10 letter word starting with h

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Words Parts of Speech Meaning/Definition/Similar Words
habilatory adjective Of or pertaining to clothing; wearing clothes.
habiliment noun A garment; an article of clothing., Dress, in general.
habilitate adjective Qualified or entitled., To fit out; to equip; to qualify; to entitle.
habiitancy noun Same as Inhabitancy.
habitation noun The act of inhabiting; state of inhabiting or dwelling, or of being inhabited; occupancy., Place of abode; settled dwelling; residence; house.
habituated imp. & past participle of Habituate
hackmatack noun The American larch (Larix Americana), a coniferous tree with slender deciduous leaves; also, its heavy, close-grained timber. Called also tamarack.
hackneying present participle & vb. noun of Hackney
hackneymen plural of Hackneyman
hackneyman noun A man who lets horses and carriages for hire.
haematitic adjective Of a blood-red color; crimson; (Bot.) brownish red.
haematolin noun See Haematoin.
haematosac noun A vascular sac connected, beneath the brain, in many fishes, with the infundibulum.
haematosin noun Hematin.
haematosis noun Same as Hematosis.
haematozoa plural of Haematozoon
haemometer noun Same as Hemadynamometer.
haemoscope noun An instrument devised by Hermann, for regulating and measuring the thickness of a layer of blood for spectroscopic examination.
hagiocracy noun Government by a priesthood; hierarchy.
hagiolatry noun The invocation or worship of saints.
hagioscope noun An opening made in the interior walls of a cruciform church to afford a view of the altar to those in the transepts; — called, in architecture, a squint.
hag-ridden adjective Ridden by a hag or witch; hence, afflicted with nightmare.
hair-brown adjective Of a clear tint of brown, resembling brown human hair. It is composed of equal proportions of red and green.
hair grass A grass with very slender leaves or branches; as the Agrostis scabra, and several species of Aira or Deschampsia.
hairspring noun The slender recoil spring which regulates the motion of the balance in a timepiece.
hairstreak noun A butterfly of the genus Thecla; as, the green hairstreak (T. rubi).
halberdier noun One who is armed with a halberd.
halcyonian adjective Halcyon; calm.
halcyonold adjective & noun See Alcyonoid.
half blood The relation between persons born of the same father or of the same mother, but not of both; as, a brother or sister of the half blood. See Blood, n., 2 and 4., A person so related to another., A person whose father and mother are of different races; a half-breed.
half-bound noun Having only the back and corners in leather, as a book.
half-breed adjective Half-blooded., A person who is blooded; the offspring of parents of different races, especially of the American Indian and the white race.
half-caste noun One born of a European parent on the one side, and of a Hindoo or Mohammedan on the other. Also adjective; as, half-caste parents.
halfcocked imp. & past participle of Halfcock
halfendeal adverb Half; by the part., A half part.
half-faced adjective Showing only part of the face; wretched looking; meager.
half-heard adjective Imperfectly or partly heard to the end.
half-sword noun Half the length of a sword; close fight.
halieutics noun A treatise upon fish or the art of fishing; ichthyology.
halisauria noun pl. The Enaliosauria.
halleluiah noun & interj. Alt. of Hallelujah
hallelujah noun & interj. Praise ye Jehovah; praise ye the Lord; — an exclamation used chiefly in songs of praise or thanksgiving to God, and as an expression of gratitude or adoration.
halloysite noun A claylike mineral, occurring in soft, smooth, amorphous masses, of a whitish color.
halogenous adjective Of the nature of a halogen.
haloxyline noun An explosive mixture, consisting of sawdust, charcoal, niter, and ferrocyanide of potassium, used as a substitute for gunpowder.
hamadryads plural of Hamadryad
hamesecken noun Alt. of Hamesucken
hamesucken noun The felonious seeking and invasion of a person in his dwelling house.
hammerable adjective Capable of being formed or shaped by a hammer.
hammerhead noun A shark of the genus Sphyrna or Zygaena, having the eyes set on projections from the sides of the head, which gives it a hammer shape. The Sphyrna zygaena is found in the North Atlantic. Called also hammer fish, and balance fish., A fresh-water fish; the stone-roller., An African fruit bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus); — so called from its large blunt nozzle.
hamshackle verb t. To fasten (an animal) by a rope binding the head to one of the fore legs; as, to hamshackle a horse or cow; hence, to bind or restrain; to curb.
handbarrow noun A frame or barrow, without a wheel, carried by hand.
handcuffed imp. & past participle of Handcuff
handfasted imp. & past participle of Handfast
handfastly adverb In a handfast or publicly pledged manner.
handicraft noun A trade requiring skill of hand; manual occupation; handcraft., A man who earns his living by handicraft; a handicraftsman.
handleable adjective Capable of being handled.
handmaiden noun A maid that waits at hand; a female servant or attendant.
handseling present participle & vb. noun of Handsel
handsomely adverb In a handsome manner., Carefully; in shipshape style.
handspring noun A somersault made with the assistance of the hands placed upon the ground.
hand-tight adjective As tight as can be made by the hand.
handyfight noun A fight with the hands; boxing.
handygripe noun Seizure by, or grasp of, the hand; also, close quarters in fighting.
hangers-on plural of Hanger-on
hanoverian adjective Of or pertaining to Hanover or its people, or to the House of Hanover in England., A native or naturalized inhabitant of Hanover; one of the House of Hanover.
hanselines noun A sort of breeches.
hansom cab A light, low, two-wheeled covered carriage with the driver’s seat elevated behind, the reins being passed over the top.
haranguing present participle & vb. noun of Harangue
harassment noun The act of harassing, or state of being harassed; worry; annoyance; anxiety.
harborless adjective Without a harbor; shelterless.
harborough Alt. of Harbrough
hard grass A name given to several different grasses, especially to the Roltbollia incurvata, and to the species of Aegilops, from one of which it is contended that wheat has been derived.
harddihead noun Hardihood.
harddihood noun Boldness, united with firmness and constancy of mind; bravery; intrepidity; also, audaciousness; impudence.
