) holding hands.

Handiwork  n. Work done or a thing made by hand, or by a particular person. [old english]

Handkerchief  n. (pl. -s or -chieves) square of cloth for wiping one's nose etc.

Handle  —n. 1 part by which a thing is held, carried, or controlled. 2 fact that may be taken advantage of (gave a handle to his critics). 3 colloq. Personal title. —v. (-ling) 1 touch, feel, operate, or move with the hands. 2 manage, deal with (can handle people). 3 deal in (goods). 4 treat (a subject). [old english: related to *hand]

Handlebar  n. (usu. In pl.) Steering-bar of a bicycle etc.

Handlebar moustache  n. Thick moustache with curved ends.

Handler  n. 1 person who handles or deals in something. 2 person who trains and looks after an animal (esp. A police dog).

Handmade  adj. Made by hand (as opposed to machine).

Handmaid  n. (also handmaiden) archaic female servant.

Hand-me-down  n. Article of clothing etc. Passed on from another person.

Hand-out  n. 1 thing given free to a needy person. 2 statement given to the press etc.; notes given out in a class etc.

Hand-over  n. Handing over.

Hand-over-fist  adv. Colloq. With rapid progress.

Hand-pick  v. Choose carefully or personally.

Handrail  n. Narrow rail for holding as a support.

Handsaw  n. Saw worked by one hand.

Handset  n. Telephone mouthpiece and earpiece as one unit.

Handshake  n. Clasping of a person's hand as a greeting etc.

Hands off  —int. Warning not to touch or interfere with something. —adj. & adv. (also hands-off) not requiring the manual use of controls.

Handsome  adj. (handsomer, handsomest) 1 (usu. Of a man) good-looking. 2 (of an object) imposing, attractive. 3 a generous, liberal (handsome present). B (of a price, fortune, etc.) Considerable.  handsomely adv.

Hands on  (also hands-on) —adj. & adv. Of or requiring personal operation at a keyboard. —attrib. Adj. Practical rather than theoretical (lacks hands-on experience).

Handspring  n. Gymnastic feat consisting of a handstand, somersaulting, and landing in a standing position.

Handstand  n. Supporting oneself on one's hands with one's feet in the air.

Hand-to-hand  adj. (of fighting) at close quarters.

Handwork  n. Work done with the hands.  handworked adj.

Handwriting  n. 1 writing done with a pen, pencil, etc. 2 person's particular style of this.  handwritten adj.

Handy  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 convenient to handle or use; useful. 2 ready to hand. 3 clever with the hands.  handily adv. Handiness n.

Handyman  n. Person able to do occasional repairs etc.; odd-job man.

Hang  —v. (past and past part. Hung except in sense 7) 1 a secure or cause to be supported from above, esp. With the lower part free. B (foll. By up, on, on to, etc.) Attach by suspending from the top. 2 set up (a door etc.) On hinges. 3 place (a picture) on a wall or in an exhibition. 4 attach (wallpaper) to a wall. 5 (foll. By on) colloq. Blame (a thing) on (a person) (can't hang that on me). 6 (foll. By with) decorate by suspending pictures etc. (hall hung with tapestries). 7 (past and past part. Hanged) a suspend or be suspended by the neck with a noosed rope until dead, esp. As a form of capital punishment. B as a mild oath (hang the expense). 8 let droop (hang one's head). 9 suspend (meat or game) from a hook and leave until dry, tender, or high. 10 be or remain hung (in various senses). 11 remain static in the air. 12 (often foll. By over) be present or imminent, esp. Oppressively or threateningly (a hush hung over the room). 13 (foll. By on) a be contingent or dependent on (everything hangs on his reply). B listen closely to (hangs on my every word). —n. Way a thing hangs or falls.  get the hang of colloq. Understand the technique or meaning of. Hang about (or around) 1 a stand about or spend time aimlessly; not move away. B linger near (a person or place). 2 (often foll. By with) colloq. Associate with. Hang back show reluctance to act or move. Hang fire be slow in taking action or in progressing. Hang heavily (or heavy) (of time) seem to pass slowly. Hang in us colloq. 1 persist, persevere. 2 linger. Hang on 1 (often foll. By to) continue to hold or grasp. 2 (foll. By to) retain; fail to give back. 3 colloq. A wait for a short time. B (in telephoning) not ring off during a pause in the conversation. 4 colloq. Continue; persevere. Hang out 1 suspend from a window, clothes-line, etc. 2 a protrude downwards (shirt hanging out). B (foll. By of) lean out of (a window etc.). 3 slang frequent or live in a place. Hang together 1 make sense. 2 remain associated. Hang up 1 hang from a hook etc. 2 (often foll. By on) end a telephone conversation by replacing the receiver (he hung up on me). 3 (usu. In passive, foll. By on) slang be a psychological problem or obsession for (is hung up on her father). Not care (or give) a hang colloq. Not care at all. [old english]

Hangar  n. Building for housing aircraft etc. [french]

Hangdog  adj. Shamefaced.

Hanger  n. 1 person or thing that hangs. 2 (in full coat-hanger) shaped piece of wood etc. For hanging clothes on.

Hanger-on  n. (pl. Hangers-on) follower or dependant, esp. An unwelcome one.

Hang-glider  n. Glider with a fabric wing on a light frame, from which the operator is suspended.  hang-glide v. Hang-gliding n.

Hanging  n. 1 execution by suspending by the neck. 2 (usu. In pl.) Draperies hung on a wall etc.

Hangman  n. 1 executioner who hangs condemned persons. 2 word-game for two players, with failed guesses recorded by drawing a representation of a gallows.

Hangnail  n. = *agnail.

Hang-out  n. Slang place frequented by a person; haunt.

Hangover  n. 1 severe headache etc. From drinking too much alcohol. 2 survival from the past.

Hang-up  n. Slang emotional problem or inhibition.

Hank  n. Coil or skein of wool or thread etc. [old norse]

Hanker  v. (foll. By for, after, or to + infin.) Long for; crave.  hankering n. [from obsolete hank]

Hanky  n. (also hankie) (pl. -ies) colloq. Handkerchief. [abbreviation]

Hanky-panky  n. Slang 1 naughtiness, esp. Sexual. 2 double-dealing; trickery. [origin unknown]

Hanoverian  adj. Of british sovereigns from george i to victoria. [hanover in germany]

Hansard  n. Official verbatim record of debates in the british parliament. [hansard, name of its first printer]

Hansen's disease  n. Leprosy. [hansen, name of a physician]

Hansom  n. (in full hansom cab) hist. Two-wheeled horse-drawn cab. [hansom, name of an architect]

Hanukkah  n. Jewish festival of lights, commemorating the purification of the temple in 165 bc. [hebrew hanukkah consecration]

Haphazard  adj. Done etc. By chance; random.  haphazardly adv. [archaic hap chance, luck, from old norse happ]

Hapless  adj. Unlucky.

Haploid  adj. (of an organism or cell) with a single set of chromosomes. [greek haplous single, eidos form]

Happen  v. 1 occur (by chance or otherwise). 2 (foll. By to + infin.) Have the (good or bad) fortune to (i happened to meet her). 3 (foll. By to) be the (esp. Unwelcome) fate or experience of (what happened to you?). 4 (foll. By on) encounter or discover by chance.  as it happens in fact; in reality. [related to *haphazard]

Happening  n. 1 event. 2 improvised or spontaneous theatrical etc. Performance.

Happy  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. 2 a fortunate; characterized by happiness. B (of words, behaviour, etc.) Apt, pleasing.  happily adv. Happiness n.

Happy-go-lucky  adj. Cheerfully casual.

Happy hour  n. Time of the day when goods, esp. Drinks, are sold at reduced prices.

Happy medium  n. Compromise; avoidance of extremes.

Hara-kiri  n. Ritual suicide by disembowelment with a sword, formerly practised by samurai to avoid dishonour. [japanese hara belly, kiri cutting]

Harangue  —n. Lengthy and earnest speech. —v. (-guing) make a harangue to; lecture. [french arenge from medieval latin]

Harass  v. 1 trouble and annoy continually. 2 make repeated attacks on.  harassment n. [french]

Usage  the second pronunciation given, with the stress on the second syllable, is common, but is considered incorrect by some people.

Harbinger  n. 1 person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another. 2 forerunner. [germanic: related to *harbour]

Harbor  (brit. Harbour) —n. 1 place of shelter for ships. 2 shelter; refuge. —v. 1 give shelter to (esp. A criminal). 2 keep in one's mind (esp. Resentment etc.). [old english, = army shelter]

Harbour  (us harbor) —n. 1 place of shelter for ships. 2 shelter; refuge. —v. 1 give shelter to (esp. A criminal). 2 keep in one's mind (esp. Resentment etc.). [old english, = army shelter]

Harbour-master  n. Official in charge of a harbour.

Hard  —adj. 1 (of a substance etc.) Firm and solid. 2 a difficult to understand, explain, or accomplish. B (foll. By to + infin.) Not easy to (hard to please). 3 difficult to bear (a hard life). 4 unfeeling; severely critical. 5 (of a season or the weather) severe. 6 unpleasant to the senses, harsh (hard colours). 7 a strenuous, enthusiastic, intense (a hard worker). B severe, uncompromising (a hard bargain). C polit. Extreme; most radical (the hard right). 8 a (of liquor) strongly alcoholic. B (of drugs) potent and addictive. C (of pornography) highly obscene. 9 (of water) containing mineral salts that make lathering difficult. 10 established; not disputable (hard facts). 11 (of currency, prices, etc.) High; not likely to fall in value. 12 (of a consonant) guttural (as c in cat, g in go). —adv. Strenuously, intensely, copiously (try hard; raining hard).  be hard on 1 be difficult for. 2 be severe in one's treatment or criticism of. 3 be unpleasant to (the senses). Be hard put to it (usu. Foll. By to + infin.) Find it difficult. Hard by close by. Hard on (or upon) close to in pursuit etc.  hardish adj. Hardness n. [old english]

Hard and fast  adj. (of a rule or distinction) definite, unalterable, strict.

Hardback  —adj. Bound in boards covered with cloth etc. —n. Hardback book.

Hardbitten  adj. Colloq. Tough and cynical.

Hardboard  n. Stiff board made of compressed and treated wood pulp.

Hard-boiled  adj. 1 (of an egg) boiled until the white and yolk are solid. 2 colloq. (of a person) tough, shrewd.

Hard cash  n. Negotiable coins and banknotes.

Hard copy  n. Material printed by a computer on paper.

Hardcore  n. Solid material, esp. Rubble, as road-foundation.

Hard core  n. 1 irreducible nucleus. 2 colloq. A the most committed members of a society etc. B conservative or reactionary minority (see also *hardcore).

Hard-core  adj. 1 forming a nucleus. 2 blatant, uncompromising. 3 (of pornography) explicit, obscene.

Hard disk  n. Computing large-capacity rigid usu. Magnetic storage disk.

Hard-done-by  adj. Unfairly treated.

Harden  v. 1 make or become hard or harder. 2 become, or make (one's attitude etc.), less sympathetic. 3 (of prices etc.) Cease to fall or fluctuate.  harden off inure (a plant) to the cold by gradually increasing its exposure.

Hardening of the arteries  n. = *arteriosclerosis.

Hard-headed  adj. Practical; not sentimental.  hard-headedness n.

Hard-hearted  adj. Unfeeling.  hard-heartedness n.

Hardihood  n. Boldness, daring.

Hard labour  n. Heavy manual work as a punishment, esp. In a prison.

Hard line  n. Unyielding adherence to a policy.  hard-liner n.

Hard luck  n. Worse fortune than one deserves.

Hardly  adv. 1 scarcely; only just (hardly knew me). 2 only with difficulty (can hardly see). 3 surely not (can hardly have realised).  hardly any almost no; almost none. Hardly ever very seldom.

Hard-nosed  adj. Colloq. Realistic, uncompromising.

Hard of hearing  adj. Somewhat deaf.

Hard-on  n. Coarse slang erection of the penis.

Hard pad  n. Form of distemper in dogs etc.

Hard palate  n. Front part of the palate.

Hard-pressed  adj. 1 closely pursued. 2 burdened with urgent business.

Hard roe  see *roe1.

Hard sell  n. Aggressive salesmanship.

Hardship  n. 1 severe suffering or privation. 2 circumstance causing this.

Hard shoulder  n. Hard surface alongside a motorway for stopping on in an emergency.

Hard tack  n. Naut. Ship's biscuit.

Hardtop  n. Car with a rigid (usu. Detachable) roof.

Hard up  adj. Short of money.

Hardware  n. 1 tools and household articles of metal etc. 2 heavy machinery or armaments. 3 mechanical and electronic components of a computer etc.

Hard-wearing  adj. Able to stand much wear.

Hardwood  n. Wood from a deciduous broad-leaved tree.

Hard-working  adj. Diligent.

Hardy  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 robust; capable of enduring difficult conditions. 2 (of a plant) able to grow in the open air all year.  hardiness n. [french hardi made bold]

Hardy annual  n. Annual plant that may be sown in the open.

Hare  —n. Mammal like a large rabbit, with long ears, short tail, and long hind legs. —v. (-ring) run rapidly. [old english]

Harebell  n. Plant with pale-blue bell-shaped flowers.

Hare-brained  adj. Rash, wild.

Harelip  n. Often offens. Congenital cleft in the upper lip.

Harem  n. 1 women of a muslim household. 2 their quarters. [arabic, = sanctuary]

Haricot  n. (in full haricot bean) variety of french bean with small white seeds dried and used as a vegetable. [french]

Hark  v. (usu. In imper.) Archaic listen attentively.  hark back revert to earlier topic. [old english]

Harlequin  —n. (harlequin) name of a mute character in pantomime, usu. Masked and dressed in a diamond-patterned costume. —attrib. Adj. In varied colours. [french]

Harlequinade  n. 1 part of a pantomime featuring harlequin. 2 piece of buffoonery.

Harlot  n. Archaic prostitute.  harlotry n. [french, = knave]

Harm  —n. Hurt, damage. —v. Cause harm to.  out of harm's way in safety. [old english]

Harmful  adj. Causing or likely to cause harm.  harmfully adv. Harmfulness n.

Harmless  adj. 1 not able or likely to cause harm. 2 inoffensive.  harmlessly adv. Harmlessness n.

Harmonic  —adj. Of or relating to harmony; harmonious. —n. Mus. Overtone accompanying (and forming a note with) a fundamental at a fixed interval.  harmonically adv.

Harmonica  n. Small rectangular musical instrument played by blowing and sucking air through it.

Harmonious  adj. 1 sweet-sounding; tuneful. 2 forming a pleasing or consistent whole. 3 free from disagreement or dissent.  harmoniously adv.

Harmonium  n. Keyboard instrument in which the notes are produced by air driven through metal reeds by foot-operated bellows. [latin: related to *harmony]

Harmonize  v. (also -ise) (-zing or -sing) 1 add notes to (a melody) to produce harmony. 2 bring into or be in harmony. 3 make or form a pleasing or consistent whole.  harmonization n.

Harmony  n. (pl. -ies) 1 combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions, esp. As creating a pleasing effect. 2 a apt or aesthetic arrangement of parts. B pleasing effect of this. 3 agreement, concord.  in harmony 1 in agreement. 2 (of singing etc.) Producing chords; not discordant. [greek harmonia joining]

Harness  —n. 1 equipment of straps etc. By which a horse is fastened to a cart etc. And controlled. 2 similar arrangement for fastening a thing to a person's body. —v. 1 a put a harness on. B (foll. By to) attach by harness to. 2 make use of (natural resources), esp. To produce energy.  in harness in the routine of daily work. [french harneis military equipment]

Harp  —n. Large upright stringed instrument plucked with the fingers. —v. (foll. By on, on about) talk repeatedly and tediously about.  harpist n. [old english]

Harpoon  —n. Barbed spearlike missile with a rope attached, for catching whales etc. —v. Spear with a harpoon. [greek harpe sickle]

Harpsichord  n. Keyboard instrument with horizontal strings plucked mechanically.  harpsichordist n. [latin harpa harp, chorda string]

Harpy  n. (pl. -ies) 1 mythological monster with a woman's head and body and a bird's wings and claws. 2 grasping unscrupulous person. [greek harpuiai snatchers]

Harridan  n. Bad-tempered old woman. [origin uncertain]

Harrier  n. 1 hound used for hunting hares. 2 group of cross-country runners. 3 hawklike bird of prey. [from *hare, *harry]

Harrow  —n. Heavy frame with iron teeth dragged over ploughed land to break up clods etc. —v. 1 draw a harrow over (land). 2 (usu. As harrowing adj.) Distress greatly. [old norse hervi]

Harry  v. (-ies, -ied) 1 ravage or despoil. 2 harass. [old english]

Harsh  adj. 1 unpleasantly rough or sharp, esp. To the senses. 2 severe, cruel.  harshen v. Harshly adv. Harshness n. [low german]

Hart  n. (pl. Same or -s) male of the (esp. Red) deer, esp. After its 5th year. [old english]

Hartebeest  n. Large african antelope with curving horns. [afrikaans]

Harum-scarum  colloq. —adj. Wild and reckless. —n. Such a person. [rhyming formation on *hare, *scare]

Harvest  —n. 1 a process of gathering in crops etc. B season of this. 2 season's yield. 3 product of any action. —v. Gather as harvest, reap. [old english]

Harvester  n. 1 reaper. 2 reaping-machine, esp. With sheaf-binding.

