he ['hē, ē] -pron

  1. that male one who is neither speaker nor hearer
    • he is my father
  2. used in a generic sense or when the sex of the person is unspecified
    • he that hath ears to hear, let him hear -- Mt 11:15(AV)
    • one should do the best he can
  3. a male person or animal
  4. one that is strongly masculine or has strong masculine appeal usu. used in combination
    • that's what I call he -literature -- Sinclair Lewis
  5. the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet

He -symbol

  1. helium

HE -abbr

  1. Her Excellency; His Excellency
  2. high explosive
  3. His Eminence

head ['hed] -n

  1. the upper or anterior division of the animal body that contains the brain, the chief sense organs, and the mouth
  2. the seat of the intellect : mind
    • two head s are better than one
  3. a person with respect to mental qualities
    • let wiser head s prevail
  4. natural aptitude or talent
    • a good head for figures
  5. mental or emotional control : poise
    • a level head
  6. headache
  7. the obverse of a coin usu. used in pl.
  8. person, individual
    • count head s
  9. one of a number (as of domestic animals)
  10. the end that is upper or higher or opposite the foot
    • the head of the table
    • head of a sail
  11. the source of a stream
  12. either end of something (as a drum) whose two ends need not be distinguished
  13. : director, leader: as
  14. headmaster
  15. one in charge of a division or department in an office or institution
  16. capitulum
  17. the foliaged part of a plant esp. when consisting of a compact mass of leaves or close fructification
    • a head of lettuce
  18. the leading element of a military column or a procession
  19. headway
  20. the uppermost extremity or projecting part of an object : top
  21. the striking part of a weapon, tool, or implement
  22. the rounded proximal end of a long bone (as the humerus)
  23. the end of a muscle nearest the origin
  24. the oval part of a printed musical note
  25. a body of water kept in reserve at a height
  26. the containing bank, dam, or wall
  27. a mass of water in motion
  28. the difference in elevation between two points in a body of fluid
  29. the resulting pressure of the fluid at the lower point expressible as this height
  30. pressure of a fluid
  31. the bow and adjacent parts of a ship
  32. a ship's toilet
  33. toilet
  34. the approximate length of the head of a horse
    • won by a head
  35. the place of leadership, honor, or command
    • at the head of her class
  36. a word or series of words often in larger letters placed at the beginning of a passage or at the top of a page in order to introduce or categorize
  37. a separate part or topic
  38. a portion of a page or sheet that is above the first line of printing
  39. the foam or scum that rises on a fermenting or effervescing liquid (as beer)
  40. the part of a boil, pimple, or abscess at which it is likely to break
  41. culminating point of action : crisis
    • events came to a head
  42. a part or attachment of a machine or machine tool containing a device (as a cutter or drill)
  43. the part of an apparatus that performs the chief function or a particular function
  44. an electromagnet used as a transducer in magnetic recording for recording on, reading, or erasing a magnetic medium (as tape or a disk)
  45. an immediate constituent of a construction that can have the same grammatical function as the whole (as manin an old man, a very old man, or the man in the street)
  46. one who uses a drug often used in combination
    • pot head
  47. a devoted enthusiast : aficionado often used in combination
    • computer head
  48. fellatio, cunnilingus usu. used with give
  49. of, relating to, or intended for the head
  50. principal, chief
    • head cook
  51. situated at the head
  52. coming from in front
    • head sea
  53. behead
  54. to put a head on : fit a head to
    • head an arrow
  55. to form the head or top of
    • tower head ed by a spire
  56. to act as leader or head to
    • head a revolt
  57. to get in front of so as to hinder, stop, or turn back
  58. to take a lead over (as a racehorse) : surpass
  59. to pass (a stream) by going round above the source
  60. to put something at the head of (as a list)
  61. to stand as the first or leading member of
    • head s the list of heroes
  62. to set the course of
    • head a ship northward
  63. to drive (as a soccer ball) with the head
  64. to form a head
    • this cabbage head s early
  65. to point or proceed in a certain direction
    • the fleet was head ing out
  66. to have a source : originate

head·ache ['hed-,āk] -n, adj

  1. pain in the head
  2. a vexatious or baffling situation or problem
    • meetings had become a giant headache -- Franklin Foer

head and shoulders -adv

  1. beyond comparison : by far
    • head and shoulders above the competition

head·band ['hed-,band] -n

  1. a band worn on or around the head
  2. a narrow strip of cloth sewn or glued by hand to a book at the extreme ends of the spine

head·bang·er ['hed-,baŋ-ər] -n

  1. a musician who performs hard rock
  2. a fan of hard rock

head·board [-,bȯrd] -n

  1. a board forming the head (as of a bed)

head case -n

  1. nut

head·cheese [-,chēz] -n

  1. a jellied loaf or sausage made from edible parts of the head, feet, and sometimes the tongue and heart esp. of a pig

head cold -n

  1. a common cold centered in the nasal passages and adjacent mucous tissues

head·dress ['hed-,dres] -n

  1. an often elaborate covering for the head

head·ed ['he-dəd] -adj

  1. having a head or a heading
  2. having a head or heads of a specified kind or number used in combination
    • became light- headed from the fever
    • a round headed screw

head·end ['hed-,end] -n

  1. equipment or a facility which receives communications signals (as cable television broadcasts) for distribution to a local region

head·er ['he-dər] -n

  1. one that removes heads
  2. a grain-harvesting machine that cuts off the grain heads and elevates them to a wagon
  3. a brick or stone laid in a wall with its end toward the face of the wall
  4. a beam fitted at one side of an opening to support free ends of floor joists, studs, or rafters
  5. a horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening : lintel
  6. a conduit (as an exhaust pipe for a many-cylindered engine) into which a number of smaller conduits open
  7. a mounting plate through which electrical terminals pass from a sealed device (as a transistor)
  8. a fall or dive headfirst
    • took a header into the pool
  9. a shot or pass in soccer made by heading the ball
  10. head

head·first ['hed-'fərst] -adv, adj

  1. with the head foremost
    • dove headfirst into the waves
  2. headlong

head·fore·most [-'fōr-,mōst, -'fȯr-] -adv

  1. headfirst

head game -n

  1. mind game

head·gate ['hed-,gāt] -n

  1. a gate for controlling the water flowing into a channel (as an irrigation ditch)

head·gear [-,gir] -n

  1. a covering or protective device for the head
  2. a harness for a horse's head

head·hunt ['hed-,hənt] -vt

  1. to recruit (personnel and esp. executives) for top-level jobs
  2. to recruit personnel for top-level jobs

head·hunt·er [-,hən-tər] -n

  1. one that engages in head-hunting
  2. a recruiter of personnel esp. at the executive level
  3. an athlete who intentionally seeks to harm an opponent

headhunt·ing [-,hən-tiŋ] -n

  1. the act or custom of seeking out, decapitating, and preserving the heads of enemies as trophies
  2. a seeking to deprive usu. political enemies of position or influence

head·ing ['he-diŋ] -n

  1. something that forms or serves as a head
  2. an inscription, headline, or title standing at the top or beginning (as of a letter or chapter)
  3. the address and date at the beginning of a letter showing its place and time of origin
  4. the compass direction in which the longitudinal axis of a ship or aircraft points
  5. direction
  6. drift

headinthesand -adj

  1. unwilling to recognize or acknowledge a problem or situation
    • the government's usual headinthesand response

head·lamp [-,lamp] -n

  1. headlight

head·land ['hed-lənd, -,land] -n

  1. unplowed land at the ends of furrows or near a fence
  2. a point of usu. high land jutting out into a body of water : promontory

head·less [-ləs] -adj, n

  1. having no head
  2. having the head cut off : beheaded
  3. having no chief
  4. lacking good sense or prudence : foolish

head·light [-,līt] -n

  1. a light with a reflector and special lens mounted on the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead
  2. the beam cast by a headlight
  3. a light worn on the forehead (as of a miner or physician)

head·line [-,līn] -n

  1. words set at the head of a passage or page to introduce or categorize
  2. a head of a newspaper story or article usu. printed in large type and giving the gist of the story or article that follows
  3. front-page news
    • the scandal made headline s

headline -vt

  1. to provide with a headline
  2. to publicize highly
  3. to be engaged as a leading performer in (a show)
  4. deserving mention in a headline : very noteworthy
    • the headline abduction of a diplomat

head·lin·er ['hed-,lī-nər] -n

  1. the principal performer in a show : star
  2. personality
  3. fabric covering the inside of the roof of an automobile

head linesman -n

  1. a football linesman

head·lock ['hed-,läk] -n

  1. a hold in which a wrestler encircles an opponent's head with one arm

head·long [-'lȯŋ] -adv

  1. headfirst
  2. without deliberation : recklessly
    • rushes headlong into danger
  3. without pause or delay
  4. steep, precipitous
  5. lacking in calmness or restraint : precipitate
    • a headlong torrent of emotion
  6. plunging headfirst