hard-shell adjective Unyielding; insensible to argument; uncompromising; strict.
hare’s-ear noun An umbelliferous plant (Bupleurum rotundifolium ); — so named from the shape of its leaves.
harmonical adjective Concordant; musical; consonant; as, harmonic sounds., Relating to harmony, — as melodic relates to melody; harmonious; esp., relating to the accessory sounds or overtones which accompany the predominant and apparent single tone of any string or sonorous body., Having relations or properties bearing some resemblance to those of musical consonances; — said of certain numbers, ratios, proportions, points, lines. motions, and the like.
harmonicon noun A small, flat, wind instrument of music, in which the notes are produced by the vibration of free metallic reeds.
harmonious adjective Adapted to each other; having parts proportioned to each other; symmetrical., Acting together to a common end; agreeing in action or feeling; living in peace and friendship; as, an harmonious family., Vocally or musically concordant; agreeably consonant; symphonious.
harmonized imp. & past participle of Harmonize
harmonizer noun One who harmonizes.
harnessing present participle & vb. noun of Harness
harpooning present participle & vb. noun of Harpoon
harpooneer noun An harpooner.
harpsichon noun A harpsichord.
harquebuse noun A firearm with match holder, trigger, and tumbler, made in the second half of the 15th century. the barrel was about forty inches long. A form of the harquebus was subsequently called arquebus with matchlock.
hart’s-ear noun An Asiatic species of Cacalia (C. Kleinia), used medicinally in India.
harvesting present participle & vb. noun of Harvest, a. & n., from Harvest, v. t.
harvestmen plural of Harvestman
harvestman noun A man engaged in harvesting., See Daddy longlegs, 1.
hatch-boat noun A vessel whose deck consists almost wholly of movable hatches; — used mostly in the fisheries.
hatchelled of Hatchel
hatcheling present participle & vb. noun of Hatchel
haubergeon noun See Habergeon.
haustellum noun The sucking proboscis of various insects. See Lepidoptera, and Diptera.
haustorium noun One of the suckerlike rootlets of such plants as the dodder and ivy.
hautboyist noun A player on the hautboy.
hay-cutter noun A machine in which hay is chopped short, as fodder for cattle.
hazardable adjective Liable to hazard or chance; uncertain; risky., Such as can be hazarded or risked.
headborrow noun The chief of a frankpledge, tithing, or decennary, consisting of ten families; — called also borsholder, boroughhead, boroughholder, and sometimes tithingman. See Borsholder., A petty constable.
headspring noun Fountain; source.
headstrong adjective Not easily restrained; ungovernable; obstinate; stubborn., Directed by ungovernable will, or proceeding from obstinacy.
healthless noun Without health, whether of body or mind; in firm., Not conducive to health; unwholesome.
healthsome adjective Wholesome; salubrious.
healthward adjective & adverb In the direction of health; as, a healthward tendency.
hearkening present participle & vb. noun of Hearken
hearselike adjective Suitable to a funeral.
heartbreak noun Crushing sorrow or grief; a yielding to such grief.
heartgrief noun Heartache; sorrow.
heartlings interj. An exclamation used in addressing a familiar acquaintance.
heartquake noun Trembling of the heart; trepidation; fear.
heartyhale adjective Good for the heart.
heathendom noun That part of the world where heathenism prevails; the heathen nations, considered collectively., Heathenism.
heathenish adjective Of or pertaining to the heathen; resembling or characteristic of heathens., Rude; uncivilized; savage; cruel., Irreligious; as, a heathenish way of living.
heathenism noun The religious system or rites of a heathen nation; idolatry; paganism., The manners or morals usually prevalent in a heathen country; ignorance; rudeness; barbarism.
heathenize verb t. To render heathen or heathenish.
heavenward a & adverb Toward heaven.
heavy spar Native barium sulphate or barite, — so called because of its high specific gravity as compared with other non-metallic minerals.
hebdomadal adjective Alt. of Hebdomadary
hebetating present participle & vb. noun of Hebetate
hebetation noun The act of making blunt, dull, or stupid., The state of being blunted or dulled.
hebraistic adjective Pertaining to, or resembling, the Hebrew language or idiom.
hebraizing present participle & vb. noun of Hebraize
hectograph noun A contrivance for multiple copying, by means of a surface of gelatin softened with glycerin.
hectoliter noun Alt. of Hectolitre
hectolitre noun A measure of liquids, containing a hundred liters; equal to a tenth of a cubic meter, nearly 26/ gallons of wine measure, or 22.0097 imperial gallons. As a dry measure, it contains ten decaliters, or about 2/ Winchester bushels.
hectometer noun Alt. of Hectometre
hectometre noun A measure of length, equal to a hundred meters. It is equivalent to 328.09 feet.
hectostere noun A measure of solidity, containing one hundred cubic meters, and equivalent to 3531.66 English or 3531.05 United States cubic feet.
heddle-eye noun The eye or loop formed in each heddle to receive a warp thread.
hedonistic adjective Same as Hedonic, 2.
heeltapped imp. & past participle of Heeltap
heightened imp. & past participle of Heighten
heightener noun One who, or that which, heightens.
hektoliter noun Alt. of Hektometer
hektometer noun Same as Hectare, Hectogram, Hectoliter, and Hectometer.
hektograph noun See Hectograph.
heliacally adverb In a heliacal manner.
helianthin noun An artificial, orange dyestuff, analogous to tropaolin, and like it used as an indicator in alkalimetry; — called also methyl orange.
heliciform adjective Having the form of a helix; spiral.
helicoidal adjective Same as Helicoid.
heliconian adjective Of or pertaining to Helicon., Like or pertaining to the butterflies of the genus Heliconius.
heliograph noun A picture taken by heliography; a photograph., An instrument for taking photographs of the sun., An apparatus for telegraphing by means of the sun’s rays. See Heliotrope, 3.
heliolater noun A worshiper of the sun.
heliolatry noun Sun worship. See Sabianism.
heliometer noun An instrument devised originally for measuring the diameter of the sun; now employed for delicate measurements of the distance and relative direction of two stars too far apart to be easily measured in the field of view of an ordinary telescope.