Harvest festival  n. Christian thanksgiving service for the harvest.

Harvest moon  n. Full moon nearest to the autumn equinox (22 or 23 sept.).

Harvest mouse  n. Small mouse nesting in the stalks of growing grain.

Has  3rd sing. Present of *have.

Has-been  n. Colloq. Person or thing of declined importance.

Hash1  —n. 1 dish of cooked meat cut into small pieces and reheated. 2 a mixture; jumble. B mess. 3 recycled material. —v. (often foll. By up) recycle (old material).  make a hash of colloq. Make a mess of; bungle.

Hash2  n. Colloq. Hashish. [abbreviation]

Hashish  n. Resinous product of hemp, smoked or chewed as a narcotic. [arabic]

Haslet  n. Pieces of (esp. Pig's) offal cooked together, usu. As a meat loaf. [french hastelet]

Hasn't  contr. Has not.

Hasp  n. Hinged metal clasp fitting over a staple and secured by a padlock. [old english]

Hassle  colloq. —n. Trouble; problem; argument. —v. (-ling) harass, annoy. [originally a dial. Word]

Hassock  n. Thick firm cushion for kneeling on. [old english]

Haste  —n. Urgency of movement or action; excessive hurry. —v. (-ting) archaic = *hasten 1.  in haste quickly, hurriedly. Make haste hurry; be quick. [french from germanic]

Hasten  v. 1 make haste; hurry. 2 cause to occur or be ready or be done sooner.

Hasty  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 hurried; acting too quickly. 2 said, made, or done too quickly or too soon; rash.  hastily adv. Hastiness n.

Hat  n. 1 (esp. Outdoor) covering for the head. 2 colloq. Person's present capacity (wearing his managerial hat).  keep it under one's hat colloq. Keep it secret. Pass the hat round collect contributions of money. Take one's hat off to colloq. Acknowledge admiration for. [old english]

Hatband  n. Band of ribbon etc. Round a hat above the brim.

Hatbox  n. Box to hold a hat, esp. For travelling.

Hatch1  n. 1 opening in a wall between a kitchen and dining-room for serving food. 2 opening or door in an aircraft etc. 3 a = *hatchway. B cover for this. [old english]

Hatch2  —v. 1 a (often foll. By out) (of a young bird or fish etc.) Emerge from the egg. B (of an egg) produce a young animal. 2 incubate (an egg). 3 (also foll. By up) devise (a plot etc.). —n. 1 act of hatching. 2 brood hatched. [earlier hacche, from germanic]

Hatch3  v. Mark with close parallel lines.  hatching n. [french hacher: related to *hash1]

Hatchback  n. Car with a sloping back hinged at the top to form a door.

Hatchet  n. Light short-handled axe. [french hachette]

Hatchet man  n. Colloq. Person hired to kill, dismiss, or otherwise harm another.

Hatchway  n. Opening in a ship's deck for raising and lowering cargo.

Hate  —v. (-ting) 1 dislike intensely. 2 colloq. A dislike. B be reluctant (to do something) (i hate to disturb you; i hate fighting). —n. 1 hatred. 2 colloq. Hated person or thing. [old english]

Hateful  adj. Arousing hatred.

Hatpin  n. Long pin for securing a hat to the hair.

Hatred  n. Extreme dislike or ill will.

Hatstand  n. Stand with hooks for hanging hats etc. On.

Hatter  n. Maker or seller of hats.

Hat trick  n. 1 cricket taking of three wickets by the same bowler with three successive balls. 2 three consecutive successes etc.

Haughty  adj. (-ier, -iest) arrogant and disdainful.  haughtily adv. Haughtiness n. [haught, haut from french, = high]

Haul  —v. 1 pull or drag forcibly. 2 transport by lorry, cart, etc. 3 turn a ship's course. 4 colloq. (usu. Foll. By up) bring for reprimand or trial. —n. 1 hauling. 2 amount gained or acquired. 3 distance to be traversed (a short haul).  haul over the coals see *coal. [french haler from old norse hala]

Haulage  n. 1 commercial transport of goods. 2 charge for this.

Haulier  n. Person or firm engaged in the transport of goods.

Haulm  n. (also halm) 1 stalk or stem. 2 stalks or stems of peas, beans, etc., collectively. [old english]

Haunch  n. 1 fleshy part of the buttock with the thigh. 2 leg and loin of a deer etc. As food. [french from germanic]

Haunt  —v. 1 (of a ghost) visit (a place) regularly. 2 frequent (a place). 3 linger in the mind of. —n. Place frequented by a person or animal. [french from germanic]

Haunting  adj. (of a memory, melody, etc.) Tending to linger in the mind; poignant, evocative.

Haute couture  n. High fashion; leading fashion houses or their products. [french]

Haute cuisine  n. High-class cookery. [french]

Hauteur  n. Haughtiness. [french]

Have  —v. (-ving; 3rd sing. Present has; past and past part. Had) 1 as an auxiliary verb with past part. Or ellipt., to form the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect tenses, and the conditional mood (has, had, will have, seen; had i known, i would have gone; yes, i have). 2 own or be able to use; be provided with (has a car; had no time). 3 hold in a certain relationship (has a sister; had no equals). 4 contain as a part or quality (box has a lid; has big eyes). 5 a experience (had a good time, a shock, a pain). B be subjected to a specified state (had my car stolen; book has a page missing). C cause (a person or thing) to be in a particular state or take particular action (had him sacked; had us worried; had my hair cut; had a copy made; had them to stay). 6 a engage in (an activity) (have an argument, sex). B hold (a meeting, party, etc.). 7 eat or drink (had a beer). 8 (usu. In neg.) Accept or tolerate; permit to (i won't have it; won't have you say that). 9 a feel (have no doubt; has nothing against me). B show (mercy, pity, etc.). C (foll. By to + infin.) Show by action that one is influenced by (a feeling, quality, etc.) (have the sense to stop). 10 a give birth to (offspring). B conceive mentally (an idea etc.). 11 receive, obtain (had a letter from him; not a ticket to be had). 12 be burdened with or committed to (has a job to do). 13 a have obtained (a qualification) (has six o levels). B know (a language) (has no latin). 14 slang a get the better of (i had him there). B (usu. In passive) cheat, deceive (you were had). 15 coarse slang have sexual intercourse with. —n. 1 (usu. In pl.) Colloq. Person with wealth or resources. 2 slang swindle.  had best see *best. Had better see *better. Have got to colloq. = have to. Have had it colloq. 1 have missed one's chance. 2 have passed one's prime. 3 have been killed, defeated, etc. Have it 1 (foll. By that) maintain that. 2 win a decision in a vote etc. 3 colloq. Have found the answer etc. Have it away (or off) coarse slang have sexual intercourse. Have it in for colloq. Be hostile or ill-disposed towards. Have it out (often foll. By with) colloq. Attempt to settle a dispute by argument. Have on 1 wear (clothes). 2 have (an engagement). 3 colloq. Tease, hoax. Have to be obliged to, must. Have up colloq. Bring (a person) before a judge, interviewer, etc. [old english]

Haven  n. 1 refuge. 2 harbour, port. [old english]

Have-not  n. (usu. In pl.) Colloq. Person lacking wealth or resources.

Haven't  contr. Have not.

Haver  v. 1 vacillate, hesitate. 2 dial. Talk foolishly. [origin unknown]

Haversack  n. Stout canvas bag carried on the back or over the shoulder. [german habersack, = oats-sack]

Havoc  n. Widespread destruction; great disorder. [french havo(t)]

Haw1  n. Hawthorn berry. [old english]

Haw2  see *hum.

Hawfinch  n. Large finch with a thick beak for cracking seeds. [from *haw1, *finch]

Hawk1  —n. 1 bird of prey with a curved beak, rounded short wings, and a long tail. 2 polit. Person who advocates aggressive policies. —v. Hunt with a hawk.  hawkish adj. [old english]

Hawk2  v. Carry about or offer (goods) for sale. [back-formation from *hawker]

Hawk3  v. 1 clear the throat noisily. 2 (foll. By up) bring (phlegm etc.) Up from the throat. [imitative]

Hawker  n. Person who travels about selling goods. [low german or dutch]

Hawk-eyed  adj. Keen-sighted.

Hawser  n. Thick rope or cable for mooring or towing a ship. [french, haucier hoist, from latin altus high]

Hawthorn  n. Thorny shrub with small dark-red berries. [related to *haw1]

Health service  n. Public service providing medical care.

Health visitor  n. Trained nurse who visits mothers and babies, or the sick or elderly, at home.

Healthy  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 having, showing, or promoting good health. 2 indicative of (esp. Moral or financial) health (a healthy sign). 3 substantial (won by a healthy 40 seconds).  healthily adv. Healthiness n.

Heap  —n. 1 disorderly pile. 2 (esp. In pl.) Colloq. Large number or amount. 3 slang dilapidated vehicle. —v. 1 (foll. By up, together, etc.) Collect or be collected in a heap. 2 (foll. By with) load copiously with. 3 (foll. By on, upon) give or offer copiously (heaped insults on them). [old english]

Hear  v. (past and past part. Heard) 1 (also absol.) Perceive with the ear. 2 listen to (heard them on the radio). 3 listen judicially to (a case etc.). 4 be told or informed. 5 (foll. By from) be contacted by, esp. By letter or telephone. 6 be ready to obey (an order). 7 grant (a prayer).  have heard of be aware of the existence of. Hear! Hear! Int. Expressing agreement. Hear a person out listen to all a person says. Will not hear of will not allow.  hearer n. [old english]

Hearing  n. 1 faculty of perceiving sounds. 2 range within which sounds may be heard (within hearing). 3 opportunity to state one's case (a fair hearing). 4 trial of a case before a court.

Hearing-aid  n. Small device to amplify sound, worn by a partially deaf person.

Hearken  v. Archaic (often foll. By to) listen. [old english: related to *hark]

Hearsay  n. Rumour, gossip.

Hearse  n. Vehicle for conveying the coffin at a funeral. [french herse harrow, from latin hirpex large rake]

Heart  n. 1 hollow muscular organ maintaining the circulation of blood by rhythmic contraction and dilation. 2 region of the heart; the breast. 3 a centre of thought, feeling, and emotion (esp. Love). B capacity for feeling emotion (has no heart). 4 a courage or enthusiasm (take heart). B mood or feeling (change of heart). 5 a central or innermost part of something. B essence (heart of the matter). 6 compact tender inner part of a lettuce etc. 7 a heart-shaped thing. B conventional representation of a heart with two equal curves meeting at a point at the bottom and a cusp at the top. 8 a playing-card of the suit denoted by a red figure of a heart. B (in pl.) This suit.  at heart 1 in one's inmost feelings. 2 basically. Break a person's heart overwhelm a person with sorrow. By heart from memory. Give (or lose) one's heart (often foll. By to) fall in love (with). Have the heart (usu. With neg.; foll. By to + infin.) Be insensitive or hard-hearted enough (didn't have the heart to ask him). Take to heart be much affected by. To one's heart's content see *content1. With all one's heart sincerely; with all goodwill. [old english]

Heartache  n. Mental anguish.

Heart attack  n. Sudden occurrence of coronary thrombosis.

Heartbeat  n. Pulsation of the heart.

Heartbreak  n. Overwhelming distress.  heartbreaking adj. Heartbroken adj.

Heartburn  n. Burning sensation in the chest from indigestion.

Hearten  v. Make or become more cheerful.  heartening adj.

Heart failure  n. Failure of the heart to function properly, esp. As a cause of death.

Heartfelt  adj. Sincere; deeply felt.

Hearth  n. 1 floor of a fireplace. 2 the home. [old english]

Hearthrug  n. Rug laid before a fireplace.

Heartily  adv. 1 in a hearty manner. 2 very (am heartily sick of it).

Heartland  n. Central part of an area.

Heartless  adj. Unfeeling, pitiless.  heartlessly adv.

Heart-lung machine  n. Machine that temporarily takes over the functions of the heart and lungs.

Heart-rending  adj. Very distressing.

Heart-searching  n. Examination of one's own feelings and motives.

Heartsick  adj. Despondent.

Heartstrings  n.pl. One's deepest feelings.

Heartthrob  n. Colloq. Person for whom one has (esp. Immature) romantic feelings.

Heart-to-heart  —attrib. Adj. (of a conversation etc.) Candid, intimate. —n. Candid or personal conversation.

Heart-warming  adj. Emotionally rewarding or uplifting.

Heartwood  n. Dense inner part of a tree-trunk, yielding the hardest timber.

Hearty  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 strong, vigorous. 2 (of a meal or appetite) large. 3 warm, friendly.  heartiness n.

Heat  —n. 1 condition of being hot. 2 physics form of energy arising from the motion of bodies' molecules. 3 hot weather. 4 warmth of feeling; anger or excitement. 5 (foll. By of) most intense part or period of activity (heat of battle). 6 (usu. Preliminary or trial) round in a race etc. —v. 1 make or become hot or warm. 2 inflame.  on heat (of mammals, esp. Females) sexually receptive. [old english]

Heated  adj. Angry; impassioned.  heatedly adv.

Heater  n. Stove or other heating device.

Heath  n. 1 area of flattish uncultivated land with low shrubs. 2 plant growing on a heath, esp. Heather. [old english]

Heathen  —n. 1 person not belonging to a predominant religion, esp. Not a christian, jew, or muslim. 2 person regarded as lacking culture or moral principles. —adj. 1 of heathens. 2 having no religion. [old english]

Heather  n. Any of various shrubs growing esp. On moors and heaths. [origin unknown]

Heath robinson  adj. Absurdly ingenious and impracticable. [name of a cartoonist]

Heating  n. 1 imparting or generation of heat. 2 equipment used to heat a building etc.

Heatproof  —adj. Able to resist great heat. —v. Make heatproof.

Heat shield  n. Device to protect (esp. A spacecraft) from excessive heat.

Heatwave  n. Period of unusually hot weather.

Heave  —v. (-ving; past and past part. Heaved or esp. Naut. Hove) 1 lift or haul with great effort. 2 utter with effort (heaved a sigh). 3 colloq. Throw. 4 rise and fall rhythmically or spasmodically. 5 naut. Haul by rope. 6 retch. —n. Heaving.  heave in sight come into view. Heave to esp. Naut. Bring or be brought to a standstill. [old english]

Heaven  n. 1 place regarded in some religions as the abode of god and the angels, and of the blessed after death. 2 place or state of supreme bliss. 3 colloq. Delightful thing. 4 (usu. Heaven) god, providence (often as an exclamation or mild oath: heavens). 5 (the heavens) esp. Poet. The sky as seen from the earth, in which the sun, moon, and stars appear.  heavenward adv. (also heavenwards). [old english]

Heavenly  adj. 1 of heaven; divine. 2 of the heavens or sky. 3 colloq. Very pleasing; wonderful.

Heavenly bodies  n.pl. The sun, stars, planets, etc.

Heaven-sent  adj. Providential.

Heavier-than-air  attrib. Adj. (of an aircraft) weighing more than the air it displaces.

Heavy  —adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 of great or unusually high weight; difficult to lift. 2 of great density (heavy metal). 3 abundant, considerable (heavy crop; heavy traffic). 4 severe, intense, extensive (heavy fighting; a heavy sleep). 5 doing a thing to excess (heavy drinker). 6 striking or falling with force; causing strong impact (heavy blows; heavy rain; heavy sea; a heavy fall). 7 (of machinery, artillery, etc.) Very large of its kind; large in calibre etc. 8 needing much physical effort (heavy work). 9 carrying heavy weapons (the heavy brigade). 10 serious or sombre in tone or attitude; dull, tedious. 11 a hard to digest. B hard to read or understand. 12 (of bread etc.) Too dense from not having risen. 13 (of ground) difficult to traverse or work. 14 oppressive; hard to endure (heavy demands). 15 a coarse, ungraceful (heavy features). B unwieldy. —n. (pl. -ies) 1 colloq. Large violent person; thug (esp. Hired). 2 villainous or tragic role or actor. 3 (usu. In pl.) Colloq. Serious newspaper. 4 anything large or heavy of its kind, e.g. A vehicle. —adv. Heavily (esp. In comb.: heavy-laden).