head louse -n

  1. a sucking louse ( Pediculus humanus capitis) that lives on the human scalp

head·man -n

  1. foreman, overseer
  2. a lesser chief of a primitive community
  3. headsman

head·mas·ter ['hed-,mas-tər, -'mas-] -n, adj

  1. a man heading the staff of a private school : principal

head·mis·tress [-,mis-trəs, -'mis-] -n

  1. a woman heading the staff of a private school

head·most ['hed-,mōst] -adj

  1. most advanced : leading

head·note [-,nōt] -n

  1. a prefixed note of comment or explanation
  2. a note prefixed to the report of a decided legal case

head off -vt

  1. to turn back or turn aside : block, prevent
    • head them off at the pass
    • attempts to head off the imminent crisis

head of steam

  1. strong driving force : momentum
    • frequent rallies helped the movement develop a head of steam

headon ['hed-'ȯn, -'än] -adv

  1. with the head or front making the initial contact
    • the cars collided headon
  2. in direct opposition, confrontation, or contradiction
    • met the problem headon
  3. having the front facing in the direction of initial contact or line of sight
    • a headon collision
  4. frontal
    • a headon confrontation

head over heels -adv

  1. in or as if in a somersault : helter-skelter
  2. upside down
  3. very much : deeply
    • head over heels in love

head·phone ['hed-,fōn] -n

  1. an earphone held over the ear by a band worn on the head usu. used in pl.

head·piece [-,pēs] -n

  1. a protective or defensive covering for the head
  2. an ornamental, ceremonial, or traditional covering for the head
  3. brains, intelligence
  4. an ornament esp. at the beginning of a chapter

head·pin [-,pin] -n

  1. a bowling pin that stands foremost in the arrangement of pins

head·quar·ter ['hed-,kwȯ(r)-tər, -,kȯr-, (')hed-'] -vt

  1. to place in headquarters
  2. to make one's headquarters

head·quar·ters [-tərz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a place from which a commander performs the functions of command
  2. the administrative center of an enterprise

head·rest [-,rest] -n

  1. a support for the head
  2. head restraint

head restraint -n

  1. a resilient pad at the top of the back of an automobile seat esp. for preventing whiplash

head rhyme -n

  1. alliteration

head·room ['hed-,rüm, -,ru̇m] -n

  1. vertical space in which to stand, sit, or move

head·sail [-,sāl, -səl] -n

  1. a sail set forward of the foremast

headscratch·er ['hed-,skra-chər] -n

  1. puzzle, mystery

headscratch·ing ['hed-,skra-chiŋ] -n

  1. puzzled contemplation
    • a lot of headscratching going on
  2. confusion

head·set [-,set] -n

  1. an attachment for holding an earphone and transmitter at one's head
  2. a pair of headphones

head·ship [-,ship] -n

  1. the position, office, or dignity of a head

head shop -n

  1. a shop specializing in articles (as hashish pipes and roach clips) of interest to drug users

head·shrink·er [-,shriŋ-kər, esp Southern -,sriŋ-] -n

  1. shrink

heads·man ['hedz-mən] -n

  1. one that beheads : executioner

head·space ['hed-,spās] -n

  1. the volume above a liquid or solid in a closed container

head·spring ['hed-,spriŋ] -n

  1. fountainhead, source

head·stall [-,stȯl] -n

  1. a part of a bridle or halter that encircles the head

head·stand [-,stand] -n

  1. the gymnastic feat of standing on one's head usu. with support from the hands

head start -n

  1. an advantage granted or achieved at the beginning of a race, a chase, or a competition
    • a 10-minute head start
  2. a favorable or promising beginning

head·stock ['hed-,stäk] -n

  1. a bearing or pedestal for a revolving or moving part
  2. a part of a lathe that holds the revolving spindle and its attachments

head·stone [-,stōn] -n

  1. a memorial stone at the head of a grave

head·stream [-,strēm] -n

  1. a stream that is the source of a river

head·strong [-,strȯŋ] -adj

  1. not easily restrained : impatient of control, advice, or suggestions
    • a headstrong businessman
  2. directed by ungovernable will
    • violent headstrong actions

headsup ['hedz-'əp] -adj

  1. alert, resourceful
    • headsup football
  2. a message that alerts or prepares : warning
    • gave him a headsup that an investigation was pending

heads up -interj

  1. used as a warning to look out for danger esp. overhead or to clear a passageway

headtohead -adv or adj

  1. in a direct confrontation or encounter usu. between individuals

head·wait·er ['hed-'wā-tər] -n

  1. the head of the dining-room staff of a restaurant or hotel

head·wa·ter [-,wȯ-tər, -,wä-] -n

  1. the source of a stream usu. used in pl.

head·way [-,wā] -n

  1. motion or rate of motion in a forward direction
  2. advance, progress
  3. headroom (as under an arch) sufficient to allow passage
  4. the time interval between two vehicles traveling in the same direction on the same route

head·wind ['hed-,wind] -n

  1. a wind having the opposite general direction to a course of movement (as of an aircraft)

head·word ['hed-,wərd] -n

  1. a word or term placed at the beginning (as of a chapter or an entry in an encyclopedia)
  2. head

head·work [-,wərk] -n

  1. mental labor
  2. clever thinking

heady ['he-dē] -adj, adv, n

  1. willful, rash
    • heady opinions
  2. violent, impetuous
  3. tending to intoxicate or make giddy or elated
    • heady wine
    • being in such distinguished company was a heady experience
  4. giddy, exhilarated
    • heady with his success
  5. rich
    • a heady sauce
    • a heady variety
  6. impressive
    • a man of heady accomplishments
  7. marked by or showing good judgment : shrewd, intelligent
  8. intellectually stimulating or demanding

heal ['hēl] -vb

  1. to make sound or whole
    • heal a wound
  2. to restore to health
  3. to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome : mend
    • the troubles...had not been forgotten, but they had been heal ed -- William Power
  4. to patch up (a breach or division)
    • heal a breach between friends
  5. to restore to original purity or integrity
    • heal ed of sin
  6. to return to a sound state

heal·er ['hē-lər] -n

  1. one that heals
  2. a Christian Science practitioner

health ['helth also 'heltth] -n

  1. the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit
  2. freedom from physical disease or pain
  3. the general condition of the body
    • in poor health
    • enjoys good health
  4. flourishing condition : well-being
    • defending the health of the beloved oceans -- Peter Wilkinson
  5. general condition or state
    • poor economic health
  6. a toast to someone's health or prosperity

health care -n

  1. efforts made to maintain or restore health esp. by trained and licensed professionals usu. hyphenated when used attributively

health club -n

  1. a usu. commercial establishment having members who pay a fee to use its health and fitness facilities and equipment

health food -n

  1. a food promoted as highly conducive to health

health·ful ['helth-fəl also 'heltth-] -adj, adv, n

  1. beneficial to health of body or mind
  2. healthy
    • he felt incapable of looking into the girl's pretty, healthful face -- Saul Bellow

health insurance -n

  1. insurance against loss through illness of the insured
  2. insurance providing compensation for medical expenses

health maintenance organization -n

  1. hmo

health spa -n

  1. spa
  2. one emphasizing health and fitness
  3. health club

healthy ['hel-thē also 'helt-] -adj, adv, n

  1. enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit : well
  2. evincing health
    • a healthy complexion
  3. conducive to health
    • walk three miles every day...a beastly bore, but healthy -- G. S. Patton
  4. prosperous, flourishing
  5. not small or feeble : considerable

heap ['hēp] -n

  1. a collection of things thrown one on another : pile
  2. a great number or large quantity : lot
  3. to throw or lay in a heap : pile or collect in great quantity
    • his sole object was to heap up riches
  4. to form or round into a heap
    • heap ed the dirt into a mound
  5. to form a heap on : load heavily
    • heap the plates with food
  6. to accord or bestow lavishly or in large quantities
    • heap ed honors upon them

hear ['hir] -vb, n

  1. to perceive or apprehend by the ear
  2. to gain knowledge of by hearing
  3. to listen to with attention : heed
  4. attend
    • hear mass
  5. to give a legal hearing to
  6. to take testimony from
    • hear witnesses
  7. to have the capacity of apprehending sound
  8. to gain information : learn
  9. to receive communication
    • haven't heard from her lately
  10. to entertain the idea used in the negative
    • wouldn't hear of it
  11. often used in the expression Hear Hear to express approval (as during a speech)

hearing -n

  1. the process, function, or power of perceiving sound
  2. the special sense by which noises and tones are received as stimuli
  3. earshot
  4. opportunity to be heard, to present one's side of a case, or to be generally known or appreciated
  5. a listening to arguments
  6. a preliminary examination in criminal procedure
  7. a session (as of a legislative committee) in which testimony is taken from witnesses
  8. a piece of news