heliometry noun The apart or practice of measuring the diameters of heavenly bodies, their relative distances, etc. See Heliometer.
helioscope noun A telescope or instrument for viewing the sun without injury to the eyes, as through colored glasses, or with mirrors which reflect but a small portion of light.
heliotrope noun An instrument or machine for showing when the sun arrived at the tropics and equinoctial line., A plant of the genus Heliotropium; — called also turnsole and girasole. H. Peruvianum is the commonly cultivated species with fragrant flowers., An instrument for making signals to an observer at a distance, by means of the sun’s rays thrown from a mirror., See Bloodstone (a).
heliotypic adjective Relating to, or obtained by, heliotypy.
hellanodic noun A judge or umpire in games or combats.
hellbender noun A large North American aquatic salamander (Protonopsis horrida or Menopoma Alleghaniensis). It is very voracious and very tenacious of life. Also called alligator, and water dog.
hellbrewed adjective Prepared in hell.
hell-diver noun The dabchick.
helldoomed adjective Doomed to hell.
helleborin noun A poisonous glucoside found in several species of hellebore, and extracted as a white crystalline substance with a sharp tingling taste. It possesses the essential virtues of the plant; — called also elleborin.
hellespont noun A narrow strait between Europe and Asia, now called the Daradanelles. It connects the Aegean Sea and the sea of Marmora.
hellgamite noun Alt. of Hellgramite
helminthes noun pl. One of the grand divisions or branches of the animal kingdom. It is a large group including a vast number of species, most of which are parasitic. Called also Enthelminthes, Enthelmintha.
helminthic adjective Of or relating to worms, or Helminthes; expelling worms., A vermifuge; an anthelmintic.
hemachrome noun Same as Haemachrome.
hemaphaein noun Same as Haemaphaein.
hemastatic adjective & noun Alt. of Hemastatical
hematocele noun A tumor filled with blood.
hematocrya noun pl. The cold-blooded vertebrates, that is, all but the mammals and birds; — the antithesis to Hematotherma.
hematoidin noun A crystalline or amorphous pigment, free from iron, formed from hematin in old blood stains, and in old hemorrhages in the body. It resembles bilirubin. When present in the corpora lutea it is called haemolutein.
hematology noun The science which treats of the blood.
hemelytron noun Alt. of Hemelytrum
hemelytrum noun One of the partially thickened anterior wings of certain insects, as of many Hemiptera, the earwigs, etc.
hemerobian noun A neuropterous insect of the genus Hemerobius, and allied genera.
hemicardia noun A lateral half of the heart, either the right or left.
hemicollin noun See Semiglutin.
hemicrania noun A pain that affects only one side of the head.
hemidactyl noun Any species of Old World geckoes of the genus Hemidactylus. The hemidactyls have dilated toes, with two rows of plates beneath.
hemiditone noun The lesser third.
hemigamous adjective Having one of the two florets in the same spikelet neuter, and the other unisexual, whether male or female; — said of grasses.
hemihedral adjective Having half of the similar parts of a crystals, instead of all; consisting of half the planes which full symmetry would require, as when a cube has planes only on half of its eight solid angles, or one plane out of a pair on each of its edges; or as in the case of a tetrahedron, which is hemihedral to an octahedron, it being contained under four of the planes of an octahedron.
hemihedron noun A solid hemihedrally derived. The tetrahedron is a hemihedron.
hemiplegia noun A palsy that affects one side only of the body.
hemipteral adjective Alt. of Hemipterous
hemipteran noun One of the Hemiptera; an hemipter.
hemisected imp. & past participle of Hemisect
hemisphere noun A half sphere; one half of a sphere or globe, when divided by a plane passing through its center., Half of the terrestrial globe, or a projection of the same in a map or picture., The people who inhabit a hemisphere.
hemitropal adjective Alt. of Hemitropous
hemoglobin noun The normal coloring matter of the red blood corpuscles of vertebrate animals. It is composed of hematin and globulin, and is also called haematoglobulin. In arterial blood, it is always combined with oxygen, and is then called oxyhemoglobin. It crystallizes under different forms from different animals, and when crystallized, is called haematocrystallin. See Blood crystal, under Blood.
hemophilia noun See Hematophilia.
hemoptysis noun The expectoration of blood, due usually to hemorrhage from the mucous membrane of the lungs.
hemorrhage noun Any discharge of blood from the blood vessels.
hemostatic adjective Of or relating to stagnation of the blood., Serving to arrest hemorrhage; styptic., A medicine or application to arrest hemorrhage.
henceforth adverb From this time forward; henceforward.
hendecagon noun A plane figure of eleven sides and eleven angles.
henotheism noun Primitive religion in which each of several divinities is regarded as independent, and is worshiped without reference to the rest.
henpecking present participle & vb. of Henpeck
hen’s-foot noun An umbelliferous plant (Caucalis daucoides).
hepatizing present participle & vb. noun of Hepatize
hepatocele noun Hernia of the liver.
hepatology noun The science which treats of the liver; a treatise on the liver.
heptachord noun A system of seven sounds., A lyre with seven chords., A composition sung to the sound of seven chords or tones.
heptagonal adjective Having seven angles or sides.
heptagynia noun pl. A Linnaean order of plants having seven pistils.
heptandria noun pl. A Linnaean class of plants having seven stamens.
heptarchic adjective Of or pertaining to a heptarchy; constituting or consisting of a heptarchy.
heptastich noun A composition consisting of seven lines or verses.
heptateuch noun The first seven books of the Testament.
heraldship noun The office of a herald.
herbaceous adjective Of or pertaining to herbs; having the nature, texture, or characteristics, of an herb; as, herbaceous plants; an herbaceous stem.
herbariums plural of Herbarium
herbergage noun Harborage; lodging; shelter; harbor.
herbescent adjective Growing into herbs.
herborized imp. & past participle of Herborize
herborough noun A harbor.
herb-women plural of Herb-woman
herb-woman noun A woman that sells herbs.