Heavy-duty  adj. Intended to withstand hard use.

Heavy going  n. Slow or difficult progress.

Heavy-handed  adj. 1 clumsy. 2 overbearing, oppressive.  heavy-handedly adv. Heavy-handedness n.

Heavy-hearted  adj. Sad, doleful.

Heavy hydrogen  n. = *deuterium.

Heavy industry  n. Industry producing metal, machinery, etc.

Heavy metal  n. 1 heavy guns. 2 metal of high density. 3 colloq. Loud kind of rock music with a pounding rhythm.

Heavy petting  n. Erotic fondling that stops short of intercourse.

Heavy water  n. Water composed of deuterium and oxygen.

Heavyweight  n. 1 a weight in certain sports, in amateur boxing over 81 kg. B sportsman of this weight. 2 person etc. Of above average weight. 3 colloq. Person of influence or importance.

Hebdomadal  adj. Formal weekly, esp. Meeting weekly. [greek hepta seven]

Hebe  n. Evergreen flowering shrub from new zealand. [greek goddess hebe]

Hebraic  adj. Of hebrew or the hebrews.

Hebrew  —n. 1 member of a semitic people orig. Centred in ancient palestine. 2 a their language. B modern form of this, used esp. In israel. —adj. 1 of or in hebrew. 2 of the hebrews or the jews. [hebrew, = one from the other side of the river]

Heck  int. Colloq. Mild exclamation of surprise or dismay. [a form of *hell]

Heckle  —v. (-ling) interrupt and harass (a public speaker). —n. Act of heckling.  heckler n. [var. Of *hackle]

Hectare  n. Metric unit of square measure, 100 ares (2.471 acres or 10,000 square metres). [french: related to *hecto-, *are2]

Hectic  adj. 1 busy and confused; excited. 2 feverish.  hectically adv. [greek hektikos habitual]

Hecto-  comb. Form hundred. [greek hekaton]

Hectogram  n. (also hectogramme) metric unit of mass equal to 100 grams.

Hector  —v. Bully, intimidate. —n. Bully. [from the name hector in the iliad]

He'd  contr. 1 he had. 2 he would.

Hedge  —n. 1 fence or boundary of dense bushes or shrubs. 2 protection against possible loss. —v. (-ging) 1 surround or bound with a hedge. 2 (foll. By in) enclose. 3 a reduce one's risk of loss on (a bet or speculation) by compensating transactions on the other side. B avoid committing oneself. [old english]

Hedgehog  n. Small insect-eating mammal with a piglike snout and a coat of spines, rolling itself up into a ball when attacked.

Hedge-hop  v. Fly at a very low altitude.

Hedgerow  n. Row of bushes etc. Forming a hedge.

Hedge sparrow  n. Common grey and brown bird; the dunnock.

Hedonism  n. 1 belief in pleasure as mankind's proper aim. 2 behaviour based on this.  hedonist n. Hedonistic adj. [greek hedone pleasure]

Heebie-jeebies  n.pl. (prec. By the) slang nervous anxiety, tension. [origin unknown]

Heed  —v. Attend to; take notice of. —n. Careful attention.  heedful adj. Heedless adj. Heedlessly adv. [old english]

Hee-haw  —n. Bray of a donkey. —v. Make a braying sound. [imitative]

Heel1  —n. 1 back of the foot below the ankle. 2 a part of a sock etc. Covering this. B part of a shoe etc. Supporting this. 3 thing like a heel in form or position. 4 crust end of a loaf of bread. 5 colloq. Scoundrel. 6 (as int.) Command to a dog to walk close to its owner's heel. —v. 1 fit or renew a heel on (a shoe etc.). 2 touch the ground with the heel as in dancing. 3 (foll. By out) rugby pass the ball with the heel.  at heel 1 (of a dog) close behind. 2 (of a person etc.) Under control. At (or on) the heels of following closely after (a person or event). Cool (or kick) one's heels be kept waiting. Down at heel 1 (of a shoe) with the heel worn down. 2 (of a person) shabby. Take to one's heels run away. To heel 1 (of a dog) close behind. 2 (of a person etc.) Under control. Turn on one's heel turn sharply round. [old english]

Heel2  —v. (often foll. By over) 1 (of a ship etc.) Lean over. 2 cause (a ship etc.) To do this. —n. Act or amount of heeling. [obsolete heeld, from germanic]

Heel3  var. Of *hele.

Heelball  n. 1 mixture of hard wax and lampblack used by shoemakers for polishing. 2 this or a similar mixture used in brass-rubbing.

Hefty  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 (of a person) big and strong. 2 (of a thing) large, heavy, powerful.  heftily adv. Heftiness n. [heft weight: related to *heave]

Hegemony  n. Leadership, esp. By one state of a confederacy. [greek hegemon leader]

Hegira  n. (also hejira) 1 muhammad's flight from mecca in ad 622. 2 muslim era reckoned from this date. [arabic hijra departure]

Heifer  n. Young cow, esp. One that has not had more than one calf. [old english]

Height  n. 1 measurement from base to top or head to foot. 2 elevation above the ground or a recognized level. 3 considerable elevation (situated at a height). 4 high place or area. 5 top. 6 a most intense part or period (battle was at its height). B extreme example (the height of fashion). [old english]

Heighten  v. Make or become higher or more intense.

Heinous  adj. Utterly odious or wicked. [french haïr hate]

Heir  n. (fem. Heiress) person entitled to property or rank as the legal successor of its former holder. [latin heres hered-]

Heir apparent  n. Heir whose claim cannot be set aside by the birth of another heir.

Heirloom  n. 1 piece of personal property that has been in a family for several generations. 2 piece of property as part of an inheritance.

Heir presumptive  n. Heir whose claim may be set aside by the birth of another heir.

Hejira  var. Of *hegira.

Held  past and past part. Of *hold1.

Hele  v. (-ling) (also heel) (foll. By in) set (a plant) in the ground temporarily and cover its roots. [old english]

Helical  adj. Having the form of a helix.

Helices  pl. Of *helix.

Helicopter  n. Wingless aircraft obtaining lift and propulsion from horizontally revolving overhead blades. [greek: related to *helix, pteron wing]

Helio-  comb. Form sun. [greek helios sun]

Heliocentric  adj. 1 regarding the sun as centre. 2 considered as viewed from the sun's centre.

Heliograph  —n. 1 signalling apparatus reflecting sunlight in flashes. 2 message sent by means of this. —v. Send (a message) by heliograph.

Heliotrope  n. Plant with fragrant purple flowers. [greek: related to *helio-, trepo turn]

Heliport  n. Place where helicopters take off and land.

Helium  n. Light inert gaseous element used in airships and as a refrigerant. [related to *helio-]

Helix  n. (pl. Helices) spiral curve (like a corkscrew) or coiled curve (like a watch spring). [latin from greek]

Hell  —n. 1 place regarded in some religions as the abode of the dead, or of devils and condemned sinners. 2 place or state of misery or wickedness. —int. Expressing anger, surprise, etc.  the hell (usu. Prec. By what, where, who, etc.) Expressing anger, disbelief, etc. (who the hell is this?; the hell you are!). Beat etc. The hell out of colloq. Beat etc. Without restraint. Come hell or high water no matter what the difficulties. For the hell of it colloq. Just for fun. Get hell colloq. Be severely scolded or punished. Give a person hell colloq. Scold or punish a person. A (or one) hell of a colloq. Outstanding example of (a hell of a mess; one hell of a party). Like hell colloq. 1 not at all. 2 recklessly, exceedingly. [old english]

He'll  contr. He will; he shall.

Hell-bent  adj. (foll. By on) recklessly determined.

Hellebore  n. Evergreen plant with usu. White, purple, or green flowers, e.g. The christmas rose. [greek (h)elleborus]

Hellene  n. 1 native of modern greece. 2 ancient greek.  hellenic adj. [greek]

Hellenism  n. (esp. Ancient) greek character or culture.  hellenist n.

Hellenistic  adj. Of greek history, language, and culture of the late 4th to the late 1st c. Bc.

Hell-fire  n. Fire(s) regarded as existing in hell.

Hell for leather  adv. At full speed.

Hell-hole  n. Oppressive or unbearable place.

Hellish  —adj. 1 of or like hell. 2 colloq. Extremely difficult or unpleasant. —adv. Colloq. Extremely (hellish expensive).  hellishly adv.

Hello  (also hallo, hullo) —int. Expression of informal greeting, or of surprise, or to call attention. —n. (pl. -s) cry of ‘hello’. [var. Of earlier hollo]

Hell's angel  n. Member of a gang of male motor-cycle enthusiasts notorious for outrageous and violent behaviour.

Helm  n. Tiller or wheel for controlling a ship's rudder.  at the helm in control; at the head of an organization etc. [old english]

Helmet  n. Protective head-covering worn by a policeman, motor cyclist, etc. [french from germanic]

Helmsman  n. Person who steers a ship.

Helot  n. Serf, esp. (helot) of a class in ancient sparta. [latin from greek]

Help  —v. 1 provide with the means towards what is needed or sought (helped me with my work; helped me (to) pay my debts; helped him on with his coat). 2 (often absol.) Be of use or service to (does that help?). 3 contribute to alleviating (a pain or difficulty). 4 prevent or remedy (it can't be helped). 5 (usu. With neg.) A refrain from (can't help it; could not help laughing). B refl. Refrain from acting (couldn't help himself). 6 (often foll. By to) serve (a person with food). —n. 1 helping or being helped (need your help; came to our help). 2 person or thing that helps. 3 colloq. Domestic assistant or assistance. 4 remedy or escape (there is no help for it).  help oneself (often foll. By to) 1 serve oneself (with food etc.). 2 take without permission. Help a person out give a person help, esp. In difficulty.  helper n.

Helpful  adj. Giving help; useful.  helpfully adv. Helpfulness n.

Helping  n. Portion of food at a meal.

Helpless  adj. 1 lacking help or protection; defenceless. 2 unable to act without help.  helplessly adv. Helplessness n.

Helpline  n. Telephone service providing help with problems.

Helpmate  n. Helpful companion or partner.

Helter-skelter  —adv. & adj. In disorderly haste. —n. (at a fairground) external spiral slide round a tower. [imitative]

Hem1  —n. Border of cloth where the edge is turned under and sewn down. —v. (-mm-) turn down and sew in the edge of (cloth etc.).  hem in confine; restrict the movement of. [old english]

Hem2  —int. Calling attention or expressing hesitation by a slight cough. —n. Utterance of this. —v. (-mm-) say hem; hesitate in speech.  hem and haw = hum and haw (see *hum). [imitative]

Hemal  adj. (brit. Haem-) of the blood. [greek haima blood]

He-man  n. Masterful or virile man.

Hematite  n. (brit. Haem-) a ferric oxide ore. [latin: related to *haemal]

Hematology  n. (brit. Haem-) the study of the blood.  haematologist n.

Hemi-  comb. Form half. [greek, = latin semi-]

Hemipterous  adj. Of the insect order including aphids, bugs, and cicadas, with piercing or sucking mouthparts. [greek pteron wing]

Hemisphere  n. 1 half a sphere. 2 half of the earth, esp. As divided by the equator (into northern and southern hemisphere) or by a line passing through the poles (into eastern and western hemisphere).  hemispherical adj. [greek: related to *hemi-, *sphere]

Hemline  n. Lower edge of a skirt etc.

Hemlock  n. 1 poisonous plant with fernlike leaves and small white flowers. 2 poison made from this. [old english]

Hemoglobin  n. (brit. Haem-) oxygen-carrying substance in the red blood cells of vertebrates. [from *globulin]

Hemophilia  n. (brit. Haem-) hereditary failure of the blood to clot normally with the tendency to bleed severely from even a slight injury. [greek haima blood, philia loving]

Hemophiliac  n. (brit. Haem-) person with haemophilia.

Hemorrhage  (brit. Haem-) —n. 1 profuse loss of blood from a ruptured blood-vessel. 2 damaging loss, esp. Of people or assets. —v. (-ging) suffer a haemorrhage. [greek haima blood, rhegnumi burst]

Hemorrhoids  n.pl. (brit. Haem-) swollen veins in the wall of the anus; piles. [greek haima blood, -rhoos -flowing]

Hemp  n. 1 (in full indian hemp) asian herbaceous plant. 2 its fibre used to make rope and stout fabrics. 3 narcotic drug made from the hemp plant. [old english]

Hempen  adj. Made of hemp.

Hemstitch  —n. Decorative stitch. —v. Hem with this stitch.

Hen  n. Female bird, esp. Of a domestic fowl. [old english]

Henbane  n. Poisonous hairy plant with an unpleasant smell.

Hence  adv. 1 from this time (two years hence). 2 for this reason (hence we seem to be wrong). 3 archaic from here. [old english]

Henceforth  adv. (also henceforward) from this time onwards.

Henchman  n. Usu. Derog. Trusted supporter. [old english hengst horse, *man]

Henge  n. Prehistoric monument consisting of a circle of stone or wood uprights. [stonehenge in s. England]

Henna  —n. 1 tropical shrub. 2 reddish dye made from it and used to colour hair. —v. (hennaed, hennaing) dye with henna. [arabic]

Hen-party  n. Colloq. Social gathering of women only.

Henpeck  v. (usu. In passive) (of a wife) constantly nag her husband.

Henry  n. (pl. -s or -ies) electr. Si unit of inductance. [henry, name of a physicist]

Hep  var. Of *hip4.

Hepatic  adj. Of the liver. [greek hepar -atos liver]

Hepatitis  n. Inflammation of the liver. [related to *hepatic]

Hepta-  comb. Form seven. [greek]

Heptagon  n. Plane figure with seven sides and angles.  heptagonal adj. [greek: related to *hepta-, -gonos angled]

Her  —pron. 1 objective case of *she (i like her). 2 colloq. She (it's her all right; am older than her). —poss. Pron. (attrib.) Of or belonging to her or herself (her house; her own business). [old english dative and genitive of *she]

Herald  —n. 1 official messenger bringing news. 2 forerunner, harbinger. 3 a hist. Officer responsible for state ceremonial and etiquette. B official concerned with pedigrees and coats of arms. —v. Proclaim the approach of; usher in.  heraldic adj. [french from germanic]

Heraldry  n. 1 art or knowledge of a herald. 2 coats of arms.

Herb  n. 1 any non-woody seed-bearing plant. 2 plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavouring, food, medicine, scent, etc.  herby adj. (-ier, -iest). [latin herba]

Herbaceous  adj. Of or like herbs.

Herbaceous border  n. Garden border containing esp. Perennial flowering plants.

Herbage  n. Vegetation collectively, esp. As pasture.

Herbal  —adj. Of herbs in medicinal and culinary use. —n. Book describing the medicinal and culinary uses of herbs.

Herbalist  n. 1 dealer in medicinal herbs. 2 writer on herbs.

Herbarium  n. (pl. -ria) 1 systematically arranged collection of dried plants. 2 book, room, etc. For these.

Herbicide  n. Poison used to destroy unwanted vegetation.

Herbivore  n. Animal that feeds on plants.  herbivorous adj. [latin voro devour]

Herculean  adj. Having or requiring great strength or effort. [from the name hercules, latin alteration of greek herakles]

Herd  —n. 1 a number of animals, esp. Cattle, feeding or travelling or kept together. 2 (prec. By the) derog. Large number of people; mob (tends to follow the herd). —v. 1 (cause to) go in a herd (herded together for warmth; herded the cattle into the field). 2 look after (sheep, cattle, etc.). [old english]

Herd instinct  n. (prec. By the) tendency to think and act as a crowd.

Herdsman  n. Man who owns or tends a herd.

Here  —adv. 1 in or at or to this place or position (come here; sit here). 2 indicating a person's presence or a thing offered (my son here will show you; here is your coat). 3 at this point in the argument, situation, etc. (here i have a question). —n. This place (get out of here; lives near here; fill it up to here). —int. 1 calling attention: short for come here, look here, etc. (here, where are you going with that?). 2 indicating one's presence in a roll-call: short for i am here.  here goes! Colloq. Expression indicating the start of a bold act. Here's to i drink to the health of. Here we are colloq. Said on arrival at one's destination. Here we go again colloq. The same, usu. Undesirable, events are recurring. Here you are said on handing something to somebody. Neither here nor there of no importance. [old english]

Hereabouts  adv. (also hereabout) near this place.

Hereafter  —adv. From now on; in the future. —n. 1 the future. 2 life after death.

Here and now  adv. At this very moment; immediately.

Here and there  adv. In various places.

Hereby  adv. By this means; as a result of this.