hearing aid -n

  1. an electronic device usu. worn in or behind the ear of a hearing-impaired person for amplifying sound

hearing dog -n

  1. a dog trained to alert its deaf or hearing-impaired owner to sounds (as of a doorbell, alarm, or telephone) called also hearing ear dog

heark·en ['här-kən] -vb

  1. listen
  2. to give respectful attention
  3. to give heed to : hear

hearken back -vi

  1. hark back

hear·say ['hir-,sā] -n

  1. rumor
  2. hearsay evidence

hearsay evidence -n

  1. evidence based not on a witness's personal knowledge but on another's statement not made under oath

hearse ['hərs] -n

  1. an elaborate framework erected over a coffin or tomb to which memorial verses or epitaphs are attached
  2. a triangular candelabra for 15 candles used esp. at Tenebrae
  3. coffin
  4. bier
  5. a vehicle for conveying the dead to the grave
  6. to place on or in a hearse
  7. to convey in a hearse
  8. bury

heart ['härt] -n

  1. a hollow muscular organ of vertebrate animals that by its rhythmic contraction acts as a force pump maintaining the circulation of the blood
  2. a structure in an invertebrate animal functionally analogous to the vertebrate heart
  3. breast, bosom
  4. something resembling a heart in shape
  5. a stylized representation of a heart
  6. a playing card marked with a stylized figure of a red heart
  7. the suit comprising cards marked with hearts
  8. a game in which the object is to avoid taking tricks containing hearts
  9. personality, disposition
    • a cold heart
  10. intellect
  11. : the emotional or moral as distinguished from the intellectual nature: as
  12. generous disposition : compassion
    • a leader with heart
  13. love, affection
    • won her heart
  14. courage, ardor
    • never lost heart
  15. one's innermost character, feelings, or inclinations
    • knew it in his heart
    • a man after my own heart
  16. the central or innermost part : center
  17. the essential or most vital part of something
  18. the younger central compact part of a leafy rosette (as a head of lettuce)
  19. hearten
  20. to fix in the heart

heart·ache ['härt-,āk] -n

  1. anguish of mind : sorrow

heart attack -n

  1. an acute episode of heart disease marked by the death or damage of heart muscle due to insufficient blood supply to the heart usu. as a result of a coronary thrombosis or a coronary occlusion and that is characterized esp. by chest pain called also myocardial infarction

heart·beat ['härt-,bēt] -n

  1. one complete pulsation of the heart
  2. the vital center or driving impulse
  3. a brief space of time : flash used chiefly in the phrase in a heartbeat

heart block -n

  1. incoordination of the heartbeat in which the atria and ventricles beat independently and which is marked by decreased cardiac output

heart·break ['härt-,brāk] -n

  1. crushing grief, anguish, or distress

heart·break·er [-,brā-kər] -n

  1. one that causes heartbreak

heart·break·ing [-,brā-kiŋ] -adj, adv

  1. causing intense sorrow or distress
  2. extremely trying or difficult
  3. producing an intense emotional reaction or response
    • heartbreaking beauty

heart·bro·ken [-,brō-kən] -adj

  1. overcome by sorrow

heart·burn [-,bərn] -n

  1. a burning discomfort behind the lower part of the sternum due esp. to spasmodic reflux of acid from the stomach into the esophagus

heart·burn·ing [-,bər-niŋ] -n

  1. intense or rancorous jealousy or resentment

heart disease -n

  1. an abnormal organic condition of the heart or of the heart and circulation

heart·ed ['här-təd] -adj

  1. having a heart esp. of a specified kind usu. used in combination
    • a faint hearted leader
    • a light hearted wanderer
  2. seated in the heart

heart·en ['här-tᵊn] -vt, adv

  1. to give heart to : cheer

heart failure -n

  1. a condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood at an adequate rate or in adequate volume
  2. cessation of heartbeat : death

heart·felt ['härt-,felt] -adj

  1. deeply felt : earnest

heartfree ['härt-,frē] -adj

  1. not in love

hearth ['härth] -n

  1. a brick, stone, or concrete area in front of a fireplace
  2. the floor of a fireplace
  3. fireplace
  4. the lowest section of a furnace
  5. the section of a furnace on which the ore or metal is exposed to the flame or heat
  6. home
  7. a vital or creative center
    • the central hearth of occidental civilization -- A. L. Kroeber

hearthealthy ['härt-,hel-thē] -adj

  1. conducive to a healthy heart and circulatory system
    • hearthealthy exercise
    • a hearthealthy diet

hearth·stone [-,stōn] -n

  1. stone forming a hearth
  2. home

heart·i·ly ['här-tə-lē] -adv

  1. in a hearty manner
  2. with all sincerity : wholeheartedly
  3. with zest or gusto
  4. wholly, thoroughly
    • heartily sick of all this talk

heart·land ['härt-,land] -n

  1. : a central area: as
  2. a central land area (as northern Eurasia) having strategic advantages
  3. the central geographical region of the U.S. in which mainstream or traditional values predominate
  4. a region where something (as an industry or activity) most strongly thrives
    • the heartland of high technology

heart·less [-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. spiritless
  2. lacking feeling : cruel

heartlung machine -n

  1. a mechanical pump that maintains circulation during heart surgery by shunting blood away from the heart, oxygenating it, and returning it to the body

heart pine -n

  1. longleaf pine

heart·rend·ing ['härt-,ren-diŋ] -adj, adv

  1. heartbreaking

hearts·ease ['härts-,ēz] -n

  1. peace of mind : tranquillity
  2. any of various violas
  3. johnny-jump-up

heart·sick ['härt-,sik] -adj, n

  1. very despondent : depressed

heart·some ['hert-səm, 'härt-] -adj, adv

  1. giving spirit or vigor : animating, enlivening

heart·sore ['härt-,sȯr] -adj

  1. heartsick

heartstop·ping ['härt-,stä-piŋ] -adj, n

  1. extremely shocking or exciting
    • a heartstopping adventure
    • heartstopping views

heart·string [-,striŋ] -n

  1. a nerve once believed to sustain the heart
  2. the deepest emotions or affections
    • pulled at his heartstring s

heart·throb [-,thräb] -n

  1. the throb of a heart
  2. sentimental emotion : passion
  3. sweetheart
  4. a usu. renowned man (as an entertainer) noted for his sex appeal
    • teen heartthrob s

hearttoheart ['härt-tə-'härt] -adj

  1. sincere, frank
    • a hearttoheart talk
  2. a heart-to-heart conversation

heart·warm·ing ['härt-,wȯr-miŋ] -adj, n

  1. inspiring sympathetic feeling : cheering

heartwhole [-,hōl] -adj

  1. heart-free
  2. sincere, genuine

heart·wood [-,wu̇d] -n

  1. the older harder nonliving central wood of trees that is usu. darker, denser, less permeable, and more durable than the surrounding sapwood

heart·worm [-,wərm] -n

  1. a filarial worm ( Dirofilaria immitis) that is a parasite esp. in the right heart of dogs and is transmitted by mosquitoes
  2. infestation or disease caused by the heartworm

hearty ['här-tē] -adj, n

  1. giving unqualified support
    • a hearty endorsement
  2. enthusiastically or exuberantly cordial : jovial
  3. expressed unrestrainedly
  4. exhibiting vigorous good health
  5. having a good appetite
  6. abundant, rich, or flavorful enough to satisfy the appetite
  7. vigorous, vehement
    • a hearty pull
  8. a hearty fellow
  9. sailor

heat ['hēt] -vb, adj

  1. to become warm or hot
  2. to start to spoil from heat
  3. to make warm or hot
  4. excite
  5. a condition of being hot : warmth
  6. a marked or notable degree of hotness
  7. pathological excessive bodily temperature
  8. a hot place or situation
  9. a period of heat
  10. a single complete operation of heating
  11. the quantity of material so heated
  12. added energy that causes substances to rise in temperature, fuse, evaporate, expand, or undergo any of various other related changes, that flows to a body by contact with or radiation from bodies at higher temperatures, and that can be produced in a body (as by compression)
  13. the energy associated with the random motions of the molecules, atoms, or smaller structural units of which matter is composed
  14. appearance, condition, or color of a body as indicating its temperature
  15. intensity of feeling or reaction : passion
  16. the height or stress of an action or condition
    • in the heat of battle
  17. sexual excitement esp. in a female mammal
  18. estrus
  19. : a single continuous effort: as
  20. a single round of a contest (as a race) having two or more rounds for each contestant
  21. one of several preliminary contests held to eliminate less competent contenders
  22. pungency of flavor
  23. the intensification of law-enforcement activity or investigation
  24. police
  25. pressure, coercion
  26. abuse, criticism
    • took heat for her mistakes
  27. smoke
  28. gun