herdswoman noun A woman who tends a herd.
herea-bout adverb Alt. of Hereabouts
hereabouts adverb About this place; in this vicinity., Concerning this.
hereditary adjective Descended, or capable of descending, from an ancestor to an heir at law; received or passing by inheritance, or that must pass by inheritance; as, an hereditary estate or crown., Transmitted, or capable of being transmitted, as a constitutional quality or condition from a parent to a child; as, hereditary pride, bravery, disease.
heresiarch noun A leader in heresy; the chief of a sect of heretics.
hereticate verb t. To decide to be heresy or a heretic; to denounce as a heretic or heretical.
heretofore adverb Up to this time; hitherto; before; in time past.
heriotable adjective Subject to the payment of a heriot.
hermetical adjective Of, pertaining to, or taught by, Hermes Trismegistus; as, hermetic philosophy. Hence: Alchemical; chemic., Of or pertaining to the system which explains the causes of diseases and the operations of medicine on the principles of the hermetic philosophy, and which made much use, as a remedy, of an alkali and an acid; as, hermetic medicine., Made perfectly close or air-tight by fusion, so that no gas or spirit can enter or escape; as, an hermetic seal. See Note under Hermetically.
hermitical adjective Pertaining to, or suited for, a hermit.
herniotomy noun A cutting for the cure or relief of hernia; celotomy.
herodiones noun pl. A division of wading birds, including the herons, storks, and allied forms. Called also Herodii.
heroicness noun Heroism.
heroicomic adjective Alt. of Heroicomical
herrnhuter noun One of the Moravians; — so called from the settlement of Herrnhut (the Lord’s watch) made, about 1722, by the Moravians at the invitation of Nicholas Lewis, count of Zinzendorf, upon his estate in the circle of Bautzen.
hesitantly adverb With hesitancy or doubt.
hesitating present participle & vb. noun of Hesitate
hesitation noun The act of hesitating; suspension of opinion or action; doubt; vacillation., A faltering in speech; stammering.
hesitative adjective Showing, or characterized by, hesitation.
hesitatory adjective Hesitating.
hesperetin noun A white, crystalline substance having a sweetish taste, obtained by the decomposition of hesperidin, and regarded as a complex derivative of caffeic acid.
hesperides noun pl. The daughters of Hesperus, or Night (brother of Atlas), and fabled possessors of a garden producing golden apples, in Africa, at the western extremity of the known world. To slay the guarding dragon and get some of these apples was one of the labors of Hercules. Called also Atlantides., The garden producing the golden apples.
hesperidin noun A glucoside found in ripe and unripe fruit (as the orange), and extracted as a white crystalline substance.
heterarchy noun The government of an alien.
heterocera noun pl. A division of Lepidoptera, including the moths, and hawk moths, which have the antennae variable in form.
heterocyst noun A cell larger than the others, and of different appearance, occurring in certain algae related to nostoc.
heterodont adjective Having the teeth differentiated into incisors, canines, and molars, as in man; — opposed to homodont., Any animal with heterodont dentition.
heterodoxy noun An opinion or doctrine, or a system of doctrines, contrary to some established standard of faith, as the Scriptures, the creed or standards of a church, etc.; heresy.
heterogamy noun The process of fertilization in plants by an indirect or circuitous method; — opposed to orthogamy., That form of alternate generation in which two kinds of sexual generation, or a sexual and a parthenogenetic generation, alternate; — in distinction from metagenesis, where sexual and asexual generations alternate.
heterogene adjective Heterogenous.
heterogeny noun Heterogenesis.
heterogony noun The condition of having two or more kinds of flowers, different as to the length of their stamens and pistils.
heterology noun The absence of correspondence, or relation, in type of structure; lack of analogy between parts, owing to their being composed of different elements, or of like elements in different proportions; variation in structure from the normal form; — opposed to homology., The connection or relation of bodies which have partial identity of composition, but different characteristics and properties; the relation existing between derivatives of the same substance, or of the analogous members of different series; as, ethane, ethyl alcohol, acetic aldehyde, and acetic acid are in heterology with each other, though each in at the same time a member of a distinct homologous series. Cf. Homology.
heteromera noun pl. A division of Coleoptera, having heteromerous tarsi.
heteronomy noun Subordination or subjection to the law of another; political subjection of a community or state; — opposed to autonomy., A term applied by Kant to those laws which are imposed on us from without, or the violence done to us by our passions, wants, or desires.
heteropoda noun pl. An order of pelagic Gastropoda, having the foot developed into a median fin. Some of the species are naked; others, as Carinaria and Atlanta, have thin glassy shells.
heteropter noun One of the Heteroptera.
heterotaxy noun Variation in arrangement from that existing in a normal form; heterogenous arrangement or structure, as, in botany, the deviation in position of the organs of a plant, from the ordinary or typical arrangement.
heterotopy noun A deviation from the natural position; — a term applied in the case of organs or growths which are abnormal in situation., A deviation from the natural position of parts, supposed to be effected in thousands of years, by the gradual displacement of germ cells.
heulandite noun A mineral of the Zeolite family, often occurring in amygdaloid, in foliated masses, and also in monoclinic crystals with pearly luster on the cleavage face. It is a hydrous silicate of alumina and lime.
hexactinia noun pl. The Anthozoa.
hexadecane noun See Hecdecane.
hexagynian adjective Alt. of Hexagynous
hexagynous adjective Having six pistils.
hexahedral adjective In the form of a hexahedron; having six sides or faces.
hexahedron noun A solid body of six sides or faces.
hexamerous adjective In six parts; in sixes.
hexametric adjective Alt. of Hexametrical
hexandrian adjective Alt. of Hex-androus
hexangular adjective Having six angles or corners.
hexapodous adjective Having six feet; belonging to the Hexapoda.
hexavalent present participle Having a valence of six; — said of hexads.
hexdecylic adjective Pertaining to, or derived from, hexdecyl or hecdecane; as, hexdecylic alcohol.
hexicology noun The science which treats of the complex relations of living creatures to other organisms, and to their surrounding conditions generally.