Hereditable  adj. That can be inherited. [latin: related to *heir]

Hereditary  adj. 1 (of a disease, instinct, etc.) Able to be passed down genetically from one generation to another. 2 a descending by inheritance. B holding a position by inheritance. [latin: related to *heir]

Heredity  n. 1 a passing on of physical or mental characteristics genetically. B these characteristics. 2 genetic constitution.

Hereford  n. Animal of a breed of red and white beef cattle. [hereford in england]

Herein  adv. Formal in this matter, book, etc.

Hereinafter  adv. Esp. Law formal 1 from this point on. 2 in a later part of this document etc.

Hereof  adv. Formal of this.

Heresy  n. (pl. -ies) 1  esp. Rc ch. Religious belief or practice contrary to orthodox doctrine. 2 opinion contrary to what is normally accepted or maintained. [greek hairesis choice]

Heretic  n. 1 person believing in or practising religious heresy. 2 holder of an unorthodox opinion.  heretical adj.

Hereto  adv. Formal to this matter.

Heretofore  adv. Formal before this time.

Hereupon  adv. After this; in consequence of this.

Herewith  adv. With this (esp. Of an enclosure in a letter etc.).

Heritable  adj. 1 law capable of being inherited or of inheriting. 2 biol. Genetically transmissible from parent to offspring. [french: related to *heir]

Heritage  n. 1 what is or may be inherited. 2 inherited circumstances, benefits, etc. 3 a nation's historic buildings, monuments, countryside, etc., esp. When regarded as worthy of preservation.

Hermaphrodite  —n. Person, animal, or plant having both male and female reproductive organs. —adj. Combining both sexes.  hermaphroditic adj. [from hermaphroditus, son of hermes and aphrodite who became joined in one body to a nymph]

Hermetic  adj. With an airtight closure.  hermetically adv. [from the greek god hermes, regarded as the founder of alchemy]

Hermit  n. Person (esp. An early christian) living in solitude and austerity.  hermitic adj. [greek eremos solitary]

Hermitage  n. 1 hermit's dwelling. 2 secluded dwelling.

Hermit-crab  n. Crab that lives in a mollusc's cast-off shell.

Hernia  n. Protrusion of part of an organ through the wall of the body cavity containing it. [latin]

Hero  n. (pl. -es) 1 person noted or admired for nobility, courage, outstanding achievements, etc. 2 chief male character in a play, story, etc. [greek heros]

Heroic  —adj. Of, fit for, or like a hero; very brave. —n. (in pl.) 1 high-flown language or sentiments. 2 unduly bold behaviour.  heroically adv.

Heroin  n. Addictive analgesic drug derived from morphine, often used as a narcotic. [german: related to *hero, from the effect on the user's self-esteem]

Heroine  n. 1 woman noted or admired for nobility, courage, outstanding achievements, etc. 2 chief female character in a play, story, etc. [greek: related to *hero]

Heroism  n. Heroic conduct or qualities. [french héroïsme: related to *hero]

Heron  n. Long-legged wading bird with a long s-shaped neck. [french from germanic]

Hero-worship  —n. Idealization of an admired person. —v. Idolize.

Herpes  n. Virus disease causing skin blisters. [greek herpo creep]

Herr  n. (pl. Herren) 1 title of a german man; mr. 2 german man. [german]

Herring  n. (pl. Same or -s) n. Atlantic fish used as food. [old english]

Herring-bone  n. Stitch or weave consisting of a series of small ‘v’ shapes making a zigzag pattern.

Herring-gull  n. Large gull with dark wing-tips.

Hers  poss. Pron. The one or ones belonging to or associated with her (it is hers; hers are over there).  of hers of or belonging to her (friend of hers).

Herself  pron. 1 a emphat. Form of *she or *her (she herself will do it). B refl. Form of *her (she has hurt herself). 2 in her normal state of body or mind (does not feel quite herself today).  be herself see *oneself. By herself see by oneself. [old english: related to *her, *self]

Hertz  n. (pl. Same) si unit of frequency, equal to one cycle per second. [hertz, name of a physicist]

He's  contr. 1 he is. 2 he has.

Hesitant  adj. Hesitating; irresolute.  hesitance n. Hesitancy n. Hesitantly adv.

Hesitate  v. (-ting) 1 show or feel indecision or uncertainty; pause in doubt (hesitated over her choice). 2 be reluctant (i hesitate to say so).  hesitation n. [latin haereo haes- stick fast]

Hessian  n. Strong coarse sacking made of hemp or jute. [hesse in germany]

Hetero-  comb. Form other, different. [greek heteros other]

Heterodox  adj. Not orthodox.  heterodoxy n. [from *hetero-, greek doxa opinion]

Heterodyne  adj. Radio relating to the production of a lower frequency from the combination of two almost equal high frequencies. [from *hetero-, greek dunamis force]

Heterogeneous  adj. 1 diverse in character. 2 varied in content.  heterogeneity n. [latin from greek genos kind]

Heteromorphic  adj. (also heteromorphous) biol. Of dissimilar forms.  heteromorphism n.

Heterosexual  —adj. Feeling or involving sexual attraction to the opposite sex. —n. Heterosexual person.  heterosexuality n.

Het up  predic. Adj. Colloq. Excited, overwrought. [het, a dial. Word = heated]

Heuristic  adj. 1 allowing or assisting to discover. 2 proceeding to a solution by trial and error. [greek heurisko find]

Hew  v. (past part. Hewn or hewed) 1 chop or cut with an axe, sword, etc. 2 cut into shape. [old english]

Hex  —v. 1 practise witchcraft. 2 bewitch. —n. Magic spell. [german]

Hexa-  comb. Form six. [greek]

Hexadecimal  adj. Esp. Computing of a system of numerical notation that has 16 (the figures 0 to 9 and the letters a to f) rather than 10 as a base.

Hexagon  n. Plane figure with six sides and angles.  hexagonal adj. [greek: related to *hexa-, -gonos angled]

Hexagram  n. Figure formed by two intersecting equilateral triangles.

Hexameter  n. Line of verse with six metrical feet.

Hey  int. Calling attention or expressing joy, surprise, inquiry, etc. [imitative]

Heyday  n. Time of greatest success or prosperity. [low german]

Hey presto!  Int. Conjuror's phrase on completing a trick.

Hezbollah  n. (also hiz-) extreme shiite muslim group, active esp. In lebanon. [arabic hisbullah party of god]

Hf  abbr. High frequency.

Hf  symb. Hafnium.

Hg  symb. Mercury.

Hg  abbr. Hectogram(s).

Hgv  abbr. Heavy goods vehicle.

Hh  abbr. 1 her or his highness. 2 his holiness. 3 (of pencil-lead) double-hard.

Hi  int. Calling attention or as a greeting.

Hiatus  n. (pl. -tuses) 1 break or gap in a series or sequence. 2 break between two vowels coming together but not in the same syllable, as in though oft the ear. [latin hio gape]

Hibernate  v. (-ting) (of an animal) spend the winter in a dormant state.  hibernation n. [latin hibernus wintry]

Hibernian  archaic poet. —adj. Of ireland. —n. Native of ireland. [latin hibernia ireland]

Hibiscus  n. (pl. -cuses) cultivated shrub with large bright-coloured flowers. [greek hibiskos marsh mallow]

Hiccup  (also hiccough) —n. 1 involuntary spasm of the diaphragm causing a characteristic sound ‘hic’. 2 temporary or minor stoppage or difficulty. —v. (-p-) make a hiccup. [imitative]

Hick  n. (often attrib.) Esp. Us colloq. Country bumpkin, provincial. [familiar form of richard]

Hickory  n. (pl. -ies) 1 n. American tree yielding wood and nutlike edible fruits. 2 the tough heavy wood of this. [virginian pohickery]

Hid  past of *hide1.

Hidden  past part. Of *hide1.

Hidden agenda  n. Secret motivation behind a policy, statement, etc.; ulterior motive.

Hide1  —v. (-ding; past hid; past part. Hidden) 1 put or keep out of sight. 2 conceal oneself. 3 (usu. Foll. By from) keep (a fact) secret. 4 conceal. —n. Camouflaged shelter used for observing wildlife.  hider n. [old english]

Hide2  n. 1 animal's skin, esp. When tanned or dressed. 2 colloq. The human skin, esp. The backside. [old english]

Hide-and-seek  n. Game in which players hide and another searches for them.

Hideaway  n. Hiding-place or place of retreat.

Hidebound  adj. 1 narrow-minded. 2 constricted by tradition.

Hideous  adj. 1 very ugly, revolting. 2 colloq. Unpleasant.  hideosity n. (pl. -ies). Hideously adv. [anglo-french hidous]

Hide-out  n. Colloq. Hiding-place.

Hiding1  n. Colloq. A thrashing.  on a hiding to nothing with no chance of succeeding. [from *hide2]

Hiding2  n. 1 act of hiding. 2 state of remaining hidden (go into hiding). [from *hide1]

Hiding-place  n. Place of concealment.

Hierarchy  n. (pl. -ies) system of grades of status or authority ranked one above the other.  hierarchical adj. [greek hieros sacred, arkho rule]

Hieratic  adj. 1 of priests. 2 of the ancient egyptian hieroglyphic writing as used by priests. [greek hiereus priest]

Hieroglyph  n. Picture representing a word, syllable, or sound, as used in ancient egyptian etc. [greek hieros sacred, glupho carve]

Hieroglyphic  —adj. Of or written in hieroglyphs. —n. (in pl.) Hieroglyphs; hieroglyphic writing.

Hi-fi  colloq. —adj. Of high fidelity. —n. (pl. -s) set of high-fidelity equipment. [abbreviation]

Higgledy-piggledy  adv. & adj. In confusion or disorder. [origin uncertain]

High  —adj. 1 a of great vertical extent (high building). B (predic.; often in comb.) Of a specified height (one inch high; waist-high). 2 a far above ground or sea level etc. (high altitude). B inland, esp. When raised (high asia). 3 extending above the normal level (jersey with a high neck). 4 a of exalted quality (high minds). B lavish; superior (high living; high fashion). 5 of exalted rank (high society; is high in the government). 6 a great; intense; extreme; powerful (high praise; high temperature). B greater than normal (high prices). C extreme or very traditional in religious or political opinion (high tory). 7 performed at, to, or from a considerable height (high diving; high flying). 8 (often foll. By on) colloq. Intoxicated by alcohol or esp. Drugs. 9 (of a sound etc.) Of high frequency; shrill. 10 (of a period, age, time, etc.) At its peak (high noon; high summer; high renaissance). 11 a (of meat etc.) Beginning to go bad; off. B (of game) well-hung and slightly decomposed. —n. 1 high, or the highest, level or figure. 2 area of high pressure; anticyclone. 3 slang euphoric state, esp. Drug-induced (am on a high). —adv. 1 far up; aloft (flew the flag high). 2 in or to a high degree. 3 at a high price. 4 (of a sound) at or to a high pitch.  high opinion of favourable opinion of. On high in or to heaven or a high place. On one's high horse colloq. Acting arrogantly. [old english]

High altar  n. Chief altar in a church.

High and dry  adj. Stranded; aground.

High and low  adv. Everywhere (searched high and low).

High and mighty  adj. Colloq. Arrogant.

Highball  n. Us drink of spirits and soda etc., served with ice in a tall glass.

Highbrow  colloq. —adj. Intellectual; cultural. —n. Intellectual or cultured person.

High chair  n. Infant's chair with long legs and a tray for meals.

High church  n. Section of the church of england emphasizing ritual, priestly authority, and sacraments.

High-class  adj. Of high quality.

High colour  n. Flushed complexion.

High command  n. Army commander-in-chief and associated staff.

High commission  n. Embassy from one commonwealth country to another.  high commissioner n.

High court  n. (also in england high court of justice) supreme court of justice for civil cases.

High day  n. Festal day.

Higher animal  n. (also higher plant) animal or plant evolved to a high degree.

Higher education  n. Education at university etc.

High explosive  n. Extremely explosive substance used in shells, bombs, etc.

Highfalutin  adj. (also highfaluting) colloq. Pompous, pretentious. [origin unknown]

High fidelity  n. High-quality sound reproduction with little distortion.

High-flown  adj. (of language etc.) Extravagant, bombastic.

High-flyer  n. (also high-flier) 1 ambitious person. 2 person or thing of great potential.  high-flying adj.

High frequency  n. Frequency, esp. In radio, of 3 to 30 megahertz.

High gear  n. Gear such that the driven end of a transmission revolves faster than the driving end.

High-handed  adj. Disregarding others' feelings; overbearing.  high-handedly adv. High-handedness n.

High heels  n.pl. Women's shoes with high heels.

High jinks  n.pl. Boisterous fun.

High jump  n. 1 athletic event consisting of jumping over a high bar. 2 colloq. Drastic punishment (he's for the high jump).

Highland  —n. (usu. In pl.) 1 area of high land. 2 (the highlands) mountainous part of scotland. —adj. Of or in a highland or the highlands.  highlander n. (also highlander). [old english, = promontory: related to *high]

Highland cattle  n. Cattle of a shaggy-haired breed with long curved horns.

Highland fling  see *fling n. 3.

High-level  adj. 1 (of negotiations etc.) Conducted by high-ranking people. 2 computing (of a programming language) not machine-dependent and usu. At a level of abstraction close to natural language.

Highlight  —n. 1 moment or detail of vivid interest; outstanding feature. 2 (in a painting etc.) Bright area. 3 (usu. In pl.) Light streak in the hair produced by bleaching. —v. 1 bring into prominence; draw attention to. 2 mark with a highlighter.

Highlighter  n. Marker pen for emphasizing a printed word etc. By overlaying it with colour.

Highly  adv. 1 in a high degree (highly amusing; commend it highly). 2 favourably (think highly of him).

Highly-strung  adj. Very sensitive or nervous.

High-minded  adj. Having high moral principles.  high-mindedly adv. High-mindedness n.

Highness  n. 1 state of being high (highness of taxation). 2 (highness) title used when addressing or referring to a prince or princess (her highness; your royal highness).

High-octane  adj. (of fuel used in internal-combustion engines) not detonating readily during the power stroke.

High-pitched  adj. 1 (of a sound) high. 2 (of a roof) steep.

High point  n. The maximum or best state reached.

High-powered  adj. 1 having great power or energy. 2 important or influential.

High pressure  n. 1 high degree of activity or exertion. 2 atmospheric condition with the pressure above average.

High priest  n. (fem. High priestess) 1 chief priest, esp. Jewish. 2 head of a cult.

High-ranking  adj. Of high rank, senior.

High-rise  —attrib. Adj. (of a building) having many storeys. —n. Such a building.

High-risk  attrib. Adj. Involving or exposed to danger (high-risk sports).

High road  n. Main road.

High school  n. 1 grammar school. 2 us & scot. Secondary school.

High sea  n. (also high seas) open seas not under any country's jurisdiction.

High season  n. Busiest period at a resort etc.

High-speed  attrib. Adj. Operating at great speed.

High-spirited  adj. Vivacious; cheerful; lively.

High spot  n. Important place or feature.

High street  n. Principal shopping street of a town.

High table  n. Dining-table for the most important guests or members.

High tea  n. Evening meal usu. Consisting of a cooked dish, bread and butter, tea, etc.

High-tech  adj. 1 employing, requiring, or involved in high technology. 2 imitating styles more usual in industry etc.

High technology  n. Advanced technological development, esp. In electronics.

High tension  n. = *high voltage.

High tide  n. Time or level of the tide at its peak.

High time  n. Time that is overdue (it is high time they arrived).

High treason  n. = *treason.

High-up  n. Colloq. Person of high rank.

High voltage  n. Electrical potential large enough to injure or damage.

High water  n. = *high tide.

High-water mark  n. Level reached at high water.

Highway  n. 1 a public road. B main route. 2 direct course of action (on the highway to success).

Highway code  n. Official booklet of guidance for road-users.

Highwayman  n. Hist. Robber of travellers etc., usu. Mounted.

High wire  n. High tightrope.

Hijack  —v. 1 seize control of (a vehicle etc.), esp. To force it to a different destination. 2 seize (goods) in transit. 3 take control of (talks etc.) By force or subterfuge. —n. A hijacking.  hijacker n. [origin unknown]

Hike  —n. 1 long walk, esp. In the country for pleasure. 2 rise in prices etc. —v. (-king) 1 go for a hike. 2 walk laboriously. 3 (usu. Foll. By up) hitch up (clothing etc.); become hitched up. 4 (usu. Foll. By up) raise (prices etc.).  hiker n. [origin unknown]

Hilarious  adj. 1 exceedingly funny. 2 boisterously merry.  hilariously adv. Hilarity n. [greek hilaros cheerful]

Hill  n. 1 naturally raised area of land, lower than a mountain. 2 (often in comb.) Heap, mound (anthill). 3 sloping piece of road.  over the hill colloq. Past the prime of life. [old english]

Hill-billy  n. Us colloq., often derog. Person from a remote rural area in a southern state.