heat cramps -n pl

  1. a condition that is marked by sudden development of cramps in skeletal muscles and that results from prolonged work or exercise in high temperatures accompanied by profuse perspiration with loss of sodium chloride from the body

heat·ed ['hē-təd] -adj, adv

  1. marked by anger or passion
    • a heated argument

heat engine -n

  1. a mechanism (as an internal combustion engine) for converting heat energy into mechanical or electrical energy

heat·er ['hē-tər] -n

  1. one that heats
  2. a device that imparts heat or holds something to be heated
  3. fastball

heat exchanger -n

  1. a device (as an automobile radiator) for transferring heat from one fluid to another without allowing them to mix

heat exhaustion -n

  1. a condition marked by weakness, nausea, dizziness, and profuse sweating that results from physical exertion in a hot environment called also heat prostration

heath ['hēth] -n, adj

  1. a tract of wasteland
  2. an extensive area of rather level open uncultivated land usu. with poor coarse soil, inferior drainage, and a surface rich in peat or peaty humus
  3. any of a family (Ericaceae, the heath family) of shrubby dicotyledonous and often evergreen plants that thrive on open barren usu. acid and ill-drained soil
  4. an evergreen subshrub of either of two genera ( Ericaand Calluna) with whorls of needlelike leaves and clusters of small flowers
  5. any of various plants that resemble true heaths

hea·then ['hē-thən] -adj

  1. of or relating to heathens, their religions, or their customs
  2. strange, uncivilized

heathen [-dəm] -n, vt

  1. an unconverted member of a people or nation that does not acknowledge the God of the Bible
  2. an uncivilized or irreligious person

hea·then·ish ['hē-thə-nish] -adj, adv

  1. resembling or characteristic of heathens : barbarous

heath·er ['he-thər] -n

  1. heath
  2. a common Eurasian heath ( Calluna vulgaris) of northern and alpine regions that has small crowded sessile leaves and racemes of tiny usu. purplish-pink flowers and is naturalized in the northeastern U.S.

heather -adj

  1. heathery

heath·ery ['heth-rē, 'he-thə-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or resembling heather
  2. having flecks of various colors
    • a soft heathery tweed

heath hen -n

  1. a now extinct grouse ( Tympanuchus cupido cupido) of the northeastern U.S.

heath·land ['hēth-,land] -n

  1. heath

heat lightning -n

  1. vivid and extensive flashes of electric light without thunder seen near the horizon esp. at the close of a hot day and ascribed to far-off lightning reflected by high clouds

heat pump -n

  1. an apparatus for heating or cooling (as a building) by transferring heat by mechanical means from or to an external reservoir (as the ground, water, or outside air)

heat rash -n

  1. prickly heat

heat shield -n

  1. a barrier of ablative material to protect a space capsule from heat on its entry into an atmosphere

heatshock protein -n

  1. any of a group of proteins that are produced esp. in cells subjected to stressful conditions (as high temperature), that serve to ensure proper protein folding, and that are held to comprise a class of molecular chaperones

heat sink -n

  1. a substance or device that absorbs or dissipates esp. unwanted heat (as from a process or an electronic device)

heat·stroke ['hēt-,strōk] -n

  1. a condition marked esp. by cessation of sweating, extremely high body temperature, and collapse that results from prolonged exposure to high temperature

heattreat ['hēt-,trēt] -vt, n

  1. to subject to heat
  2. to treat (as metals) by heating and cooling in a way that will produce desired properties

heat wave -n

  1. a period of unusually hot weather

heave ['hēv] -vb, n

  1. elevate
  2. lift, raise
    • heaved the trunk onto the table
  3. throw, cast
    • heaving rocks
  4. to cause to swell or rise
  5. to displace (as a rock stratum) esp. by a fault
  6. to utter with obvious effort or with a deep breath
    • heave a sigh of relief
  7. haul, draw
  8. labor, struggle
  9. retch
  10. to rise and fall rhythmically
  11. pant
  12. pull, push
    • heaving on a rope
  13. to move a ship in a specified direction or manner
  14. to move in an indicated way
    • the ship hove into view
  15. to rise or become thrown or raised up
  16. an effort to heave or raise
  17. hurl, cast
  18. an upward motion : rising
  19. a rhythmical rising
  20. horizontal displacement esp. by the faulting of a rock
  21. chronic pulmonary emphysema of the horse resulting in difficult expiration, heaving of the flanks, and a persistent cough

heaveho ['hēv-'hō] -n

  1. dismissal
    • gave him the old heaveho

heav·en ['he-vən] -n

  1. the expanse of space that seems to be over the earth like a dome : firmament usu. used in pl.
  2. the dwelling place of the Deity and the blessed dead
  3. a spiritual state of everlasting communion with God
  4. god
  5. a place or condition of utmost happiness
  6. a state of thought in which sin is absent and the harmony of divine Mind is manifest

heav·en·ly [-lē] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to heaven or the heavens : celestial
    • the heavenly choirs
    • use a telescope to study the heavenly bodies
  2. suggesting the blessed state of heaven : beatific
    • heavenly peace
  3. delightful

heav·ensent [-,sent] -adj

  1. providential

heav·en·ward [-wərd] -adv or adj

  1. toward heaven

heav·en·wards [-wərdz] -adv

  1. heavenward

heavierthanair -adj

  1. of greater weight than the air displaced

heavi·ly ['he-və-lē] -adv

  1. to a great degree : severely
  2. slowly and laboriously : dully
  3. with sorrow : grievously
  4. in a heavy manner

Heav·i·side layer ['he-vē-,sīd-] -n

  1. ionosphere

heavy ['he-vē] -adj, n

  1. having great weight
  2. characterized by mass or weight
    • how heavy is it?
  3. having a high specific gravity : having great weight in proportion to bulk
  4. having or being atoms of greater than normal mass for that element
  5. containing heavy isotopes
  6. hard to bear
  7. grievous, afflictive
    • a heavy sorrow
  8. of weighty import : serious
    • heavy consequences
  9. deep, profound
    • a heavy silence
  10. borne down by something oppressive : burdened
  11. pregnant
  12. approaching parturition
  13. slow or dull from loss of vitality or resiliency : sluggish
    • a tired heavy step
  14. lacking sparkle or vivacity : drab
  15. lacking mirth or gaiety : doleful
  16. characterized by declining prices
  17. dulled with weariness : drowsy
  18. : greater in quantity or quality than the average of its kind or class: as
  19. of unusually large size or amount
    • a heavy turnout
    • heavy traffic
  20. of great force
    • heavy seas
  21. threatening to rain or snow
  22. impeding motion
  23. full of clay and inclined to hold water
  24. coming as if from a depth : loud
    • heavy breathing
  25. thick, coarse
    • heavy syrup
  26. oppressive
    • a heavy odor
    • heavy weather
    • rule with a heavy hand
  27. steep, acute
  28. laborious, difficult
    • heavy going
  29. immoderate
    • a heavy smoker
  30. more powerful than usual for its kind
    • a heavy cavalry
    • a heavy cruiser
  31. of large capacity or output
  32. very rich and hard to digest
    • heavy desserts
  33. not properly raised or leavened
    • heavy bread
  34. producing goods (as coal, steel, or chemicals) used in the production of other goods
    • heavy industry
  35. having stress
    • a heavy rhythm
    used esp. of syllables in accentual verse
  36. being the strongest degree of stress in speech
  37. relating to theatrical parts of a grave or somber nature
  38. long
    • heavy on ideas
  39. important, prominent
    • a heavy politician
  40. in a heavy manner : heavily
  41. heavyweight
  42. a theatrical role of a dignified or somber character
  43. an actor playing such a role
  44. villain
  45. villain
  46. someone or something influential, serious, or important
  47. elite

heavy bag -n

  1. punching bag

heavy chain -n

  1. either of the two larger of the four polypeptide chains comprising antibodies

heavy cream -n

  1. a cream that is markedly thick
  2. cream that by law contains not less than 36 percent butterfat

heavydu·ty ['he-vē-'dü-tē, -'dyü-] -adj

  1. able or designed to withstand unusual strain
    • heavyduty trucks
  2. intensive
    • heavyduty bargaining
  3. important, prominent
    • heavyduty lawyers

heavyfoot·ed [-'fu̇-təd] -adj

  1. heavy and slow in movement

heavyhand·ed [-'han-dəd] -adj, adv, n

  1. clumsy
  2. oppressive, harsh

heavy·heart·ed [-'här-təd] -adj, adv, n

  1. despondent, saddened

heavy hitter -n

  1. big shot, heavy

heavy hydrogen -n

  1. deuterium

heavy lifting -n

  1. a burdensome or laborious duty

heavy metal -n

  1. energetic and highly amplified electronic rock music having a hard beat

heavy·set [,he-vē-'set] -adj

  1. stocky and compact and sometimes tending to stoutness in build

heavy water -n

  1. the compound D 2O composed of deuterium and oxygen called also deuterium oxide
  2. water enriched in deuterium

heavy·weight ['he-vē-,wāt] -n

  1. one that is above average in weight
  2. : one in the usu. heaviest class of contestants: as
  3. a boxer in an unlimited weight division
  4. a weight lifter weighing more than 198 pounds
  5. one that possesses great power, prominence, or stature