hibernacle noun That which serves for protection or shelter in winter; winter quarters; as, the hibernacle of an animal or a plant.
hibernated imp. & past participle of Hibernate
hiccoughed imp. & past participle of Hiccough
hierapicra noun A warming cathartic medicine, made of aloes and canella bark.
hierarchal adjective Alt. of Hierarchic
hierarchic adjective Pertaining to a hierarch.
hierocracy noun Government by ecclesiastics; a hierarchy.
hieroglyph adjective Alt. of Hieroglyphic
hierolatry noun The worship of saints or sacred things.
hierologic adjective Alt. of Hierological
hieromancy noun Divination by observing the objects offered in sacrifice.
hiermartyr noun A priest who becomes a martyr.
hierophant noun The presiding priest who initiated candidates at the Eleusinian mysteries; hence, one who teaches the mysteries and duties of religion.
hieroscopy noun Divination by inspection of entrails of victims offered in sacrifice.
hierotheca noun A receptacle for sacred objects.
highbinder noun A ruffian; one who hounds, or spies upon, another; app. esp. to the members of certain alleged societies among the Chinese.
high-blown adjective Inflated, as with conceit.
high-built adjective Of lofty structure; tall.
high-flown adjective Elevated; proud., Turgid; extravagant; bombastic; inflated; as, high-flown language.
highflying adjective Extravagant in opinions or ambition.
highlander noun An inhabitant of highlands, especially of the Highlands of Scotland.
highlandry noun Highlanders, collectively.
high-proof adjective Highly rectified; very strongly alcoholic; as, high-proof spirits., So as to stand any test.
high-toned adjective High in tone or sound., Elevated; high-principled; honorable.
highwaymen plural of Highwayman
highwayman noun One who robs on the public road; a highway robber.
himyaritic adjective Pertaining to Himyar, an ancient king of Yemen, in Arabia, or to his successors or people; as, the Himjaritic characters, language, etc.; applied esp. to certain ancient inscriptions showing the primitive type of the oldest form of the Arabic, still spoken in Southern Arabia.
hinderance noun Same as Hindrance.
hinderling adjective A worthless, base, degenerate person or animal.
hindermost adjective Alt. of Hindmost
hindustani adjective Of or pertaining to the Hindoos or their language., The language of Hindostan; the name given by Europeans to the most generally spoken of the modern Aryan languages of India. It is Hindi with the addition of Persian and Arabic words.
hippobosca noun A genus of dipterous insects including the horsefly or horse tick.
hippocrene noun A fountain on Mount Helicon in Boeotia, fabled to have burst forth when the ground was struck by the hoof of Pegasus. Also, its waters, which were supposed to impart poetic inspiration.
hippodrome noun A place set apart for equestrian and chariot races., An arena for equestrian performances; a circus.
hippogriff noun A fabulous winged animal, half horse and half griffin.
hippophagi noun pl. Eaters of horseflesh.
hippophagy noun The act or practice of feeding on horseflesh.
hippophile noun One who loves horses.
hip-roofed adjective Having a hip roof.
hirtellous adjective Pubescent with minute and somewhat rigid hairs.
histiology noun Same as Histology.
histologic adjective Alt. of Histological
histolysis noun The decay and dissolution of the organic tissues and of the blood.
histolytic adjective Of or pertaining to histolysis, or the degeneration of tissues.
histophyly noun The tribal history of cells, a division of morphophyly.
historical adjective Of or pertaining to history, or the record of past events; as, an historical poem; the historic page.
histrionic adjective Alt. of Histrionical
hithermost adjective Nearest on this side.
hitherward adverb Toward this place; hither.
hoarsening present participle & vb. noun of Hoarsen
hoarseness noun Harshness or roughness of voice or sound, due to mucus collected on the vocal cords, or to swelling or looseness of the cords.
hobblebush noun A low bush (Viburnum lantanoides) having long, straggling branches and handsome flowers. It is found in the Northern United States. Called also shinhopple.
hobblingly adverb With a limping step.
hobbyhorse noun A strong, active horse, of a middle size, said to have been originally from Ireland; an ambling nag., A stick, often with the head or figure of a horse, on which boys make believe to ride., A subject or plan upon which one is constantly setting off; a favorite and ever-recurring theme of discourse, thought, or effort; that which occupies one’s attention unduly, or to the weariness of others; a ruling passion.
hornobbing present participle & vb. noun of Hobnob
hocuspocus noun A term used by jugglers in pretended incantations., A juggler or trickster., A juggler’s trick; a cheat; nonsense., To cheat.
hoddengray adjective Applied to coarse cloth made of undyed wool, formerly worn by Scotch peasants.
hoddydoddy noun An awkward or foolish person.
hodgepodge noun A mixed mass; a medley. See Hotchpot.
hoggerpipe noun The upper terminal pipe of a mining pump.
hog’s-back noun A hogback.
hoidenhood noun State of being a hoiden.
hollandish adjective Relating to Holland; Dutch.
hollowness noun State of being hollow., Insincerity; unsoundness; treachery.
holohedral adjective Having all the planes required by complete symmetry, — in opposition to hemihedral.
holophotal adjective Causing no loss of light; — applied to reflectors which throw back the rays of light without perceptible loss.
holophytic adjective Wholly or distinctively vegetable.
holorhinal adjective Having the nasal bones contiguous.
holosteric adjective Wholly solid; — said of a barometer constructed of solid materials to show the variations of atmospheric pressure without the use of liquids, as the aneroid.
holostraca noun pl. A division of phyllopod Crustacea, including those that are entirely covered by a bivalve shell.
holotricha noun pl. A group of ciliated Infusoria, having cilia all over the body.
holy cross The cross as the symbol of Christ’s crucifixion.
homageable adjective Subject to homage.
homaloidal adjective Flat; even; — a term applied to surfaces and to spaces, whether real or imagined, in which the definitions, axioms, and postulates of Euclid respecting parallel straight lines are assumed to hold true.
homaxonial adjective Relating to that kind of homology or symmetry, the mathematical conception of organic form, in which all axes are equal. See under Promorphology.