Hillock  n. Small hill, mound.

Hillside  n. Sloping side of a hill.

Hilltop  n. Top of a hill.

Hillwalking  n. Hiking in hilly country.  hillwalker n.

Hilly  adj. (-ier, -iest) having many hills.  hilliness n.

Hilt  n. Handle of a sword, dagger, etc.  up to the hilt completely. [old english]

Him  pron. 1 objective case of *he (i saw him). 2 colloq. He (it's him again; taller than him). [old english, dative of *he]

Himself  pron. 1 a emphat. Form of *he or *him (he himself will do it). B refl. Form of *him (he has hurt himself). 2 in his normal state of body or mind (does not feel quite himself today).  be himself see *oneself. By himself see by oneself. [old english: related to *him, *self]

Hind1  adj. At the back (hind leg). [old english hindan from behind]

Hind2  n. Female (esp. Red) deer, esp. In and after the third year. [old english]

Hinder1  v. Impede; delay. [old english]

Hinder2  adj. Rear, hind (the hinder part). [old english]

Hindi  n. 1 group of spoken dialects of n. India. 2 literary form of hindustani, an official language of india. [urdu hind india]

Hindmost  adj. Furthest behind.

Hindquarters  n.pl. Hind legs and rump of a quadruped.

Hindrance  n. 1 hindering; being hindered. 2 thing that hinders.

Hindsight  n. Wisdom after the event.

Hindu  —n. (pl. -s) follower of hinduism. —adj. Of hindus or hinduism. [urdu hind india]

Hinduism  n. Main religious and social system of india, including the belief in reincarnation, several gods, and a caste system.

Hindustani  n. Language based on hindi, used as a lingua franca in much of india. [from *hindu, stan country]

Hinge  —n. 1 movable joint on which a door, lid, etc., turns or swings. 2 principle on which all depends. —v. (-ging) 1 (foll. By on) depend (on a principle, an event, etc.). 2 attach or be attached by a hinge. [related to *hang]

Hinny  n. (pl. -ies) offspring of a female donkey and a male horse. [greek hinnos]

Hint  —n. 1 slight or indirect indication or suggestion. 2 small piece of practical information. 3 very small trace; suggestion (a hint of perfume). —v. Suggest slightly or indirectly.  hint at give a hint of; refer indirectly to. Take a hint heed a hint. [obsolete hent grasp]

Hinterland  n. 1 district beyond a coast or river's banks. 2 area served by a port or other centre. [german]

Hip1  n. Projection of the pelvis and the upper part of the thigh-bone. [old english]

Hip2  n. Fruit of a rose, esp. Wild. [old english]

Hip3  int. Introducing a united cheer (hip, hip, hooray). [origin unknown]

Hip4  adj. (also hep) (-pper, -ppest) slang trendy, stylish. [origin unknown]

Hip-bath  n. Portable bath in which one sits immersed to the hips.

Hip-bone  n. Bone forming the hip.

Hip-flask  n. Small flask for spirits etc.

Hip hop  n. (also hip-hop) subculture combining rap music, graffiti art, and break-dancing. [from *hip4]

Hippie  n. (also hippy) (pl. -ies) colloq. (esp. In the 1960s) person rejecting convention, typically with long hair, jeans, beads, etc., and taking hallucinogenic drugs. [from *hip4]

Hippo  n. (pl. -s) colloq. Hippopotamus. [abbreviation]

Hip-pocket  n. Trouser-pocket just behind the hip.

Hippocratic oath  n. Statement of ethics of the medical profession. [hippocrates, name of a greek physician]

Hippodrome  n. 1 music-hall or dancehall. 2 (in classical antiquity) course for chariot races etc. [greek hippos horse, dromos race]

Hippopotamus  n. (pl. -muses or -mi) large african mammal with short legs and thick skin, living by rivers, lakes, etc. [greek hippos horse, potamos river]

Hippy1  var. Of *hippie.

Hippy2  adj. Having large hips.

Hipster1  —attrib. Adj. (of a garment) hanging from the hips rather than the waist. —n. (in pl.) Such trousers.

Hipster2  n. Slang hip person.

Hire  —v. (-ring) 1 purchase the temporary use of (a thing) (hired a van). 2 esp. Us employ (a person). —n. 1 hiring or being hired. 2 payment for this.  for (or on) hire ready to be hired. Hire out grant the temporary use of (a thing) for payment.  hireable adj. Hirer n. [old english]

Hireling  n. Usu. Derog. Person who works (only) for money.

Hire purchase  n. System of purchase by paying in instalments.

Hirsute  adj. Hairy. [latin]

His  poss. Pron. 1 (attrib.) Of or belonging to him or himself (his house; his own business). 2 the one or ones belonging to or associated with him (it is his; his are over there).  of his of or belonging to him (friend of his). [old english, genitive of *he]

Hispanic  —adj. 1 of spain or spain and portugal. 2 of spain and other spanish-speaking countries. —n. Spanish-speaking person living in the us. [latin hispania spain]

Hiss  —v. 1 make a sharp sibilant sound, as of the letter s. 2 express disapproval of by hisses. 3 whisper urgently or angrily. —n. 1 sharp sibilant sound as of the letter s. 2 electronics interference at audio frequencies. [imitative]

Histamine  n. Chemical compound in body tissues etc., associated with allergic reactions. [from *histology, *amine]

Histogram  n. Statistical diagram of rectangles with areas proportional to the value of a number of variables. [greek histos mast]

Histology  n. The study of tissue structure. [greek histos web]

Historian  n. 1 writer of history. 2 person learned in history.

Historic  adj. 1 famous or important in history or potentially so (historic moment). 2 gram. (of a tense) used to narrate past events.

Historical  adj. 1 of or concerning history (historical evidence). 2 (of the study of a subject) showing its development over a period. 3 factual, not fictional or legendary. 4 belonging to the past, not the present. 5 (of a novel etc.) Dealing with historical events.  historically adv.

Historicism  n. 1 theory that social and cultural phenomena are determined by history. 2 belief that historical events are governed by laws.

Historicity  n. Historical truth or authenticity.

Historiography  n. 1 the writing of history. 2 the study of this.  historiographer n.

History  n. (pl. -ies) 1 continuous record of (esp. Public) events. 2 a the study of past events, esp. Human affairs. B total accumulation of past events, esp. Relating to human affairs or a particular nation, person, thing, etc. 3 eventful past (this house has a history). 4 (foll. By of) past record (had a history of illness). 5 a systematic or critical account of or research into past events etc. B similar record or account of natural phenomena. 6 historical play.  make history do something memorable. [greek historia inquiry]

Histrionic  —adj. (of behaviour) theatrical, dramatic. —n. (in pl.) Insincere and dramatic behaviour designed to impress. [latin histrio actor]

Hit  —v. (-tt-; past and past part. Hit) 1 a strike with a blow or missile. B (of a moving body) strike with force (the plane hit the ground). C reach (a target etc.) With a directed missile (hit the wicket). 2 cause to suffer; affect adversely. 3 (often foll. By at, against) direct a blow. 4 (often foll. By against, on) knock (a part of the body) (hit his head). 5 achieve, reach (hit the right tone; can't hit the high notes). 6 colloq. A encounter (hit a snag). B arrive at (hit town). C indulge heavily in, esp. Liquor etc. (hit the bottle). 7 esp. Us slang rob or kill. 8 occur forcefully to (it only hit him later). 9 a propel (a ball etc.) With a bat etc. To score runs or points. B score in this way (hit a six). —n. 1 a blow, stroke. B collision. 2 shot etc. That hits its target. 3 colloq. Popular success.  hit back retaliate. Hit below the belt 1 esp. Boxing give a foul blow. 2 treat or behave unfairly. Hit the hay (or sack) colloq. Go to bed. Hit it off (often foll. By with, together) colloq. Get on well (with a person). Hit the nail on the head state the truth exactly. Hit on (or upon) find by chance. Hit out deal vigorous physical or verbal blows. Hit the road slang depart. Hit the roof see *roof. [old english from old norse]

Hit-and-run  attrib. Adj. 1 (of a driver, raider, etc.) Causing damage or injury and leaving the scene immediately. 2 (of an accident, attack, etc.) Perpetrated by such a person or people.

Hitch  —v. 1 fasten or be fastened with a loop, hook, etc.; tether. 2 move (a thing) slightly or with a jerk. 3 colloq. A = *hitchhike. B obtain (a lift) by hitchhiking. —n. 1 temporary obstacle or snag. 2 abrupt pull or push. 3 noose or knot of various kinds. 4 colloq. Free ride in a vehicle.  get hitched colloq. Marry. Hitch up lift (esp. Clothing) with a jerk. [origin uncertain]

Hitchhike  v. (-king) travel by seeking free lifts in passing vehicles.  hitchhiker n.

Hi-tech  adj. = *high-tech. [abbreviation]

Hither  adv. Formal to or towards this place. [old english]

Hither and thither  adv. To and fro.

Hitherto  adv. Until this time, up to now.

Hit list  n. Slang list of prospective victims.

Hit man  n. Slang hired assassin.

Hit-or-miss  adj. Liable to error, random.

Hit parade  n. Colloq. List of the current best-selling pop records.

Hittite  —n. Member or language of an ancient people of asia minor and syria. —adj. Of the hittites. [hebrew]

Hiv  abbr. Human immunodeficiency virus, either of two viruses causing aids.

Hive  n. Beehive.  hive off (-ving) separate from a larger group. [old english]

Hives  n.pl. Skin-eruption, esp. Nettle-rash. [origin unknown]

Hizbollah  var. Of *hezbollah.

Hm  abbr. Her (or his) majesty('s).

Hmg  abbr. Her (or his) majesty's government.

Hmi  abbr. Her (or his) majesty's inspector (of schools).

Hms  abbr. Her (or his) majesty's ship.

Hmso  abbr. Her (or his) majesty's stationery office.

Hnc  abbr. Higher national certificate.

Hnd  abbr. Higher national diploma.

Ho  symb. Holmium.

Ho  int. Expressing triumph, derision, etc., or calling attention. [natural exclamation]

He  abbr. 1 his or her excellency. 2 his eminence. 3 high explosive.

He  symb. Helium.

He  —pron. (obj. Him; poss. His; pl. They) 1 the man, boy, or male animal previously named or in question. 2 person etc. Of unspecified sex (if anyone comes he will have to wait; he who hesitates). —n. 1 male; man. 2 (in comb.) Male (he-goat). [old english]

Head  —n. 1 upper part of the human body, or foremost or upper part of an animal's body, containing the brain, mouth, and sense-organs. 2 a seat of intellect (use your head). B mental aptitude or tolerance (a good head for business; no head for heights). 3 thing like a head in form or position, esp.: a the operative part of a tool. B the top of a nail. C the leaves or flowers at the top of a stem. D foam on the top of a glass of beer etc. 4 a person in charge, esp. The principal teacher of a school. B position of command. 5 front part of a queue etc. 6 upper end of a table or bed etc. 7 top or highest part of a page, stairs, etc. 8 a individual person as a unit (£10 per head). B (pl. Same) individual animal as a unit (20 head). 9 a side of a coin bearing the image of a head. B (usu. In pl.) This as a choice when tossing a coin. 10 a source of a river etc. B end of a lake at which a river enters it. 11 height or length of a head as a measure. 12 part of a machine in contact with or very close to what is being worked on, esp.: a the part of a tape recorder that touches the moving tape and converts signals. B the part of a record-player that holds the playing cartridge and stylus. 13 (usu. In phr. Come to a head) climax, crisis. 14 a confined body of water or steam in an engine etc. B pressure exerted by this. 15 promontory (esp. In place-names) (beachy head). 16 heading or headline. 17 fully developed top of a boil etc. 18 colloq. Headache. 19 (attrib.) Chief, principal. —v. 1 be at the head or front of. 2 be in charge of. 3 provide with a head or heading. 4 (often foll. By for) face, move, or direct in a specified direction (is heading for trouble). 5 hit (a ball etc.) With the head.  above (or over) one's head beyond one's understanding. Come to a head reach a crisis. Get it into one's head (foll. By that) 1 adopt a mistaken idea. 2 form a definite plan. Give a person his (or her) head allow a person to act freely. Go to one's head 1 make one slightly drunk. 2 make one conceited. Head off 1 get ahead of so as to intercept and turn aside. 2 forestall. Keep (or lose) one's head remain (or fail to remain) calm. Off one's head slang crazy. Off the top of one's head colloq. Impromptu. On one's (or one's own) head as one's own responsibility. Out of one's head slang crazy. Over one's head 1 beyond one's understanding. 2 without one's rightful knowledge or involvement, esp. Of action taken by a subordinate consulting one's own superior. 3 with disregard for one's own (stronger) claim (was promoted over my head). Put heads together consult together. Take it into one's head (foll. By that + clause or to + infin.) Decide, esp. Impetuously. Turn a person's head make a person conceited. [old english]

Headache  n. 1 continuous pain in the head. 2 colloq. Worrying problem.  headachy adj.

Headband  n. Band worn round the head as decoration or to confine the hair.

Headbanger  n. Slang 1 person who shakes his or her head violently to the rhythm of music; fan of loud music. 2 crazy or eccentric person.

Headboard  n. Upright panel at the head of a bed.

Head-butt  —n. Thrust with the head into the chin or body of another person. —v. Attack with a head-butt.

Headcount  n. 1 counting of individual people. 2 total number of people, esp. Employees.

Headdress  n. Covering for the head.

Header  n. 1 football shot or pass made with the head. 2 colloq. Headlong fall or dive. 3 brick etc. Laid at right angles to the face of a wall. 4 (in full header-tank) tank of water etc. Maintaining pressure in a plumbing system.

Head first  adv. 1 with the head foremost. 2 precipitately.

Headgear  n. Hat or headdress.

Head-hunting  n. 1 collecting of the heads of dead enemies as trophies. 2 seeking of (esp. Senior) staff by approaching people employed elsewhere.  head-hunt v. Head-hunter n.

Heading  n. 1 a title at the head of a page or section of a book etc. B section of a subject of discourse etc. 2 horizontal passage made in preparation for building a tunnel, or in a mine.

Head in the sand  n. Refusal to acknowledge danger or difficulty.

Headlamp  n. = *headlight.

Headland  n. Promontory.

Headlight  n. 1 strong light at the front of a vehicle. 2 beam from this.

Headline  n. 1 heading at the top of an article or page, esp. In a newspaper. 2 (in pl.) Summary of the most important items in a news bulletin.

Headlock  n. Wrestling hold with an arm round the opponent's head.

Headlong  adv. & adj. 1 with the head foremost. 2 in a rush.

Headman  n. Chief man of a tribe etc.

Headmaster  n. (fem. Headmistress) = *head teacher.

Head-on  adj. & adv. 1 with the front foremost (head-on crash). 2 in direct confrontation.

Head over heels  —n. Turning over completely in forward motion as in a somersault etc. —adv. Utterly (head over heels in love).

Headphones  n.pl. Set of earphones fitting over the head, for listening to audio equipment etc.

Headquarters  n. (as sing. Or pl.) Administrative centre of an organization.

Headrest  n. Support for the head, esp. On a seat.

Headroom  n. Space or clearance above a vehicle, person's head, etc.

Headscarf  n. Scarf worn round the head and tied under the chin.

Headset  n. Headphones, often with a microphone attached.

Headship  n. Position of head or chief, esp. In a school.

Headshrinker  n. Slang psychiatrist.

Headstall  n. Part of a halter or bridle fitting round a horse's head.

Head start  n. Advantage granted or gained at an early stage.

Headstone  n. Stone set up at the head of a grave.

Headstrong  adj. Self-willed.

Head teacher  n. Teacher in charge of a school.

Headwaters  n.pl. Streams flowing from the sources of a river.

Headway  n. 1 progress. 2 ship's rate of progress. 3 headroom.

Head wind  n. Wind blowing from directly in front.

Headword  n. Word forming a heading.

Heady  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 (of liquor) potent. 2 intoxicating, exciting. 3 impulsive, rash. 4 headachy.  headily adv. Headiness n.

Heal  v. 1 (often foll. By up) become sound or healthy again. 2 cause to heal. 3 put right (differences etc.). 4 alleviate (sorrow etc.).  healer n. [old english: related to *whole]

Health  n. 1 state of being well in body or mind. 2 person's mental or physical condition. 3 soundness, esp. Financial or moral. [old english: related to *whole]

Health centre  n. Building containing various local medical services and doctors' practices.

Health farm  n. Establishment offering improved health by a regime of dieting, exercise, etc.

Health food  n. Natural food, thought to promote good health.