Heb -abbr

  1. Hebrew; Hebrews

heb·do·mad ['heb-də-,mad] -n

  1. a group of seven
  2. a period of seven days : week

heb·dom·a·dal [heb-'dä-mə-dᵊl] -adj, adv

  1. weekly

hebe ['hēb] -n

  1. jew

He·be ['hē-bē] -n

  1. the Greek goddess of youth and a cupbearer to the gods

he·be·phre·nia [,hē-bə-'frē-nē-ə, -'fre-nē-] -n, adj or n

  1. a form of schizophrenia characterized esp. by incoherence, delusions lacking an underlying theme, and affect that is usu. flat, inappropriate, or silly

heb·e·tate ['he-bə-,tāt] -vt, n

  1. to make dull or obtuse

heb·e·tude ['he-bə-,tüd, -,tyüd] -n, adj

  1. lethargy, dullness

He·bra·ic [hi-'brā-ik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Hebrews or their language or culture

He·bra·ism ['hē-(,)brā-,i-zəm] -n

  1. a characteristic feature of Hebrew occurring in another language
  2. the thought, spirit, or practice characteristic of the Hebrews
  3. a moral theory or emphasis attributed to the Hebrews

He·bra·ist [-,brā-ist] -n

  1. a specialist in Hebrew and Hebraic studies

He·bra·is·tic [,hē-brā-'is-tik] -adj

  1. marked by Hebraisms
  2. hebraic

he·bra·ize ['hē-brā-,īz] -vb, n

  1. to use Hebraisms
  2. to make Hebraic in character or form

He·brew ['hē-(,)brü] -n, adj

  1. the Semitic language of the ancient Hebrews
  2. any of various later forms of this language
  3. a member of or descendant from one of a group of northern Semitic peoples including the Israelites
  4. israelite

He·brews ['hē-(,)brüz] -n pl but sing in constr

  1. a theological treatise addressed to early Christians and included as a book in the New Testament

Hec·ate ['he-kə-tē, 'he-kət] -n

  1. a Greek goddess associated esp. with the underworld, night, and witchcraft

hec·a·tomb ['he-kə-,tōm] -n

  1. an ancient Greek and Roman sacrifice of 100 oxen or cattle
  2. the sacrifice or slaughter of many victims

heck ['hek] -n

  1. hell
    • all heck breaks loose
  2. hell
    • a heck of a lot of money

heck·le ['he-kəl] -vt, n

  1. to harass and try to disconcert with questions, challenges, or gibes : badger

hect- -comb form

  1. hundred
    • hect are

hec·tic ['hek-tik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or being a fluctuating but persistent fever (as in tuberculosis)
  2. having a hectic fever
  3. red, flushed
  4. characterized by activity, excitement, or confusion
    • the hectic days before the holidays

hec·to·graph [-,graf] -n, vt

  1. a machine for making copies of a writing or drawing produced on a gelatin surface

hec·tor ['hek-tər] -n

  1. a son of Priam, husband of Andromache, and Trojan champion slain by Achilles
  2. bully, braggart

hector [-t(ə-)riŋ] -vb, adv

  1. to play the bully : swagger
  2. to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure

Hec·u·ba ['he-kyə-bə] -n

  1. the wife of Priam in Homer's Iliad

he'd ['hēd, ēd]

  1. he had : he would

hed·dle ['he-dᵊl] -n

  1. one of the sets of parallel cords or wires that with their mounting compose the harness used to guide warp threads in a loom

he·der ['k̲ā-dər, 'k̲e-] -n

  1. an elementary Jewish school in which children are taught to read the Torah and other books in Hebrew

hedge ['hej] -n

  1. a fence or boundary formed by a dense row of shrubs or low trees
  2. barrier, limit
  3. a means of protection or defense (as against financial loss)
  4. a calculatedly noncommittal or evasive statement
  5. to enclose or protect with or as if with a hedge : encircle
  6. to hem in or obstruct with or as if with a barrier : hinder
    • hedged about by special regulations and statutes -- Sandi Rosenbloom
  7. to protect oneself from losing or failing by a counterbalancing action
    • hedge a bet
  8. to plant, form, or trim a hedge
  9. to evade the risk of commitment esp. by leaving open a way of retreat : trim
  10. : to protect oneself financially: as
  11. to buy or sell commodity futures as a protection against loss due to price fluctuation
  12. to minimize the risk of a bet
  13. of, relating to, or designed for a hedge
  14. born, living, or made near or as if near hedges : roadside
  15. inferior

hedge fund -n

  1. an investing group usu. in the form of a limited partnership that employs speculative techniques in the hope of obtaining large capital gains

hedge·hog ['hej-,hȯg, -,häg] -n

  1. any of a subfamily (Erinaceinae) of Eurasian and African nocturnal insectivores that have both hair and spines which they present outwardly by rolling themselves up when threatened
  2. any of several spiny mammals (as a porcupine)
  3. a military defensive obstacle (as of barbed wire)
  4. a well-fortified military stronghold

hedge·hop [-,häp] -vi, n

  1. to fly an airplane close to the ground and rise over obstacles as they appear

hedge·pig [-,pig] -n

  1. hedgehog

hedge·row [-,rō] -n

  1. a row of shrubs or trees enclosing or separating fields

he·don·ic [hi-'dä-nik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characterized by pleasure
  2. of, relating to, or characterized by hedonism

he·do·nism ['hē-də-,ni-zəm] -n, adj, adv

  1. the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life
  2. a way of life based on or suggesting the principles of hedonism

hee·biejee·bies [,hē-bē-'jē-bēz] -n pl

  1. jitters, creeps

heed ['hēd] -vb

  1. to pay attention
  2. to give consideration or attention to : mind
    • heed what he says
    • heed the call
  3. attention, notice

heed·ful ['hēd-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. taking heed : attentive
    • heedful of what they were doing

heed·less [-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. not taking heed : inconsiderate, thoughtless
    • heedless follies of unbridled youth -- John DeBruyn

heehaw ['hē-,hȯ, -'hȯ] -n, vi

  1. the bray of a donkey
  2. a loud rude laugh : guffaw

heel ['hēl] -n, adj

  1. the back of the human foot below the ankle and behind the arch
  2. the part of the hind limb of other vertebrates that is homologous with the human heel
  3. an anatomical structure suggestive of the human heel
  4. the part of the palm of the hand nearest the wrist
  5. one of the crusty ends of a loaf of bread
  6. the part (as of a shoe) that covers the human heel
  7. a solid attachment of a shoe or boot forming the back of the sole under the heel of the foot
  8. : a rear, low, or bottom part: as
  9. the after end of a ship's keel or the lower end of a mast
  10. the base of a tuber or cutting of a plant used for propagation
  11. the base of a ladder
  12. a contemptible person
  13. to furnish with a heel
  14. to supply esp. with money
  15. to exert pressure on, propel, or strike with the heel
    • heel ed her horse
  16. to urge (as a lagging animal) by following closely or by nipping at the heels
    • dogs heel ing cattle
  17. to move along at someone's heels
  18. to lean to one side : tip
  19. to lean temporarily (as from the action of wind or waves)
  20. to cause (a boat) to heel
  21. a tilt (as of a boat) to one side
  22. the extent of such a tilt

heelandtoe [,hēl-ən-'tō] -adj

  1. marked by a stride in which the heel of one foot touches the ground before the toe of the other foot leaves it
    • heelandtoe walking

heel·ball ['hēl-,bȯl] -n

  1. a composition of wax and lampblack used by shoemakers for polishing and by antiquarians for making rubbings of inscriptions

heel·er ['hē-lər] -n

  1. one that heels
  2. australian cattle dog
  3. a henchman of a local political boss
  4. a worker for a local party organization
  5. ward heeler

heel fly -n

  1. cattle grub

heel·piece ['hēl-,pēs] -n

  1. a piece designed for or forming the heel (as of a shoe)

heel·tap [-,tap] -n

  1. a small quantity of alcoholic beverage remaining (as in a glass after drinking)

heft ['heft] -n

  1. weight, heaviness
  2. importance, influence
  3. the greater part of something : bulk
  4. to heave up : hoist
  5. to test the weight of by lifting
    • heft ing the rod...to get the feel of it -- Consumer Reports

hefty ['hef-tē] -adj, adv, n

  1. quite heavy
  2. marked by bigness, bulk, and usu. strength
    • a hefty football player
  3. powerful, mighty
  4. impressively large : substantial
    • hefty portions

he·gari [hi-'ga-rē, -'ga-rə; 'hī-,gir] -n

  1. any of several Sudanese grain sorghums having chalky white seeds including one grown in the southwestern U.S.