home-bound adjective Kept at home.
homeliness noun Domesticity; care of home., Familiarity; intimacy., Plainness; want of elegance or beauty., Coarseness; simplicity; want of refinement; as, the homeliness of manners, or language.
homeopathy noun The art of curing, founded on resemblances; the theory and its practice that disease is cured (tuto, cito, et jucunde) by remedies which produce on a healthy person effects similar to the symptoms of the complaint under which the patient suffers, the remedies being usually administered in minute doses. This system was founded by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, and is opposed to allopathy, or heteropathy.
homiletics noun The art of preaching; that branch of theology which treats of homilies or sermons, and the best method of preparing and delivering them.
homocercal adjective Having the tail nearly or quite symmetrical, the vertebral column terminating near its base; — opposed to heterocercal.
homodermic adjective Relating to homodermy; originating from the same germ layer.
homodromal adjective Alt. of Homodromous
homodynamy noun The homology of metameres. See Metamere.
homoeomery noun Same as Homoeomeria.
homoeozoic adjective Pertaining to, or including, similar forms or kinds of life; as, homoeozoic belts on the earth’s surface.
homogamous adjective Having all the flowers alike; — said of such composite plants as Eupatorium, and the thistels.
homogeneal adjective Homogeneous.
homogenous adjective Having a resemblance in structure, due to descent from a common progenitor with subsequent modification; homogenetic; — applied both to animals and plants. See Homoplastic.
homogonous adjective Having all the flowers of a plant alike in respect to the stamens and pistils.
homography noun That method of spelling in which every sound is represented by a single character, which indicates that sound and no other., A relation between two figures, such that to any point of the one corresponds one and but one point in the other, and vise versa. Thus, a tangent line rolling on a circle cuts two fixed tangents of the circle in two sets of points that are homographic.
homologate verb t. To approve; to allow; to confirm; as, the court homologates a proceeding.
homologize verb t. To determine the homologies or structural relations of.
homologous adjective Having the same relative position, proportion, value, or structure., Corresponding in relative position and proportion., Having the same relative proportion or value, as the two antecedents or the two consequents of a proportion., Characterized by homology; belonging to the same type or series; corresponding in composition and properties. See Homology, 3., Being of the same typical structure; having like relations to a fundamental type to structure; as, those bones in the hand of man and the fore foot of a horse are homologous that correspond in their structural relations, that is, in their relations to the type structure of the fore limb in vertebrates.
homomorphy noun Similarity of form; resemblance in external characters, while widely different in fundamental structure; resemblance in geometric ground form. See Homophyly, Promorphology.
homonomous adjective Of or pertaining to homonomy.
homonymous adjective Having the same name or designation; standing in the same relation; — opposed to heteronymous., Having the same name or designation, but different meaning or relation; hence, equivocal; ambiguous.
homoousian noun One of those, in the 4th century, who accepted the Nicene creed, and maintained that the Son had the same essence or substance with the Father; — opposed to homoiousian., Of or pertaining to the Homoousians, or to the doctrines they held.
homophonic adjective Alt. of Homophonous
homophylic adjective Relating to homophily.
homoplasmy noun Resemblance between different plants or animals, in external shape, in general habit, or in organs, which is not due to descent from a common ancestor, but to similar surrounding circumstances.
homoplasty noun The formation of homologous tissues.
homopteran noun An homopter.
homostyled adjective Having only one form of pistils; — said of the flowers of some plants.
homotaxial adjective Alt. of Homotaxic
homotonous adjective Of the same tenor or tone; equable; without variation.
homotropal adjective Alt. of Homotropous
homunculus noun A little man; a dwarf; a manikin.
honestetee noun Honesty; honorableness.
honeystone noun See Mellite.
honorarium adjective Alt. of Honorary
hookedness noun The state of being bent like a hook; incurvation.
hook-nosed adjective Having a hooked or aquiline nose.
hoonoomaun noun An Indian monkey. See Entellus.
hopperings noun Gravel retaining in the hopper of a cradle.
hoppestere adjective An unexplained epithet used by Chaucer in reference to ships. By some it is defined as “dancing (on the wave)”; by others as “opposing,” “warlike.”
hopplebush noun Same as Hobblebush.
horizontal adjective Pertaining to, or near, the horizon., Parallel to the horizon; on a level; as, a horizontalline or surface., Measured or contained in a plane of the horizon; as, horizontal distance.
hornblende noun The common black, or dark green or brown, variety of amphibole. (See Amphibole.) It belongs to the aluminous division of the species, and is also characterized by its containing considerable iron. Also used as a general term to include the whole species.
hornblower noun One who, or that which, blows a horn.
hornedness noun The condition of being horned.
horography noun An account of the hours., The art of constructing instruments for making the hours, as clocks, watches, and dials.
horologist noun One versed in horology.
horopteric adjective Of or pertaining to the horopter.
horoscoper noun Alt. of Horoscopist
horrendous adjective Fearful; frightful.
horridness noun The quality of being horrid.
horrifying present participle & vb. noun of Horrify
horseflesh noun The flesh of horses., Horses, generally; the qualities of a horse; as, he is a judge of horseflesh.
horseflies plural of Horsefly
horselaugh noun A loud, boisterous laugh; a guffaw.
horseshoer noun One who shoes horses.
horsewomen plural of Horsewoman
horsewoman noun A woman who rides on horseback.
hortensial adjective Fit for a garden.
hospitable adjective Receiving and entertaining strangers or guests with kindness and without reward; kind to strangers and guests; characterized by hospitality., Proceeding from or indicating kindness and generosity to guests and strangers; as, hospitable rites.
hospitably adverb In a hospitable manner.
hospitaler noun One residing in a hospital, for the purpose of receiving the poor, the sick, and strangers., One of an order of knights who built a hospital at Jerusalem for pilgrims, A. D. 1042. They were called Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, and after the removal of the order to Malta, Knights of Malta.