Healthful  adj. Conducive to good health; beneficial.

Health service  n. Public service providing medical care.

Health visitor  n. Trained nurse who visits mothers and babies, or the sick or elderly, at home.

Healthy  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 having, showing, or promoting good health. 2 indicative of (esp. Moral or financial) health (a healthy sign). 3 substantial (won by a healthy 40 seconds).  healthily adv. Healthiness n.

Heap  —n. 1 disorderly pile. 2 (esp. In pl.) Colloq. Large number or amount. 3 slang dilapidated vehicle. —v. 1 (foll. By up, together, etc.) Collect or be collected in a heap. 2 (foll. By with) load copiously with. 3 (foll. By on, upon) give or offer copiously (heaped insults on them). [old english]

Hear  v. (past and past part. Heard) 1 (also absol.) Perceive with the ear. 2 listen to (heard them on the radio). 3 listen judicially to (a case etc.). 4 be told or informed. 5 (foll.

Hearing  n. 1 faculty of perceiving sounds. 2 range within which sounds may be heard (within hearing). 3 opportunity to state one's case (a fair hearing). 4 trial of a case before a court.

Hearing-aid  n. Small device to amplify sound, worn by a partially deaf person.

Hearken  v. Archaic (often foll. By to) listen. [old english: related to *hark]

Hearsay  n. Rumour, gossip.

Hearse  n. Vehicle for conveying the coffin at a funeral. [french herse harrow, from latin hirpex large rake]

Heart  n. 1 hollow muscular organ maintaining the circulation of blood by rhythmic contraction and dilation. 2 region of the heart; the breast. 3 a centre of thought, feeling, and emotion (esp. Love). B capacity for feeling emotion (has no heart). 4 a courage or enthusiasm (take heart). B mood or feeling (change of heart). 5 a central or innermost part of something. B essence (heart of the matter). 6 compact tender inner part of a lettuce etc. 7 a heart-shaped thing. B conventional representation of a heart with two equal curves meeting at a point at the bottom and a cusp at the top. 8 a playing-card of the suit denoted by a red figure of a heart. B (in pl.) This suit.  at heart 1 in one's inmost feelings. 2 basically. Break a person's heart overwhelm a person with sorrow. By heart from memory. Give (or lose) one's heart (often foll. By to) fall in love (with). Have the heart (usu. With neg.; foll. By to + infin.) Be insensitive or hard-hearted enough (didn't have the heart to ask him). Take to heart be much affected by. To one's heart's content see *content1. With all one's heart sincerely; with all goodwill. [old english]

Heartache  n. Mental anguish.

Heart attack  n. Sudden occurrence of coronary thrombosis.

Heartbeat  n. Pulsation of the heart.

Heartbreak  n. Overwhelming distress.  heartbreaking adj. Heartbroken adj.

Heartburn  n. Burning sensation in the chest from indigestion.

Hearten  v. Make or become more cheerful.  heartening adj.

Heart failure  n. Failure of the heart to function properly, esp. As a cause of death.

Heartfelt  adj. Sincere; deeply felt.

Hearth  n. 1 floor of a fireplace. 2 the home. [old english]

Hearthrug  n. Rug laid before a fireplace.

Heartily  adv. 1 in a hearty manner. 2 very (am heartily sick of it).

Heartland  n. Central part of an area.

Heartless  adj. Unfeeling, pitiless.  heartlessly adv.

Heart-lung machine  n. Machine that temporarily takes over the functions of the heart and lungs.

Heart-rending  adj. Very distressing.

Heart-searching  n. Examination of one's own feelings and motives.

Heartsick  adj. Despondent.

Heartstrings  n.pl. One's deepest feelings.

Heartthrob  n. Colloq. Person for whom one has (esp. Immature) romantic feelings.

Heart-to-heart  —attrib. Adj. (of a conversation etc.) Candid, intimate. —n. Candid or personal conversation.

Heart-warming  adj. Emotionally rewarding or uplifting.

Heartwood  n. Dense inner part of a tree-trunk, yielding the hardest timber.

Hearty  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 strong, vigorous. 2 (of a meal or appetite) large. 3 warm, friendly.  heartiness n.

Heat  —n. 1 condition of being hot. 2 physics form of energy arising from the motion of bodies' molecules. 3 hot weather. 4 warmth of feeling; anger or excitement. 5 (foll. By of) most intense part or period of activity (heat of battle). 6 (usu. Preliminary or trial) round in a race etc. —v. 1 make or become hot or warm. 2 inflame.  on heat (of mammals, esp.

Heated  adj. Angry; impassioned.  heatedly adv.

Heater  n. Stove or other heating device.

Heath  n. 1 area of flattish uncultivated land with low shrubs. 2 plant growing on a heath, esp. Heather. [old english]

Heathen  —n. 1 person not belonging to a predominant religion, esp. Not a christian, jew, or muslim. 2 person regarded as lacking culture or moral principles. —adj. 1 of heathens. 2 having no religion. [old english]

Heather  n. Any of various shrubs growing esp. On moors and heaths. [origin unknown]

Heath robinson  adj. Absurdly ingenious and impracticable. [name of a cartoonist]

Heating  n. 1 imparting or generation of heat. 2 equipment used to heat a building etc.

Heatproof  —adj. Able to resist great heat. —v. Make heatproof.

Heat shield  n. Device to protect (esp. A spacecraft) from excessive heat.

Heatwave  n. Period of unusually hot weather.

Heave  —v. (-ving; past and past part. Heaved or esp. Naut. Hove) 1 lift or haul with great effort. 2 utter with effort (heaved a sigh). 3 colloq. Throw. 4 rise and fall rhythmically or spasmodically. 5 naut. Haul by rope. 6 retch. —n. Heaving.  heave in sight come into view. Heave to esp. Naut. Bring or be brought to a standstill. [old english]

Heaven  n. 1 place regarded in some religions as the abode of god and the angels, and of the blessed after death. 2 place or state of supreme bliss. 3 colloq. Delightful thing. 4 (usu. Heaven) god, providence (often as an exclamation or mild oath: heavens). 5 (the heavens) esp. Poet. The sky as seen from the earth, in which the sun, moon, and stars appear.  heavenward adv. (also heavenwards). [old english]

Heavenly  adj. 1 of heaven; divine. 2 of the heavens or sky. 3 colloq. Very pleasing; wonderful.

Heavenly bodies  n.pl. The sun, stars, planets, etc.

Heaven-sent  adj. Providential.

Heavier-than-air  attrib. Adj. (of an aircraft) weighing more than the air it displaces.

Heavy  —adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 of great or unusually high weight; difficult to lift. 2 of great density (heavy metal). 3 abundant, considerable (heavy crop; heavy traffic). 4 severe, intense, extensive (heavy fighting; a heavy sleep). 5 doing a thing to excess (heavy drinker). 6 striking or falling with force; causing strong impact (heavy blows; heavy rain; heavy sea; a heavy fall). 7 (of machinery, artillery, etc.) Very large of its kind; large in calibre etc. 8 needing much physical effort (heavy work). 9 carrying heavy weapons (the heavy brigade). 10 serious or sombre in tone or attitude; dull, tedious. 11 a hard to digest. B hard to read or understand. 12 (of bread etc.) Too dense from not having risen. 13 (of ground) difficult to traverse or work. 14 oppressive; hard to endure (heavy demands). 15 a coarse, ungraceful (heavy features). B unwieldy. —n. (pl. -ies) 1 colloq. Large violent person; thug (esp. Hired). 2 villainous or tragic role or actor. 3 (usu. In pl.) Colloq. Serious newspaper. 4 anything large or heavy of its kind, e.g. A vehicle. —adv. Heavily (esp. In comb.: heavy-laden).  heavy on using a lot of (heavy on petrol). Make heavy weather of see *weather.  heavily adv. Heaviness n. Heavyish adj. [old english]

Heavy-duty  adj. Intended to withstand hard use.

Heavy going  n. Slow or difficult progress.

Heavy-handed  adj. 1 clumsy. 2 overbearing, oppressive.  heavy-handedly adv. Heavy-handedness n.

Heavy-hearted  adj. Sad, doleful.

Heavy hydrogen  n. = *deuterium.

Heavy industry  n. Industry producing metal, machinery, etc.

Heavy metal  n. 1 heavy guns. 2 metal of high density. 3 colloq. Loud kind of rock music with a pounding rhythm.

Heavy petting  n. Erotic fondling that stops short of intercourse.

Heavy water  n. Water composed of deuterium and oxygen.

Heavyweight  n. 1 a weight in certain sports, in amateur boxing over 81 kg. B sportsman of this weight. 2 person etc. Of above average weight. 3 colloq. Person of influence or importance.

Hebdomadal  adj. Formal weekly, esp. Meeting weekly. [greek hepta seven]

Hebe  n. Evergreen flowering shrub from new zealand. [greek goddess hebe]

Hebraic  adj. Of hebrew or the hebrews.

Hebrew  —n. 1 member of a semitic people orig. Centred in ancient palestine. 2 a their language. B modern form of this, used esp. In israel. —adj. 1 of or in hebrew. 2 of the hebrews or the jews. [hebrew, = one from the other side of the river]

Heck  int. Colloq. Mild exclamation of surprise or dismay. [a form of *hell]

Heckle  —v. (-ling) interrupt and harass (a public speaker). —n. Act of heckling.  heckler n. [var. Of *hackle]

Hectare  n. Metric unit of square measure, 100 ares (2.471 acres or 10,000 square metres). [french: related to *hecto-, *are2]

Hectic  adj. 1 busy and confused; excited. 2 feverish.  hectically adv. [greek hektikos habitual]

Hecto-  comb. Form hundred. [greek hekaton]

Hectogram  n. (also hectogramme) metric unit of mass equal to 100 grams.

Hector  —v. Bully, intimidate. —n. Bully. [from the name hector in the iliad]

He'd  contr. 1 he had. 2 he would.

Hedge  —n. 1 fence or boundary of dense bushes or shrubs. 2 protection against possible loss. —v. (-ging) 1 surround or bound with a hedge. 2 (foll. By in) enclose. 3 a reduce one's risk of loss on (a bet or speculation) by compensating transactions on the other side. B avoid committing oneself. [old english]

Hedgehog  n. Small insect-eating mammal with a piglike snout and a coat of spines, rolling itself up into a ball when attacked.

Hedge-hop  v. Fly at a very low altitude.

Hedgerow  n. Row of bushes etc. Forming a hedge.

Hedge sparrow  n. Common grey and brown bird; the dunnock.

Hedonism  n. 1 belief in pleasure as mankind's proper aim. 2 behaviour based on this.  hedonist n. Hedonistic adj. [greek hedone pleasure]

Heebie-jeebies  n.pl. (prec. By the) slang nervous anxiety, tension. [origin unknown]

Heed  —v. Attend to; take notice of. —n. Careful attention.  heedful adj. Heedless adj. Heedlessly adv. [old english]

Hee-haw  —n. Bray of a donkey. —v. Make a braying sound. [imitative]

Heel1  —n. 1 back of the foot below the ankle. 2 a part of a sock etc. Covering this. B part of a shoe etc. Supporting this. 3 thing like a heel in form or position. 4 crust end of a loaf of bread. 5 colloq. Scoundrel. 6 (as int.) Command to a dog to walk close to its owner's heel. —v. 1 fit or renew a heel on (a shoe etc.). 2 touch the ground with the heel as in dancing. 3 (foll. By out) rugby pass the ball with the heel.  at heel 1 (of a dog) close behind. 2 (of a person etc.) Under control. At (or on) the heels of following closely after (a person or event). Cool (or kick) one's heels be kept waiting. Down at heel 1 (of a shoe) with the heel worn down. 2 (of a person) shabby. Take to one's heels run away. To heel 1 (of a dog) close behind. 2 (of a person etc.) Under control. Turn on one's heel turn sharply round. [old english]

Heel2  —v. (often foll. By over) 1 (of a ship etc.) Lean over. 2 cause (a ship etc.) To do this. —n. Act or amount of heeling. [obsolete heeld, from germanic]

Heel3  var. Of *hele.

Heelball  n. 1 mixture of hard wax and lampblack used by shoemakers for polishing. 2 this or a similar mixture used in brass-rubbing.

Hefty  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 (of a person) big and strong. 2 (of a thing) large, heavy, powerful.  heftily adv. Heftiness n. [heft weight: related to *heave]

Hegemony  n. Leadership, esp. By one state of a confederacy. [greek hegemon leader]

Hegira  n. (also hejira) 1 muhammad's flight from mecca in ad 622. 2 muslim era reckoned from this date. [arabic hijra departure]

Heifer  n. Young cow, esp. One that has not had more than one calf. [old english]

Height  n. 1 measurement from base to top or head to foot. 2 elevation above the ground or a recognized level. 3 considerable elevation (situated at a height). 4 high place or area. 5 top. 6 a most intense part or period (battle was at its height). B extreme example (the height of fashion). [old english]

Heighten  v. Make or become higher or more intense.

Heinous  adj. Utterly odious or wicked. [french haïr hate]

Heir  n. (fem. Heiress) person entitled to property or rank as the legal successor of its former holder. [latin heres hered-]

Heir apparent  n. Heir whose claim cannot be set aside by the birth of another heir.

Heirloom  n. 1 piece of personal property that has been in a family for several generations. 2 piece of property as part of an inheritance.

Heir presumptive  n. Heir whose claim may be set aside by the birth of another heir.

Hejira  var. Of *hegira.

Held  past and past part. Of *hold1.

Hele  v. (-ling) (also heel) (foll. By in) set (a plant) in the ground temporarily and cover its roots. [old english]

Helical  adj. Having the form of a helix.

Helices  pl. Of *helix.

Helicopter  n. Wingless aircraft obtaining lift and propulsion from horizontally revolving overhead blades. [greek: related to *helix, pteron wing]

Helio-  comb. Form sun. [greek helios sun]

Heliocentric  adj. 1 regarding the sun as centre. 2 considered as viewed from the sun's centre.

Heliograph  —n. 1 signalling apparatus reflecting sunlight in flashes. 2 message sent by means of this. —v. Send (a message) by heliograph.

Heliotrope  n. Plant with fragrant purple flowers. [greek: related to *helio-, trepo turn]

Heliport  n. Place where helicopters take off and land.

Helium  n. Light inert gaseous element used in airships and as a refrigerant. [related to *helio-]

Helix  n. (pl. Helices) spiral curve (like a corkscrew) or coiled curve (like a watch spring). [latin from greek]

Hell  —n. 1 place regarded in some religions as the abode of the dead, or of devils and condemned sinners. 2 place or state of misery or wickedness. —int. Expressing anger, surprise, etc.  the hell (usu. Prec. By what, where, who, etc.) Expressing anger, disbelief, etc. (who the hell is this?; the hell you are!). Beat etc. The hell out of colloq. Beat etc. Without restraint. Come hell or high water no matter what the difficulties. For the hell of it colloq. Just for fun. Get hell colloq. Be severely scolded or punished. Give a person hell colloq. Scold or punish a person. A (or one) hell of a colloq. Outstanding example of (a hell of a mess; one hell of a party). Like hell colloq. 1 not at all. 2 recklessly, exceedingly. [old english]

He'll  contr. He will; he shall.

Hell-bent  adj. (foll. By on) recklessly determined.

Hellebore  n. Evergreen plant with usu. White, purple, or green flowers, e.g. The christmas rose. [greek (h)elleborus]

Hellene  n. 1 native of modern greece. 2 ancient greek.  hellenic adj. [greek]

Hellenism  n. (esp. Ancient) greek character or culture.  hellenist n.

Hellenistic  adj. Of greek history, language, and culture of the late 4th to the late 1st c. Bc.

Hell-fire  n. Fire(s) regarded as existing in hell.

Hell for leather  adv. At full speed.

Hell-hole  n. Oppressive or unbearable place.

Hellish  —adj. 1 of or like hell. 2 colloq. Extremely difficult or unpleasant. —adv. Colloq. Extremely (hellish expensive).  hellishly adv.

Hello  (also hallo, hullo) —int. Expression of informal greeting, or of surprise, or to call attention. —n. (pl. -s) cry of ‘hello’. [var. Of earlier hollo]

Hell's angel  n. Member of a gang of male motor-cycle enthusiasts notorious for outrageous and violent behaviour.

Helm  n. Tiller or wheel for controlling a ship's rudder.  at the helm in control; at the head of an organization etc. [old english]

Helmet  n. Protective head-covering worn by a policeman, motor cyclist, etc. [french from germanic]

Helmsman  n. Person who steers a ship.