He·ge·li·an [hā-'gā-lē-ən, hi-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Hegel, his philosophy, or his dialectic method

Hegelian -n

  1. a follower of Hegel : an adherent of Hegelianism

He·ge·li·an·ism [-lē-ə-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. the philosophy of Hegel that places ultimate reality in ideas rather than in things and that uses dialectic to comprehend an absolute idea behind phenomena

heg·e·mon ['he-jə-,män, 'hē-] -n

  1. one (as a political state) possessing hegemony

he·ge·mo·ny [hi-'je-mə-nē, -'ge-; 'he-jə-,mō-nē] -n, adj

  1. preponderant influence or authority over others : domination
    • battled for hegemony in Asia
  2. the social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group
    • extend their own hegemony over American culture as a whole -- Mary K. Cayton

he·gi·ra [hi-'jī-rə, 'he-jə-rə] -n

  1. a journey esp. when undertaken to escape from a dangerous or undesirable situation : exodus

Hei·del·berg man [,hī-dᵊl-,bərg-, -,berg-] -n

  1. an early Pleistocene hominid known from a massive fossilized jaw with distinctly human dentition and classified with the direct ancestor ( Homo erectus) of modern humans

heif·er ['he-fər] -n

  1. a young cow
  2. one that has not had a calf

heighho ['hī-'hō, 'hā-] -interj

  1. used typically to express boredom, weariness, or sadness or sometimes as a cry of encouragement

height ['hīt, ÷'hītth] -n

  1. the highest part : summit
  2. highest or most advanced point : zenith
    • at the height of his powers
  3. the distance from the bottom to the top of something standing upright
  4. the extent of elevation above a level
  5. the condition of being tall or high
  6. an extent of land rising to a considerable degree above the surrounding country
  7. a high point or position
  8. an advanced social rank

height·en ['hī-tᵊn] -vb

  1. to increase the amount or degree of : augment
  2. to make brighter or more intense : deepen
  3. to bring out more strongly : point up
  4. to make more acute : sharpen
  5. to raise high or higher : elevate
  6. to raise above the ordinary or trite
  7. elate
  8. grow, rise
  9. to become great or greater in amount, degree, or extent
  10. to become brighter or more intense

height to paper

  1. the height of printing type standardized at 0.9186 inch (2.333 centimeters) in English-speaking countries

Heim·lich maneuver ['hīm-lik-] -n

  1. the manual application of sudden upward pressure on the upper abdomen of a choking victim to force a foreign object from the trachea

hei·nie ['hī-nē] -n

  1. buttocks

hei·nous ['hā-nəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. hatefully or shockingly evil : abominable

heir ['er] -n, adj

  1. one who inherits or is entitled to inherit property
  2. one who inherits or is entitled to succeed to a hereditary rank, title, or office
    • heir to the throne
  3. one who receives or is entitled to receive some endowment or quality from a parent or predecessor
  4. inherit

heir apparent -n

  1. an heir whose right to an inheritance is indefeasible except by exclusion under a valid will if he or she survives the ancestor
  2. heir presumptive
  3. one whose succession esp. to a position or role appears certain under existing circumstances

heir at law

  1. heir

heir·ess ['er-əs] -n

  1. a woman who is an heir esp. to great wealth

heir·loom ['er-,lüm] -n

  1. a piece of property that descends to the heir as an inseparable part of an inheritance of real property
  2. something of special value handed on from one generation to another
  3. a horticultural variety that has survived for several generations usu. due to the efforts of private individuals

heir presumptive -n

  1. an heir whose legal right to an inheritance may be defeated (as by the birth of a nearer relative)

Hei·sen·berg uncertainty principle ['hī-zᵊn-,bərg-, -,bərk-] -n

  1. uncertainty principle called also Heisenberg's uncertainty principle

heist ['hīst] -vt

  1. hoist
  2. to commit armed robbery on
  3. steal
  4. armed robbery : holdup
  5. theft

Hel ['hel] -n

  1. the Norse goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld

hela cell ['he-lə-] -n

  1. a cell of a continuously cultured strain isolated from a human uterine cervical carcinoma in 1951 and used in biomedical research esp. to culture viruses

held ['hōld] -vb

(variant of hold)

  1. to have possession or ownership of or have at one's disposal
    • hold s property worth millions
    • the bank hold s the title to the car
  2. to have as a privilege or position of responsibility
    • hold a professorship
  3. to have as a mark of distinction
    • hold s the record for the 100-yard dash
    • hold s a PhD
  4. : to keep under restraint
    • hold price increases to a minimum
    : as
  5. to prevent free expression of
    • hold your temper
  6. to prevent from some action
    • ordered the troops to hold fire
    • the only restraining motive which may hold the hand of a tyrant -- Thomas Jefferson
  7. to keep back from use
    • ask them to hold a room for us
    • I'll have a hot dog, and hold the mustard
  8. to delay temporarily the handling of
    • please hold all my calls
  9. to make liable or accountable or bound to an obligation
    • I'll hold you to your promise
  10. to have or maintain in the grasp
    • hold my hand
    • this is how you hold the racket
  11. aim, point
    • held a gun on them
  12. to support in a particular position or keep from falling or moving
    • hold me up so I can see
    • hold the ladder steady
    • a clamp hold s the whole thing together
    • hold your head up
  13. to bear the pressure of : support
    • can the roof hold all of that weight
  14. : to prevent from leaving or getting away
    • hold the train
    : as
  15. to avoid emitting or letting out
    • how long can you hold your breath
  16. to restrain as or as if a captive
    • the suspect was held without bail
    • held them at gunpoint
  17. to have strong appeal to
    • the book held my interest throughout
  18. to enclose and keep in a container or within bounds : contain
    • the jug hold s one gallon
    • this corral will not hold all of the horses
  19. to be able to consume easily or without undue effect
    • can't hold any more pie
  20. to be able to drink (alcoholic beverages) without becoming noticeably drunk
    • can't hold your liquor
  21. accommodate
    • the restaurant hold s 400 diners
  22. to have as a principal or essential feature or attribute
    • the book hold s a number of surprises
  23. to have in store
    • no one knows what the future hold s
  24. to have in the mind or express as a judgment, opinion, or belief
    • I hold the view that this is wrong
    • hold a grudge
    • hold ing that it is nobody's business but his -- Jack Olsen
    often used with against
    • in America they hold everything you say against you -- Paul McCartney
  25. to think of in a particular way : regard
    • were held in high esteem
  26. to assemble for and carry on the activity of
    • held a convention
  27. to cause to be carried on : conduct
    • will hold a seminar
  28. to produce or sponsor esp. as a public exhibition
    • will hold an art show
  29. to maintain occupation, control, or defense of
    • the troops held the ridge
  30. to resist the offensive efforts or advance of
    • held the opposing team to just two points
  31. to maintain (a certain condition, situation, or course of action) without change
    • hold a course due east
  32. to cover (a part of the body) esp. for protection
    • had to hold their ears because of the cold
  33. to maintain position : refuse to give ground
    • the defensive line is hold ing
  34. to continue in the same way or to the same degree : last
    • hopes the weather will hold
    often used with up
  35. to derive right or title often used with of or from
  36. to be or remain valid : apply
    • the rule hold s in most cases
    often used in the phrase hold true
  37. to maintain a grasp on something : remain fastened to something
    • the anchor held in the rough sea
  38. to go ahead as one has been going
    • held south for several miles
  39. to bear or carry oneself
    • asked him to hold still
  40. to forbear an intended or threatened action : halt, pause often used as a command
  41. to stop counting during a countdown
  42. to have illicit drug material in one's possession
  43. stronghold
  44. confinement, custody
  45. prison
  46. the act or the manner of holding or grasping : grip
    • released his hold on the handle
  47. a manner of grasping an opponent in wrestling
  48. a nonphysical bond that attaches, restrains, or constrains or by which something is affected, controlled, or dominated
    • has lost its hold on the broad public -- Oscar Cargill
  49. full comprehension
    • get hold of exactly what is happening -- J. P. Lyford
  50. full or immediate control : possession
    • get hold of yourself
    • wants to get hold of a road map
  51. touch used with of
    • tried to get hold of me
  52. something that may be grasped as a support
  53. fermata
  54. the time between the onset and the release of a vocal articulation
  55. a sudden motionless posture at the end of a dance
  56. an order or indication that something is to be reserved or delayed
  57. a delay in a countdown (as in launching a spacecraft)
  58. the interior of a ship below decks
  59. the cargo deck of a ship
  60. the cargo compartment of a plane

hel·den·te·nor ['hel-dən-,tā-,nȯr, -,te-nər] -n

  1. a tenor with a powerful dramatic voice well suited to heroic (as Wagnerian) roles