hotchpotch noun A mingled mass; a confused mixture; a stew of various ingredients; a hodgepodge., A blending of property for equality of division, as when lands given in frank-marriage to one daughter were, after the death of the ancestor, blended with the lands descending to her and to her sisters from the same ancestor, and then divided in equal portions among all the daughters. In modern usage, a mixing together, or throwing into a common mass or stock, of the estate left by a person deceased and the amounts advanced to any particular child or children, for the purpose of a more equal division, or of equalizing the shares of all the children; the property advanced being accounted for at its value when given.
hotcockles noun A childish play, in which one covers his eyes, and guesses who strikes him or his hand placed behind him.
hotel-dieu noun A hospital.
hot-headed adjective Fiery; violent; rash; hasty; impetuous; vehement.
hotpressed adjective Pressed while heat is applied. See Hotpress, v. t.
hotspurred adjective Violent; impetuous; headstrong.
hover-hawk noun The kestrel.
hoveringly adverb In a hovering manner.
huckstered imp. & past participle of Huckster
hucksterer noun A huckster.
huckstress noun A female huckster.
hullabaloo noun A confused noise; uproar; tumult.
hulotheism noun See Hylotheism.
humanistic adjective Of or pertaining to humanity; as, humanistic devotion., Pertaining to polite kiterature.
humanitian noun A humanist.
humanities plural of Humanity
humanizing present participle & vb. noun of Humanize
humblehead noun Humble condition or estate; humility.
humbleness noun The quality of being humble; humility; meekness.
humbugging present participle & vb. noun of Humbug
humbuggery noun The practice of imposition.
humiliated imp. & past participle of Humiliate
humilities plural of Humility
hummocking noun The process of forming hummocks in the collision of Arctic ice.
humoralism noun The state or quality of being humoral., The doctrine that diseases proceed from the humors; humorism.
humoralist noun One who favors the humoral pathology or believes in humoralism.
humoristic adjective Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a humorist.
humorously adverb Capriciously; whimsically., Facetiously; wittily.
humpbacked adjective Having a humped back.
hunger-bit adjective Alt. of Hunger-bitten
hurdlework noun Work after manner of a hurdle.
hurryingly adverb In a hurrying manner.
husbanding present participle & vb. noun of Husband
husbandage noun The commission or compensation allowed to a ship’s husband.
husbandmen plural of Husbandman
husbandman noun The master of a family., A farmer; a cultivator or tiller of the ground.
huyghenian adjective Pertaining to, or invented by, Christian Huyghens, a Dutch astronomer of the seventeenth century; as, the Huyghenian telescope.
hyalograph noun An instrument for tracing designs on glass.
hyalophane noun A species of the feldspar group containing barium. See Feldspar.
hybernacle Alt. of Hybernation
hybridized imp. & past participle of Hybridize
hybridizer noun One who hybridizes.
hydatiform adjective Resembling a hydatid.
hydrachnid noun An aquatic mite of the genus Hydrachna. The hydrachnids, while young, are parasitic on fresh-water mussels.
hydragogue adjective Causing a discharge of water; expelling serum effused into any part of the body, as in dropsy., A hydragogue medicine, usually a cathartic or diuretic.
hydrastine noun An alkaloid, found in the rootstock of the golden seal (Hydrastis Canadensis), and extracted as a bitter, white, crystalline substance. It is used as a tonic and febrifuge.
hydraulics noun That branch of science, or of engineering, which treats of fluids in motion, especially of water, its action in rivers and canals, the works and machinery for conducting or raising it, its use as a prime mover, and the like.
hydriodate noun Same as Hydriodide.
hydriodide noun A compound of hydriodic acid with a base; — distinguished from an iodide, in which only the iodine combines with the base.
hydrocauli plural of Hydrocaulus
hydrognosy noun A treatise upon, or a history and description of, the water of the earth.
hydroguret noun A hydride.
hydrolytic adjective Tending to remove or separate water; eliminating water.
hydromancy noun Divination by means of water, — practiced by the ancients.
hydrometer noun An instrument for determining the specific gravities of liquids, and thence the strength spirituous liquors, saline solutions, etc., An instrument, variously constructed, used for measuring the velocity or discharge of water, as in rivers, from reservoirs, etc., and called by various specific names according to its construction or use, as tachometer, rheometer, hydrometer, pendulum, etc.; a current gauge.
hydrometry noun The art of determining the specific gravity of liquids, and thence the strength of spirituous liquors, saline solutions, etc., The art or operation of measuring the velocity or discharge of running water, as in rivers, etc.
hydropathy noun The water cure; a mode of treating diseases by the copious and frequent use of pure water, both internally and externally.
hydrophane noun A semitranslucent variety of opal that becomes translucent or transparent on immersion in water.
hydrophoby noun See Hydrophobia.
hydrophora noun pl. The Hydroidea.
hydrophore noun An instrument used for the purpose of obtaining specimens of water from any desired depth, as in a river, a lake, or the ocean.
hydrophyte noun An aquatic plant; an alga.
hydropical adjective Dropsical, or resembling dropsy.
hydropiper noun A species (Polygonum Hydropiper) of knotweed with acrid foliage; water pepper; smartweed.
hydrorhiza noun The rootstock or decumbent stem by which a hydroid is attached to other objects. See Illust. under Hydroidea.
hydroscope noun An instrument designed to mark the presence of water, especially in air., A kind of water clock, used anciently for measuring time, the water tricking from an orifice at the end of a graduated tube.
hydrotheca noun One of the calicles which, in some Hydroidea (Thecaphora), protect the hydrants. See Illust. of Hydroidea, and Campanularian.
hydrotical adjective Hydrotic.
hydrotrope noun A device for raising water by the direct action of steam; a pulsometer.
hydrozoons plural of Hydrozoon
hyetograph noun A chart or graphic representation of the average distribution of rain over the surface of the earth.
hygrograph noun An instrument for recording automatically the variations of the humidity of the atmosphere.
hygrometer noun An instrument for measuring the degree of moisture of the atmosphere.
hygrometry noun That branch of physics which relates to the determination of the humidity of bodies, particularly of the atmosphere, with the theory and use of the instruments constructed for this purpose.