Helot  n. Serf, esp. (helot) of a class in ancient sparta. [latin from greek]

Help  —v. 1 provide with the means towards what is needed or sought (helped me with my work; helped me (to) pay my debts; helped him on with his coat). 2 (often absol.) Be of use or service to (does that help?). 3 contribute to alleviating (a pain or difficulty). 4 prevent or remedy (it can't be helped). 5 (usu. With neg.) A refrain from (can't help it; could not help laughing). B refl. Refrain from acting (couldn't help himself). 6 (often foll. By to) serve (a person with food). —n. 1 helping or being helped (need your help; came to our help). 2 person or thing that helps. 3 colloq. Domestic assistant or assistance. 4 remedy or escape (there is no help for it).  help oneself (often foll. By to) 1 serve oneself (with food etc.). 2 take without permission. Help a person out give a person help, esp. In difficulty.  helper n. [old english]

Helpful  adj. Giving help; useful.  helpfully adv. Helpfulness n.

Helping  n. Portion of food at a meal.

Helpless  adj. 1 lacking help or protection; defenceless. 2 unable to act without help.  helplessly adv. Helplessness n.

Helpline  n. Telephone service providing help with problems.

Helpmate  n. Helpful companion or partner.

Helter-skelter  —adv. & adj. In disorderly haste. —n. (at a fairground) external spiral slide round a tower. [imitative]

Hem1  —n. Border of cloth where the edge is turned under and sewn down. —v. (-mm-) turn down and sew in the edge of (cloth etc.).  hem in confine; restrict the movement of. [old english]

Hem2  —int. Calling attention or expressing hesitation by a slight cough. —n. Utterance of this. —v. (-mm-) say hem; hesitate in speech.  hem and haw = hum and haw (see *hum). [imitative]

Hemal  adj. (brit. Haem-) of the blood. [greek haima blood]

He-man  n. Masterful or virile man.

Hematite  n. (brit. Haem-) a ferric oxide ore. [latin: related to *haemal]

Hematology  n. (brit. Haem-) the study of the blood.  haematologist n.

Hemi-  comb. Form half. [greek, = latin semi-]

Hemipterous  adj. Of the insect order including aphids, bugs, and cicadas, with piercing or sucking mouthparts. [greek pteron wing]

Hemisphere  n. 1 half a sphere. 2 half of the earth, esp. As divided by the equator (into northern and southern hemisphere) or by a line passing through the poles (into eastern and western hemisphere).  hemispherical adj. [greek: related to *hemi-, *sphere]

Hemline  n. Lower edge of a skirt etc.

Hemlock  n. 1 poisonous plant with fernlike leaves and small white flowers. 2 poison made from this. [old english]

Hemoglobin  n. (brit. Haem-) oxygen-carrying substance in the red blood cells of vertebrates. [from *globulin]

Hemophilia  n. (brit. Haem-) hereditary failure of the blood to clot normally with the tendency to bleed severely from even a slight injury. [greek haima blood, philia loving]

Hemophiliac  n. (brit. Haem-) person with haemophilia.

Hemorrhage  (brit. Haem-) —n. 1 profuse loss of blood from a ruptured blood-vessel. 2 damaging loss, esp. Of people or assets. —v. (-ging) suffer a haemorrhage. [greek haima blood, rhegnumi burst]

Hemorrhoids  n.pl. (brit. Haem-) swollen veins in the wall of the anus; piles. [greek haima blood, -rhoos -flowing]

Hemp  n. 1 (in full indian hemp) asian herbaceous plant. 2 its fibre used to make rope and stout fabrics. 3 narcotic drug made from the hemp plant. [old english]

Hempen  adj. Made of hemp.

Hemstitch  —n. Decorative stitch. —v. Hem with this stitch.

Hen  n. Female bird, esp. Of a domestic fowl. [old english]

Henbane  n. Poisonous hairy plant with an unpleasant smell.

Hence  adv. 1 from this time (two years hence). 2 for this reason (hence we seem to be wrong). 3 archaic from here. [old english]

Henceforth  adv. (also henceforward) from this time onwards.

Henchman  n. Usu. Derog. Trusted supporter. [old english hengst horse, *man]

Henge  n. Prehistoric monument consisting of a circle of stone or wood uprights. [stonehenge in s. England]

Henna  —n. 1 tropical shrub. 2 reddish dye made from it and used to colour hair. —v. (hennaed, hennaing) dye with henna. [arabic]

Hen-party  n. Colloq. Social gathering of women only.

Henpeck  v. (usu. In passive) (of a wife) constantly nag her husband.

Henry  n. (pl. -s or -ies) electr. Si unit of inductance. [henry, name of a physicist]

Hep  var. Of *hip4.

Hepatic  adj. Of the liver. [greek hepar -atos liver]

Hepatitis  n. Inflammation of the liver. [related to *hepatic]

Hepta-  comb. Form seven. [greek]

Heptagon  n. Plane figure with seven sides and angles.  heptagonal adj. [greek: related to *hepta-, -gonos angled]

Her  —pron. 1 objective case of *she (i like her). 2 colloq. She (it's her all right; am older than her). —poss. Pron. (attrib.) Of or belonging to her or herself (her house; her own business). [old english dative and genitive of *she]

Herald  —n. 1 official messenger bringing news. 2 forerunner, harbinger. 3 a hist. Officer responsible for state ceremonial and etiquette. B official concerned with pedigrees and coats of arms. —v. Proclaim the approach of; usher in.  heraldic adj. [french from germanic]

Heraldry  n. 1 art or knowledge of a herald. 2 coats of arms.

Herb  n. 1 any non-woody seed-bearing plant. 2 plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavouring, food, medicine, scent, etc.  herby adj. (-ier, -iest). [latin herba]

Herbaceous  adj. Of or like herbs.

Herbaceous border  n. Garden border containing esp. Perennial flowering plants.

Herbage  n. Vegetation collectively, esp. As pasture.

Herbal  —adj. Of herbs in medicinal and culinary use. —n. Book describing the medicinal and culinary uses of herbs.

Herbalist  n. 1 dealer in medicinal herbs. 2 writer on herbs.

Herbarium  n. (pl. -ria) 1 systematically arranged collection of dried plants. 2 book, room, etc. For these.

Herbicide  n. Poison used to destroy unwanted vegetation.

Herbivore  n. Animal that feeds on plants.  herbivorous adj. [latin voro devour]

Herculean  adj. Having or requiring great strength or effort. [from the name hercules, latin alteration of greek herakles]

Herd  —n. 1 a number of animals, esp. Cattle, feeding or travelling or kept together. 2 (prec. By the) derog. Large number of people; mob (tends to follow the herd). —v. 1 (cause to) go in a herd (herded together for warmth; herded the cattle into the field). 2 look after (sheep, cattle, etc.). [old english]

Herd instinct  n. (prec. By the) tendency to think and act as a crowd.

Herdsman  n. Man who owns or tends a herd.

Here  —adv. 1 in or at or to this place or position (come here; sit here). 2 indicating a person's presence or a thing offered (my son here will show you; here is your coat). 3 at this point in the argument, situation, etc. (here i have a question). —n.

Hereabouts  adv. (also hereabout) near this place.

Hereafter  —adv. From now on; in the future. —n. 1 the future. 2 life after death.

Here and now  adv. At this very moment; immediately.

Here and there  adv. In various places.

Hereby  adv. By this means; as a result of this.

Hereditable  adj. That can be inherited. [latin: related to *heir]

Hereditary  adj. 1 (of a disease, instinct, etc.) Able to be passed down genetically from one generation to another. 2 a descending by inheritance. B holding a position by inheritance. [latin: related to *heir]

Heredity  n. 1 a passing on of physical or mental characteristics genetically. B these characteristics. 2 genetic constitution.

Hereford  n. Animal of a breed of red and white beef cattle. [hereford in england]

Herein  adv. Formal in this matter, book, etc.

Hereinafter  adv. Esp. Law formal 1 from this point on. 2 in a later part of this document etc.

Hereof  adv. Formal of this.

Heresy  n. (pl. -ies) 1  esp. Rc ch. Religious belief or practice contrary to orthodox doctrine. 2 opinion contrary to what is normally accepted or maintained. [greek hairesis choice]

Heretic  n. 1 person believing in or practising religious heresy. 2 holder of an unorthodox opinion.  heretical adj.

Hereto  adv. Formal to this matter.

Heretofore  adv. Formal before this time.

Hereupon  adv. After this; in consequence of this.

Herewith  adv. With this (esp. Of an enclosure in a letter etc.).

Heritable  adj. 1 law capable of being inherited or of inheriting. 2 biol. Genetically transmissible from parent to offspring. [french: related to *heir]

Heritage  n. 1 what is or may be inherited. 2 inherited circumstances, benefits, etc. 3 a nation's historic buildings, monuments, countryside, etc., esp. When regarded as worthy of preservation.

Hermaphrodite  —n. Person, animal, or plant having both male and female reproductive organs. —adj. Combining both sexes.  hermaphroditic adj. [from hermaphroditus, son of hermes and aphrodite who became joined in one body to a nymph]

Hermetic  adj. With an airtight closure.  hermetically adv. [from the greek god hermes, regarded as the founder of alchemy]

Hermit  n. Person (esp. An early christian) living in solitude and austerity.  hermitic adj. [greek eremos solitary]

Hermitage  n. 1 hermit's dwelling. 2 secluded dwelling.

Hermit-crab  n. Crab that lives in a mollusc's cast-off shell.

Hernia  n. Protrusion of part of an organ through the wall of the body cavity containing it. [latin]

Hero  n. (pl. -es) 1 person noted or admired for nobility, courage, outstanding achievements, etc. 2 chief male character in a play, story, etc. [greek heros]

Heroic  —adj. Of, fit for, or like a hero; very brave. —n. (in pl.) 1 high-flown language or sentiments. 2 unduly bold behaviour.  heroically adv.

Heroin  n. Addictive analgesic drug derived from morphine, often used as a narcotic. [german: related to *hero, from the effect on the user's self-esteem]

Hay  n. Grass mown and dried for fodder.  make hay (while the sun shines) seize opportunities. [old english]

Haycock  n. Conical heap of hay.

Hay fever  n. Allergy with asthmatic symptoms etc., caused by pollen or dust.

Haymaking  n. Mowing grass and spreading it to dry.  haymaker n.

Haystack  n. (also hayrick) packed pile of hay with a pointed or ridged top.

Haywire  adj. Colloq. Badly disorganized, out of control.

Hazard  —n. 1 danger or risk. 2 source of this. 3 golf obstacle, e.g. A bunker. —v. 1 venture (hazard a guess). 2 risk. [arabic az-zahr chance, luck]

Hazardous  adj. Risky.

Haze  n. 1 thin atmospheric vapour. 2 mental obscurity or confusion. [back-formation from *hazy]

Hazel  n. 1 hedgerow shrub bearing round brown edible nuts. 2 greenish-brown. [old english]

Hazelnut  n. Nut of the hazel.

Hazy  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 misty. 2 vague, indistinct. 3 confused, uncertain.  hazily adv. Haziness n. [origin unknown]

Hb  abbr. (of pencil-lead) hard black.

H-bomb  n. = *hydrogen bomb. [from *h3]

Hcf  abbr. Highest common factor.

He  abbr. 1 his or her excellency. 2 his eminence. 3 high explosive.

He  symb. Helium.

He  —pron. (obj. Him; poss. His; pl. They) 1 the man, boy, or male animal previously named or in question. 2 person etc. Of unspecified sex (if anyone comes he will have to wait; he who hesitates). —n. 1 male; man. 2 (in comb.) Male (he-goat). [old english]

Head  —n. 1 upper part of the human body, or foremost or upper part of an animal's body, containing the brain, mouth, and sense-organs. 2 a seat of intellect (use your head). B mental aptitude or tolerance (a good head for business; no head for heights). 3 thing like a head in form or position, esp.: a the operative part of a tool. B the top of a nail. C the leaves or flowers at the top of a stem. D foam on the top of a glass of beer etc. 4 a person in charge, esp. The principal teacher of a school. B position of command. 5 front part of a queue etc. 6 upper end of a table or bed etc. 7 top or highest part of a page, stairs, etc. 8 a individual person as a unit (£10 per head). B (pl. Same) individual animal as a unit (20 head). 9 a side of a coin bearing the image of a head. B (usu. In pl.) This as a choice when tossing a coin. 10 a source of a river etc. B end of a lake at which a river enters it. 11 height or length of a head as a measure. 12 part of a machine in contact with or very close to what is being worked on, esp.: a the part of a tape recorder that touches the moving tape and converts signals. B the part of a record-player that holds the playing cartridge and stylus. 13 (usu. In phr. Come to a head) climax, crisis. 14 a confined body of water or steam in an engine etc. B pressure exerted by this. 15 promontory (esp. In place-names) (beachy head). 16 heading or headline. 17 fully developed top of a boil etc. 18 colloq. Headache. 19 (attrib.) Chief, principal. —v. 1 be at the head or front of. 2 be in charge of. 3 provide with a head or heading. 4 (often foll. By for) face, move, or direct in a specified direction (is heading for trouble). 5 hit (a ball etc.) With the head.  above (or over) one's head beyond one's understanding. Come to a head reach a crisis. Get it into one's head (foll. By that) 1 adopt a mistaken idea. 2 form a definite plan. Give a person his (or her) head allow a person to act freely. Go to one's head 1 make one slightly drunk. 2 make one conceited. Head off 1 get ahead of so as to intercept and turn aside. 2 forestall. Keep (or lose) one's head remain (or fail to remain) calm. Off one's head slang crazy. Off the top of one's head colloq. Impromptu. On one's (or one's own) head as one's own responsibility. Out of one's head slang crazy. Over one's head 1 beyond one's understanding.

Headache  n. 1 continuous pain in the head. 2 colloq. Worrying problem.  headachy adj.

Headband  n. Band worn round the head as decoration or to confine the hair.

Headbanger  n. Slang 1 person who shakes his or her head violently to the rhythm of music; fan of loud music. 2 crazy or eccentric person.

Headboard  n. Upright panel at the head of a bed.

Head-butt  —n. Thrust with the head into the chin or body of another person. —v. Attack with a head-butt.

Headcount  n. 1 counting of individual people. 2 total number of people, esp. Employees.

Headdress  n. Covering for the head.

Header  n. 1 football shot or pass made with the head. 2 colloq. Headlong fall or dive. 3 brick etc. Laid at right angles to the face of a wall. 4 (in full header-tank) tank of water etc. Maintaining pressure in a plumbing system.

Head first  adv. 1 with the head foremost. 2 precipitately.

Headgear  n. Hat or headdress.

Head-hunting  n. 1 collecting of the heads of dead enemies as trophies. 2 seeking of (esp. Senior) staff by approaching people employed elsewhere.  head-hunt v. Head-hunter n.

Heading  n. 1 a title at the head of a page or section of a book etc. B section of a subject of discourse etc. 2 horizontal passage made in preparation for building a tunnel, or in a mine.

Head in the sand  n. Refusal to acknowledge danger or difficulty.

Headlamp  n. = *headlight.

Headland  n. Promontory.

Headlight  n. 1 strong light at the front of a vehicle. 2 beam from this.

Headline  n. 1 heading at the top of an article or page, esp. In a newspaper. 2 (in pl.) Summary of the most important items in a news bulletin.

Headlock  n. Wrestling hold with an arm round the opponent's head.

Headlong  adv. & adj. 1 with the head foremost. 2 in a rush.

Headman  n. Chief man of a tribe etc.

Headmaster  n. (fem. Headmistress) = *head teacher.

Head-on  adj. & adv. 1 with the front foremost (head-on crash). 2 in direct confrontation.

Head over heels  —n. Turning over completely in forward motion as in a somersault etc. —adv. Utterly (head over heels in love).

Headphones  n.pl. Set of earphones fitting over the head, for listening to audio equipment etc.

Headquarters  n. (as sing. Or pl.) Administrative centre of an organization.

Headrest  n. Support for the head, esp. On a seat.

Headroom  n. Space or clearance above a vehicle, person's head, etc.

Headscarf  n. Scarf worn round the head and tied under the chin.

Headset  n. Headphones, often with a microphone attached.

Headship  n. Position of head or chief, esp. In a school.

Headshrinker  n. Slang psychiatrist.

Headstall  n. Part of a halter or bridle fitting round a horse's head.

Head start  n. Advantage granted or gained at an early stage.

Headstone  n. Stone set up at the head of a grave.

Headstrong  adj. Self-willed.

Head teacher  n. Teacher in charge of a school.

Headwaters  n.pl. Streams flowing from the sources of a river.

Headway  n. 1 progress. 2 ship's rate of progress. 3 headroom.

Head wind  n. Wind blowing from directly in front.

Headword  n. Word forming a heading.

Heady  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 (of liquor) potent. 2 intoxicating, exciting. 3 impulsive, rash. 4 headachy.  headily adv. Headiness n.