Helen of Troy [,he-lən-əv-'trȯi]

  1. the wife of Menelaus whose abduction by Paris brings about the Trojan War

heli- -comb form

  1. sun
    • helio centric
  2. helicopter
    • heli port

he·li·a·cal [hi-'lī-ə-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. relating to or near the sun used esp. of the last setting of a star before and its first rising after invisibility due to conjunction with the sun

helic- -comb form

  1. helix : spiral
    • helic al

he·li·cal ['he-li-kəl, 'hē-] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or having the form of a helix
  2. spiral

he·li·coid ['he-lə-,kȯid, 'hē-] -adj

  1. forming or arranged in a spiral
  2. having the form of a flat coil or flattened spiral
    • helicoid snail shell

hel·i·con ['he-lə-,kän, -i-kən] -n

  1. a large circular tuba similar to a sousaphone but lacking an adjustable bell

hel·i·co·nia [,he-lə-'kō-nē-ə, -nyə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Heliconiaof the family Heliconiaceae) of perennial herbs of tropical America and islands of the western Pacific having showy brightly colored bracts and large leaves

he·li·cop·ter ['he-lə-,käp-tər, 'hē-] -n

  1. an aircraft whose lift is derived from the aerodynamic forces acting on one or more powered rotors turning about substantially vertical axes

helicopter -vi

  1. to travel by helicopter
  2. to transport by helicopter

he·lio·cen·tric [,hē-lē-ō-'sen-trik] -adj

  1. referred to or measured from the sun's center or appearing as if seen from it
  2. having or relating to the sun as center

he·lio·graph [-,graf] -n, vt

  1. an apparatus for telegraphing by means of the sun's rays flashed from a mirror

he·lio·graph·ic [,hē-lē-ə-'gra-fik] -adj

  1. measured on the sun's disk
    • heliographic latitude

he·li·ol·a·try [,hē-lē-'ä-lə-trē] -n, adj

  1. sun worship

he·li·om·e·ter [,hē-lē-'ä-mə-tər] -n, adj, adv

  1. a visual telescope that has a divided objective designed for measuring the apparent diameter of the sun but also used for measuring angles between celestial bodies or between points on the moon

He·li·os ['hē-lē-əs, -(,)ōs] -n

  1. the god of the sun in Greek mythology

he·li·o·sphere ['hē-lē-ə-,sfir, -ō-] -n, adj

  1. the region in space influenced by the sun or solar wind

he·lio·stat ['hē-lē-ə-,stat] -n

  1. an instrument consisting of a mirror mounted on an axis moved by clockwork by which a sunbeam is steadily reflected in one direction

he·lio·trope ['hē-lē-ə-,trōp, 'hēl-yə-, Brit also 'hel-yə-] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Heliotropium) of herbs or shrubs of the borage family
  2. bloodstone
  3. a variable color averaging a moderate to reddish purple

he·li·ot·ro·pism [,hē-lē-'ä-trə-,pi-zəm] -n, adj

  1. phototropism in which sunlight is the orienting stimulus

he·lio·zo·an [,hē-lē-ə-'zō-ən] -n

  1. any of a class (Heliozoa) of free-living spherical usu. freshwater protozoans that reproduce by binary fission or budding

he·li·pad ['he-lə-,pad, 'hē-] -n

  1. heliport

he·li·port [-,pȯrt] -n

  1. a landing and takeoff place for a helicopter

he·liski·ing [-,skē-iŋ] -n

  1. downhill skiing on remote mountains reached by helicopter

he·li·um ['hē-lē-əm, 'hēl-yəm] -n

  1. a light colorless inert gaseous element found esp. in natural gases and used chiefly for inflating airships and balloons, in lamps, in cryogenic research, and as a component of inert atmospheres (as in welding)

he·lix ['hē-liks] -n

  1. : something spiral in form: as
  2. an ornamental volute
  3. a coil formed by winding wire around a uniform tube
  4. the incurved rim of the external ear
  5. a curve traced on a cylinder or cone by the rotation of a point crossing its right sections at a constant oblique angle
  6. spiral

hell ['hel] -n

  1. a nether world in which the dead continue to exist : hades
  2. the nether realm of the devil and the demons in which the damned suffer everlasting punishment often used in curses
    • go to hell
    or as a generalized term of abuse
    • the hell with it
  3. error , sin
  4. a place or state of misery, torment, or wickedness
    • war is hell -- W. T. Sherman
  5. a place or state of turmoil or destruction
    • all hell broke loose
  6. a severe scolding
  7. flak, grief
    • gave me hell for coming in late
  8. unrestrained fun or sportiveness
    • the kids were full of hell
    often used in the phrase for the hell of it esp. to suggest action on impulse or without a serious motive
    • decided to go for the hell of it
  9. an extremely unpleasant and often inescapable situation
    • rush-hour hell
  10. a tailor's receptacle
  11. used as an interjection
    • hell, I don't know
    or as an intensive
    • hurts like hell
    • funny as hell
    often used in the phrase hell of a
    • it was one hell of a good fight
    or hell out of
    • scared the hell out of him
    or with the or in
    • moved way the hell up north
    • what in hell is wrong, now?

he'll ['hēl, 'hil, ēl, il]

  1. he will : he shall

hel·la·cious [,he-'lā-shəs] -adj, adv

  1. exceptionally powerful or violent
  2. remarkably good
  3. extremely difficult
  4. extraordinarily large

hell·ben·der ['hel-,ben-dər] -n

  1. a large aquatic usu. brownish-gray salamander ( Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) of streams of the eastern and central U.S.

hellbent [-,bent] -adj, adv

  1. stubbornly and often recklessly determined or intent
    • hellbent on winning

hell·broth [-,brȯth] -n

  1. a brew for working black magic

hell·cat [-,kat] -n

  1. witch
  2. a violently temperamental person
  3. an ill-tempered woman

hel·le·bore ['he-lə-,bȯr] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Helleborus) of poisonous Eurasian herbs of the buttercup family having showy flowers with petaloid sepals
  2. the dried rhizome of a hellebore (as H. niger) formerly used in medicine
  3. a poisonous herb (genus Veratrum) of the lily family
  4. the dried rhizome of a hellebore ( V. albumor V. viride) that is used as an insecticide and contains toxic alkaloids that are cardiac and respiratory depressants

Hel·lene ['he-,lēn] -n

  1. greek

Hel·len·ic [he-'le-nik, hə-] -adj

  1. of or relating to Greece, its people, or its language
  2. of or relating to ancient Greek history, culture, or art before the Hellenistic period

Hellenic -n

  1. greek

Hel·le·nism ['he-lə-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. grecism
  2. devotion to or imitation of ancient Greek thought, customs, or styles
  3. Greek civilization esp. as modified in the Hellenistic period by influences from southwestern Asia
  4. a body of humanistic and classical ideals associated with ancient Greece and including reason, the pursuit of knowledge and the arts, moderation, civic responsibility, and bodily development

Hel·le·nist [-nist] -n

  1. a person living in Hellenistic times who was Greek in language, outlook, and way of life but was not Greek in ancestry
  2. a hellenized Jew
  3. a specialist in the language or culture of ancient Greece

Hel·le·nis·tic [,he-lə-'nis-tik] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to Greek history, culture, or art after Alexander the Great
  2. of or relating to the Hellenists

hel·le·nize ['he-lə-,nīz] -vb, n

  1. to become Greek or Hellenistic
  2. to make Greek or Hellenistic in form or culture

hell·er ['he-lər] -n

  1. hellion

hell·fire ['hel-,fī(-ə)r] -n, adj

  1. the eternal fire of hell that tortures sinners

hellforleather -adv

  1. in a hell-for-leather manner : at full speed
    • rode hellforleather down the trail
  2. marked by determined recklessness, great speed, or lack of restraint
    • a cocky, hellforleather fighting man -- H. H. Martin

hell·gram·mite ['hel-grə-,mīt] -n

  1. a carnivorous aquatic No. American insect larva that is the young form of a dobsonfly (esp. Corydalis cornutus) and is used for fish bait

hell·hole ['hel-,hōl] -n

  1. a place of extreme misery or squalor

hell·hound [-,hau̇nd] -n

  1. a dog represented in mythology as a guardian of the underworld
  2. a fiendish person

hel·lion ['hel-yən] -n

  1. a troublesome or mischievous person

hell·ish ['he-lish] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, resembling, or befitting hell
  2. terrible

hel·lo [hə-'lō, he-] -n

  1. an expression or gesture of greeting used interjectionally in greeting, in answering the telephone, or to express surprise