hygroplasm noun The fluid portion of the cell protoplasm, in opposition to stereoplasm, the solid or insoluble portion. The latter is supposed to be partly nutritive and partly composed of idioplasm.
hygroscope noun An instrument which shows whether there is more or less moisture in the atmosphere, without indicating its amount.
hylaeosaur noun Alt. of Hylaeosaurus
hylotheism noun The doctrine of belief that matter is God, or that there is no God except matter and the universe; pantheism. See Materialism.
hylotheist noun One who believes in hylotheism.
hymenogeny noun The production of artificial membranes by contact of two fluids, as albumin and fat, by which the globules of the latter are surrounded by a thin film of the former.
hymenopter noun One of the Hymenoptera.
hyoglossal adjective Pertaining to or connecting the tongue and hyodean arch; as, the hyoglossal membrane., Of or pertaining to the hyoglossus muscle.
hyoglossus noun A flat muscle on either side of the tongue, connecting it with the hyoid bone.
hyopastron noun The second lateral plate in the plastron of turtles; — called also hyosternum.
hyoscyamus noun A genus of poisonous plants of the Nightshade family; henbane., The leaves of the black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger), used in neuralgic and pectorial troubles.
hyosternal adjective Between the hyoid bone and the sternum, or pertaining to them; infrahyoid; as, the hyosternal region of the neck., Pertaining to the hyosternum of turtles.
hyosternum noun See Hyoplastron.
hypaethral adjective Alt. of Hypethral
hypanthium noun A fruit consisting in large part of a receptacle, enlarged below the calyx, as in the Calycanthus, the rose hip, and the pear.
hyperaemia noun A superabundance or congestion of blood in an organ or part of the body.
hyperbatic adjective Of or pertaining to an hyperbaton; transposed; inverted.
hyperbaton noun A figurative construction, changing or inverting the natural order of words or clauses; as, “echoed the hills” for “the hills echoed.”
hyperbolic adjective Alt. of Hyperbolical
hyperdulia noun Veneration or worship given to the Virgin Mary as the most exalted of mere creatures; higher veneration than dulia.
hypermeter noun A verse which has a redundant syllable or foot; a hypercatalectic verse., Hence, anything exceeding the ordinary standard.
hyperoxide noun A compound having a relatively large percentage of oxygen; a peroxide.
hyperspace noun An imagined space having more than three dimensions.
hyphenated adjective United by hyphens; hyphened; as, a hyphenated or hyphened word.
hypnagogic adjective Leading to sleep; — applied to the illusions of one who is half asleep.
hypnogenic adjective Relating to the production of hypnotic sleep; as, the so-called hypnogenic pressure points, pressure upon which is said to cause an attack of hypnotic sleep.
hypnotized imp. & past participle of Hypnotize
hypnotizer noun One who hypnotizes.
hypocleida plural of Hypocleidium
hypocritic adjective See Hypocritical.
hypodermic adjective Of or pertaining to the parts under the skin.
hypodermis noun Same as Hypoblast., Same as Hypoderma, 2.
hypogynous adjective Inserted below the pistil or pistils; — said of sepals, petals, and stamens; having the sepals, petals, and stamens inserted below the pistil; — said of a flower or a plant.
hyponastic adjective Exhibiting a downward convexity caused by unequal growth. Cf. Epinastic.
hypophysis noun See Pituitary body, under Pituitary., Cataract.
hypoptilum noun An accessory plume arising from the posterior side of the stem of the contour feathers of many birds; — called also aftershaft. See Illust. of Feather.
hyporadius noun One of the barbs of the hypoptilum, or aftershaft of a feather. See Feather.
hypostases plural of Hypostasis
hypostasis noun That which forms the basis of anything; underlying principle; a concept or mental entity conceived or treated as an existing being or thing., Substance; subsistence; essence; person; personality; — used by the early theologians to denote any one of the three subdivisions of the Godhead, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit., Principle; an element; — used by the alchemists in speaking of salt, sulphur, and mercury, which they considered as the three principles of all material bodies., That which is deposited at the bottom of a fluid; sediment.
hypostatic adjective Alt. of Hypostatical
hyposterna plural of Hyposternum
hypotarsus noun A process on the posterior side of the tarsometatarsus of many birds; the calcaneal process.
hypotenuse noun Alt. of Hypothenuse
hypothenal adjective Alt. of Hypothenar
hypothenar adjective Of or pertaining to the prominent part of the palm of the hand above the base of the little finger, or a corresponding part in the forefoot of an animal; as, the hypothenar eminence., The hypothenar eminence.
hypotheses plural of Hypothesis
hypothesis noun A supposition; a proposition or principle which is supposed or taken for granted, in order to draw a conclusion or inference for proof of the point in question; something not proved, but assumed for the purpose of argument, or to account for a fact or an occurrence; as, the hypothesis that head winds detain an overdue steamer., A tentative theory or supposition provisionally adopted to explain certain facts, and to guide in the investigation of others; hence, frequently called a working hypothesis.
hypothetic adjective Alt. of Hypothetical
hypotricha noun pl. A division of ciliated Infusoria in which the cilia cover only the under side of the body.
hyppogriff noun See Hyppogriff.
hypsometer noun An instrument for measuring heights by observation of barometric pressure; esp., one for determining heights by ascertaining the boiling point of water. It consists of a vessel for water, with a lamp for heating it, and an inclosed thermometer for showing the temperature of ebullition.
hypsometry noun That branch of the science of geodesy which has to do with the measurement of heights, either absolutely with reference to the sea level, or relatively.
hyracoidea noun pl. An order of small hoofed mammals, comprising the single living genus Hyrax.
hysteresis noun A lagging or retardation of the effect, when the forces acting upon a body are changed, as if from velocity or internal friction; a temporary resistance to change from a condition previously induced, observed in magnetism, thermoelectricity, etc., on reversal of polarity.
hysterical adjective Of or pertaining to hysteria; affected, or troubled, with hysterics; convulsive, fitful.
hystricine adjective Like or pertaining to the porcupines.