Heal  v. 1 (often foll. By up) become sound or healthy again. 2 cause to heal. 3 put right (differences etc.). 4 alleviate (sorrow etc.).  healer n. [old english: related to *whole]

Health  n. 1 state of being well in body or mind. 2 person's mental or physical condition. 3 soundness, esp. Financial or moral. [old english: related to *whole]

Health centre  n. Building containing various local medical services and doctors' practices.

Health farm  n. Establishment offering improved health by a regime of dieting, exercise, etc.

Health food  n. Natural food, thought to promote good health.

Healthful  adj. Conducive to good health; beneficial.

Health service  n. Public service providing medical care.

Health visitor  n. Trained nurse who visits mothers and babies, or the sick or elderly, at home.

Healthy  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 having, showing, or promoting good health. 2 indicative of (esp. Moral or financial) health (a healthy sign). 3 substantial (won by a healthy 40 seconds).  healthily adv. Healthiness n.

Heap  —n. 1 disorderly pile. 2 (esp. In pl.) Colloq. Large number or amount. 3 slang dilapidated vehicle. —v. 1 (foll. By up, together, etc.) Collect or be collected in a heap. 2 (foll. By with) load copiously with. 3 (foll. By on, upon) give or offer copiously (heaped insults on them). [old english]

Hear  v. (past and past part. Heard) 1 (also absol.) Perceive with the ear. 2 listen to (heard them on the radio). 3 listen judicially to (a case etc.). 4 be told or informed. 5 (foll. By from) be contacted by, esp. By letter or telephone. 6 be ready to obey (an order). 7 grant (a prayer).  have heard of be aware of the existence of. Hear! Hear! Int. Expressing agreement. Hear a person out listen to all a person says. Will not hear of will not allow.  hearer n. [old english]

Hearing  n. 1 faculty of perceiving sounds. 2 range within which sounds may be heard (within hearing). 3 opportunity to state one's case (a fair hearing). 4 trial of a case before a court.

Hearing-aid  n. Small device to amplify sound, worn by a partially deaf person.

Hearken  v. Archaic (often foll. By to) listen. [old english: related to *hark]

Hearsay  n. Rumour, gossip.

Hearse  n. Vehicle for conveying the coffin at a funeral. [french herse harrow, from latin hirpex large rake]

Heart  n. 1 hollow muscular organ maintaining the circulation of blood by rhythmic contraction and dilation. 2 region of the heart; the breast. 3 a centre of thought, feeling, and emotion (esp. Love). B capacity for feeling emotion (has no heart). 4 a courage or enthusiasm (take heart). B mood or feeling (change of heart). 5 a central or innermost part of something. B essence (heart of the matter). 6 compact tender inner part of a lettuce etc. 7 a heart-shaped thing. B conventional representation of a heart with two equal curves meeting at a point at the bottom and a cusp at the top. 8 a playing-card of the suit denoted by a red figure of a heart. B (in pl.) This suit.  at heart 1 in one's inmost feelings. 2 basically. Break a person's heart overwhelm a person with sorrow. By heart from memory. Give (or lose) one's heart (often foll. By to) fall in love (with). Have the heart (usu. With neg.; foll. By to + infin.) Be insensitive or hard-hearted enough (didn't have the heart to ask him). Take to heart be much affected by. To one's heart's content see *content1. With all one's heart sincerely; with all goodwill. [old english]

Heartache  n. Mental anguish.

Heart attack  n. Sudden occurrence of coronary thrombosis.

Heartbeat  n. Pulsation of the heart.

Heartbreak  n. Overwhelming distress.  heartbreaking adj. Heartbroken adj.

Heartburn  n. Burning sensation in the chest from indigestion.

Hearten  v. Make or become more cheerful.  heartening adj.

Heart failure  n. Failure of the heart to function properly, esp. As a cause of death.

Heartfelt  adj. Sincere; deeply felt.

Hearth  n. 1 floor of a fireplace. 2 the home. [old english]

Hearthrug  n. Rug laid before a fireplace.

Heartily  adv. 1 in a hearty manner. 2 very (am heartily sick of it).

Heartland  n. Central part of an area.

Heartless  adj. Unfeeling, pitiless.  heartlessly adv.

Heart-lung machine  n. Machine that temporarily takes over the functions of the heart and lungs.

Heart-rending  adj. Very distressing.

Heart-searching  n. Examination of one's own feelings and motives.

Heartsick  adj. Despondent.

Heartstrings  n.pl. One's deepest feelings.

Heartthrob  n. Colloq. Person for whom one has (esp. Immature) romantic feelings.

Heart-to-heart  —attrib. Adj. (of a conversation etc.) Candid, intimate. —n. Candid or personal conversation.

Heart-warming  adj. Emotionally rewarding or uplifting.

Heartwood  n. Dense inner part of a tree-trunk, yielding the hardest timber.

Hearty  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 strong, vigorous. 2 (of a meal or appetite) large. 3 warm, friendly.  heartiness n.

Heat  —n. 1 condition of being hot. 2 physics form of energy arising from the motion of bodies' molecules. 3 hot weather. 4 warmth of feeling; anger or excitement. 5 (foll. By of) most intense part or period of activity (heat of battle). 6 (usu. Preliminary or trial) round in a race etc. —v. 1 make or become hot or warm. 2 inflame.  on heat (of mammals, esp. Females) sexually receptive. [old english]

Heated  adj. Angry; impassioned.  heatedly adv.

Heater  n. Stove or other heating device.

Heath  n. 1 area of flattish uncultivated land with low shrubs. 2 plant growing on a heath, esp. Heather. [old english]

Heathen  —n. 1 person not belonging to a predominant religion, esp. Not a christian, jew, or muslim. 2 person regarded as lacking culture or moral principles. —adj. 1 of heathens. 2 having no religion. [old english]

Heather  n. Any of various shrubs growing esp. On moors and heaths. [origin unknown]

Heath robinson  adj. Absurdly ingenious and impracticable. [name of a cartoonist]

Heating  n. 1 imparting or generation of heat. 2 equipment used to heat a building etc.

Heatproof  —adj. Able to resist great heat. —v. Make heatproof.

Heat shield  n. Device to protect (esp. A spacecraft) from excessive heat.

Heatwave  n. Period of unusually hot weather.

Heave  —v. (-ving; past and past part. Heaved or esp. Naut. Hove) 1 lift or haul with great effort. 2 utter with effort (heaved a sigh). 3 colloq. Throw. 4 rise and fall rhythmically or spasmodically. 5 naut. Haul by rope. 6 retch. —n. Heaving.  heave in sight come into view. Heave to esp. Naut. Bring or be brought to a standstill. [old english]

Heaven  n. 1 place regarded in some religions as the abode of god and the angels, and of the blessed after death. 2 place or state of supreme bliss. 3 colloq. Delightful thing. 4 (usu. Heaven) god, providence (often as an exclamation or mild oath: heavens). 5 (the heavens) esp. Poet. The sky as seen from the earth, in which the sun, moon, and stars appear.  heavenward adv. (also heavenwards). [old english]

Heavenly  adj. 1 of heaven; divine. 2 of the heavens or sky. 3 colloq. Very pleasing; wonderful.

Heavenly bodies  n.pl. The sun, stars, planets, etc.

Heaven-sent  adj. Providential.

Heavier-than-air  attrib. Adj. (of an aircraft) weighing more than the air it displaces.

Heavy  —adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 of great or unusually high weight; difficult to lift. 2 of great density (heavy metal). 3 abundant, considerable (heavy crop; heavy traffic). 4 severe, intense, extensive (heavy fighting; a heavy sleep). 5 doing a thing to excess (heavy drinker). 6 striking or falling with force; causing strong impact (heavy blows; heavy rain; heavy sea; a heavy fall). 7 (of machinery, artillery, etc.) Very large of its kind; large in calibre etc. 8 needing much physical effort (heavy work). 9 carrying heavy weapons (the heavy brigade). 10 serious or sombre in tone or attitude; dull, tedious. 11 a hard to digest. B hard to read or understand. 12 (of bread etc.) Too dense from not having risen. 13 (of ground) difficult to traverse or work. 14 oppressive; hard to endure (heavy demands). 15 a coarse, ungraceful (heavy features). B unwieldy. —n. (pl. -ies) 1 colloq. Large violent person; thug (esp. Hired). 2 villainous or tragic role or actor. 3 (usu. In pl.) Colloq. Serious newspaper. 4 anything large or heavy of its kind, e.g. A vehicle. —adv. Heavily (esp. In comb.: heavy-laden).

Heavy-duty  adj. Intended to withstand hard use.

Heavy going  n. Slow or difficult progress.

Heavy-handed  adj. 1 clumsy. 2 overbearing, oppressive.  heavy-handedly adv. Heavy-handedness n.

Heavy-hearted  adj. Sad, doleful.

Heavy hydrogen  n. = *deuterium.

Heavy industry  n. Industry producing metal, machinery, etc.

Heavy metal  n. 1 heavy guns. 2 metal of high density. 3 colloq. Loud kind of rock music with a pounding rhythm.

Heavy petting  n. Erotic fondling that stops short of intercourse.

Heavy water  n. Water composed of deuterium and oxygen.

Heavyweight  n. 1 a weight in certain sports, in amateur boxing over 81 kg. B sportsman of this weight. 2 person etc. Of above average weight. 3 colloq. Person of influence or importance.

Hebdomadal  adj. Formal weekly, esp. Meeting weekly. [greek hepta seven]

Hebe  n. Evergreen flowering shrub from new zealand. [greek goddess hebe]

Hebraic  adj. Of hebrew or the hebrews.

Hebrew  —n. 1 member of a semitic people orig. Centred in ancient palestine. 2 a their language. B modern form of this, used esp. In israel. —adj. 1 of or in hebrew. 2 of the hebrews or the jews. [hebrew, = one from the other side of the river]

Heck  int. Colloq. Mild exclamation of surprise or dismay. [a form of *hell]

Heckle  —v. (-ling) interrupt and harass (a public speaker). —n. Act of heckling.  heckler n. [var. Of *hackle]

Hectare  n. Metric unit of square measure, 100 ares (2.471 acres or 10,000 square metres). [french: related to *hecto-, *are2]

Hectic  adj. 1 busy and confused; excited. 2 feverish.  hectically adv. [greek hektikos habitual]

Hecto-  comb. Form hundred. [greek hekaton]

Hectogram  n. (also hectogramme) metric unit of mass equal to 100 grams.

Hector  —v. Bully, intimidate. —n. Bully. [from the name hector in the iliad]

He'd  contr. 1 he had. 2 he would.

Hedge  —n. 1 fence or boundary of dense bushes or shrubs. 2 protection against possible loss. —v. (-ging) 1 surround or bound with a hedge. 2 (foll. By in) enclose. 3 a reduce one's risk of loss on (a bet or speculation) by compensating transactions on the other side. B avoid committing oneself. [old english]

Hedgehog  n. Small insect-eating mammal with a piglike snout and a coat of spines, rolling itself up into a ball when attacked.

Hedge-hop  v. Fly at a very low altitude.

Hedgerow  n. Row of bushes etc. Forming a hedge.

Hedge sparrow  n. Common grey and brown bird; the dunnock.

Hedonism  n. 1 belief in pleasure as mankind's proper aim. 2 behaviour based on this.  hedonist n. Hedonistic adj. [greek hedone pleasure]

Heebie-jeebies  n.pl. (prec. By the) slang nervous anxiety, tension. [origin unknown]

Heed  —v. Attend to; take notice of. —n. Careful attention.  heedful adj. Heedless adj. Heedlessly adv. [old english]

Hee-haw  —n. Bray of a donkey. —v. Make a braying sound. [imitative]

Heel1  —n. 1 back of the foot below the ankle. 2 a part of a sock etc. Covering this. B part of a shoe etc. Supporting this. 3 thing like a heel in form or position. 4 crust end of a loaf of bread. 5 colloq. Scoundrel. 6 (as int.) Command to a dog to walk close to its owner's heel. —v. 1 fit or renew a heel on (a shoe etc.). 2 touch the ground with the heel as in dancing. 3 (foll. By out) rugby pass the ball with the heel.  at heel 1 (of a dog) close behind. 2 (of a person etc.) Under control. At (or on) the heels of following closely after (a person or event). Cool (or kick) one's heels be kept waiting. Down at heel 1 (of a shoe) with the heel worn down. 2 (of a person) shabby. Take to one's heels run away. To heel 1 (of a dog) close behind. 2 (of a person etc.) Under control. Turn on one's heel turn sharply round. [old english]

Heel2  —v. (often foll. By over) 1 (of a ship etc.) Lean over. 2 cause (a ship etc.) To do this. —n. Act or amount of heeling. [obsolete heeld, from germanic]

Heel3  var. Of *hele.

Heel3  var. Of *hele.

Heelball  n. 1 mixture of hard wax and lampblack used by shoemakers for polishing. 2 this or a similar mixture used in brass-rubbing.

Hefty  adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 (of a person) big and strong. 2 (of a thing) large, heavy, powerful.  heftily adv. Heftiness n. [heft weight: related to *heave]

Hegemony  n. Leadership, esp. By one state of a confederacy. [greek hegemon leader]

Hegira  n. (also hejira) 1 muhammad's flight from mecca in ad 622. 2 muslim era reckoned from this date. [arabic hijra departure]

Heifer  n. Young cow, esp. One that has not had more than one calf. [old english]

Height  n. 1 measurement from base to top or head to foot. 2 elevation above the ground or a recognized level. 3 considerable elevation (situated at a height). 4 high place or area. 5 top. 6 a most intense part or period (battle was at its height). B extreme example (the height of fashion). [old english]

Heighten  v. Make or become higher or more intense.

Heinous  adj. Utterly odious or wicked. [french haïr hate]

Heir  n. (fem. Heiress) person entitled to property or rank as the legal successor of its former holder. [latin heres hered-]

Heir apparent  n. Heir whose claim cannot be set aside by the birth of another heir.

Heirloom  n. 1 piece of personal property that has been in a family for several generations. 2 piece of property as part of an inheritance.

Heir presumptive  n. Heir whose claim may be set aside by the birth of another heir.

Hejira  var. Of *hegira.

Held  past and past part. Of *hold1.

Hele  v. (-ling) (also heel) (foll. By in) set (a plant) in the ground temporarily and cover its roots. [old english]

Helical  adj. Having the form of a helix.

Helices  pl. Of *helix.

Helicopter  n. Wingless aircraft obtaining lift and propulsion from horizontally revolving overhead blades. [greek: related to *helix, pteron wing]

Helio-  comb. Form sun. [greek helios sun]

Heliocentric  adj. 1 regarding the sun as centre. 2 considered as viewed from the sun's centre.

Heliograph  —n. 1 signalling apparatus reflecting sunlight in flashes. 2 message sent by means of this. —v. Send (a message) by heliograph.

Heliotrope  n. Plant with fragrant purple flowers. [greek: related to *helio-, trepo turn]

Heliport  n. Place where helicopters take off and land.

Helium  n. Light inert gaseous element used in airships and as a refrigerant. [related to *helio-]

Helix  n. (pl. Helices) spiral curve (like a corkscrew) or coiled curve (like a watch spring). [latin from greek]

Hell  —n. 1 place regarded in some religions as the abode of the dead, or of devils and condemned sinners. 2 place or state of misery or wickedness. —int. Expressing anger, surprise, etc.  the hell (usu. Prec. By what, where, who, etc.) Expressing anger, disbelief, etc. (who the hell is this?; the hell you are!). Beat etc. The hell out of colloq. Beat etc. Without restraint.

He'll  contr. He will; he shall.

Hell-bent  adj. (foll. By on) recklessly determined.

Hellebore  n. Evergreen plant with usu. White, purple, or green flowers, e.g. The christmas rose. [greek (h)elleborus]

Hellene  n. 1 native of modern greece. 2 ancient greek.  hellenic adj. [greek]

Hellenism  n. (esp. Ancient) greek character or culture.  hellenist n.

Hellenistic  adj. Of greek history, language, and culture of the late 4th to the late 1st c. Bc.

Hell-fire  n. Fire(s) regarded as existing in hell.

Hell for leather  adv. At full speed.

Hell-hole  n. Oppressive or unbearable place.

Hellish  —adj. 1 of or like hell. 2 colloq. Extremely difficult or unpleasant. —adv. Colloq. Extremely (hellish expensive).  hellishly adv.

Hello  (also hallo, hullo) —int. Expression of informal greeting, or of surprise, or to call attention. —n. (pl. -s) cry of ‘hello’. [var. Of earlier hollo]

Hell's angel  n. Member of a gang of male motor-cycle enthusiasts notorious for outrageous and violent behaviour.

Helm  n. Tiller or wheel for controlling a ship's rudder.  at the helm in control; at the head of an organization etc. [old english]