hellrais·er ['hel-,rā-zər] -n, n or adj

  1. one given to wild, boisterous, or intemperate behavior

helm ['helm] -n

  1. helmet
  2. to cover or furnish with a helmet
  3. a lever or wheel controlling the rudder of a ship for steering
  4. the entire apparatus for steering a ship
  5. position of the helm with respect to the amidships position
    • turn the helm hard alee
  6. a position of control : head
    • a new dean is at the helm of the medical school
  7. to direct with or as if with a helm : steer
  8. direct, control
    • the director has helm ed many action movies

hel·met ['hel-mət] -n, adj

  1. a covering or enclosing headpiece of ancient or medieval armor
  2. any of various protective head coverings usu. made of a hard material to resist impact
  3. something resembling a helmet

hel·minth ['hel-,min(t)th] -n, adj

  1. a parasitic worm (as a tapeworm, liver fluke, ascarid, or leech)
  2. an intestinal worm

hel·min·thi·a·sis [,hel-mən-'thī-ə-səs] -n

  1. infestation with or disease caused by parasitic worms

hel·min·thol·o·gy [-'thä-lə-jē] -n

  1. a branch of zoology concerned with helminths
  2. the study of parasitic worms

helms·man ['helmz-mən] -n

  1. the person at the helm : steersman

helms·per·son ['helmz-,pər-sᵊn] -n

  1. helmsman

he·lo ['hē-(,)lō] -n

  1. helicopter

hel·ot ['he-lət] -n

  1. a member of a class of serfs in ancient Sparta
  2. serf, slave

help ['help; Southern often 'hep also 'heəp] -vb

  1. to give assistance or support to
    • help a child with homework
  2. to make more pleasant or bearable : improve, relieve
    • bright curtains will help the room
    • took an aspirin to help her headache
  3. rescue, save
  4. to be of use to : benefit
  5. to further the advancement of : promote
  6. to change for the better
  7. to refrain from : avoid
    • we couldn't help laughing
  8. to keep from occurring : prevent
    • they couldn't help the accident
  9. to restrain (oneself) from doing something
    • knew they shouldn't go but couldn't help themselves
  10. to serve with food or drink esp. at a meal
    • told the guests to help themselves
  11. to appropriate something for (oneself)
    • help ed himself to the car keys
  12. give assistance or support often used with out
    • help s out with the housework
  13. to be of use or benefit
  14. aid, assistance
  15. a source of aid
    • printed help s to the memory -- C. S. Braden
  16. remedy, relief
    • there was no help for it
  17. one who serves or assists another (as in housework) : helper
  18. employee
    • help wanted
    often used collectively
    • the hired help

help·er ['hel-pər] -n

  1. one that helps
  2. a relatively unskilled worker who assists a skilled worker usu. by manual labor

helper T cell -n

  1. a T cell that participates in an immune response by recognizing a foreign antigen and secreting lymphokines to activate T cell and B cell proliferation and that usu. carries CD4 molecular markers on its cell surface called also helper cell T-helper cell

help·ful ['help-fəl; Southern often 'hep- also 'heəp-] -adj, adv, n

  1. of service or assistance : useful
    • helpful advice

help·ing ['hel-piŋ] -n

  1. a portion of food : serving
  2. dose
    • large helping s of reportage and interviews -- Stefan Kanfer

helping hand -n

  1. hand

helping verb -n

  1. an auxiliary verb

help·less ['hel-pləs; Southern often 'hep-ləs also 'heəp-] -adj, adv, n

  1. lacking protection or support : defenseless
  2. marked by an inability to act or react
    • the crowd looked on in helpless horror -- Current Biog.
  3. not able to be controlled or restrained
    • helpless laughter

help·mate ['help-,māt; Southern often 'hep- also 'heəp-] -n

  1. one who is a companion and helper
  2. wife

help·meet [-,mēt] -n

  1. helpmate

hel·terskel·ter [,hel-tər-'skel-tər] -adv

  1. in undue haste, confusion, or disorder
    • ran helterskelter, getting in each other's way -- F. V. W. Mason
  2. in a haphazard manner

helterskelter -n

  1. a disorderly confusion : turmoil
  2. a spiral slide around a tower at an amusement park
  3. confusedly hurried : precipitate
  4. marked by a lack of order or plan : haphazard
    • the helterskelter arrangement of the papers, all mussed and frayed -- Jean Stafford

helve ['helv] -n

  1. a handle of a tool or weapon : haft

Hel·ve·tii [hel-'vē-shē-,ī] -n pl

  1. an early Celtic people in the area of western Switzerland at the time of Julius Caesar

hem ['hem] -n

  1. a border of a cloth article doubled back and stitched down
  2. rim, margin
    • bright green hem of reeds about the ponds -- R. M. Lockley
  3. to finish with a hem
  4. border, edge
  5. to surround in a restrictive manner : confine usu. used with in
    • hemmed in by enemy troops
  6. to make a hem in sewing
  7. to utter the sound represented by hem
    • hemmed and hawed before answering
  8. equivocate
    • the administration hemmed and hawed over the students' demands
  9. often used to indicate a vocalized pause in speaking

hem- -comb form

  1. blood
    • hem agglutination
    • hemo flagellate

hema- -comb form

  1. hem-
    • hema cytometer

he·ma·cy·tom·e·ter [,hē-mə-sī-'tä-mə-tər] -n

  1. an instrument for counting blood cells

hem·ag·glu·ti·na·tion [,hē-mə-,glü-tə-'nā-shən] -n, vt

  1. agglutination of red blood cells

hem·ag·glu·ti·nin [-'glü-tə-nən] -n

  1. an agglutinin (as an antibody or viral capsid protein) that causes hemagglutination

heman ['hē-,man] -n

  1. a strong virile man

hem·an·gi·o·ma [,hē-,man-jē-'ō-mə] -n

  1. a usu. benign tumor made up of blood vessels that typically occurs as a purplish or reddish slightly elevated area of skin

hemat- -comb form

  1. hem-
    • hemato genous

he·ma·tin ['hē-mə-tən] -n

  1. a brownish-black or bluish-black derivative C 34H 33N 4O 5Fe of oxidized heme
  2. any of several similar compounds

he·ma·tin·ic [,hē-mə-'ti-nik] -n, adj

  1. an agent that tends to stimulate blood cell formation or to increase the hemoglobin in the blood

he·ma·tite ['hē-mə-,tīt] -n, adj

  1. a reddish-brown to black mineral consisting of ferric oxide, constituting an important iron ore, and occurring in crystals or as earthy red ocher

he·mat·o·crit [hi-'ma-tə-krət, -,krit] -n

  1. the ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the total volume of blood as determined by separation of red blood cells from the plasma usu. by centrifugation

he·ma·tog·e·nous [,hē-mə-'tä-jə-nəs] -adj

  1. producing blood
  2. involving, spread by, or arising in the blood
    • hematogenous spread of infection

he·ma·to·log·ic [,hē-mə-tə-'lä-jik] -adj

  1. of or relating to blood or to hematology

he·ma·tol·o·gy [,hē-mə-'tä-lə-jē] -n

  1. a medical science that deals with the blood and blood-forming organs

he·ma·to·ma [-'tō-mə] -n

  1. a mass of usu. clotted blood that forms in a tissue, organ, or body space as a result of a broken blood vessel

he·ma·toph·a·gous [-'tä-fə-gəs] -adj

  1. feeding on blood
    • hematophagous mosquitoes

he·ma·to·poi·e·sis [hi-,ma-tə-pȯi-'ē-səs, ,hē-mə-tō-] -n, adj

  1. the formation of blood or of blood cells in the living body

he·ma·to·por·phy·rin [-'pȯr-fə-rən] -n

  1. any of several isomeric porphyrins C 34H 38O 6N 4that are hydrated derivatives of protoporphyrins
  2. the deep red crystalline pigment obtained by treating hematin or heme with acid

he·ma·tox·y·lin [,hē-mə-'täk-sə-lən] -n

  1. a crystalline phenolic compound C 16H 14O 6found in logwood and used chiefly in biological staining

he·ma·tu·ria [-'tu̇r-ē-ə, -'tyu̇r-] -n

  1. the presence of blood or blood cells in the urine

heme ['hēm] -n

  1. the deep red iron-containing prosthetic group C 34H 32N 4O 4Fe of hemoglobin and myoglobin

hem·el·y·tron [he-'me-lə-,trän] -n

  1. one of the basally thickened anterior wings of various insects (as true bugs)

hem·ero·cal·lis [,he-mə-rō-'ka-ləs] -n

  1. daylily

hem·er·y·thrin [hē-'mer-ə-thrən] -n

  1. an iron-containing respiratory pigment in the blood of various chiefly marine invertebrates (as some brachiopods)

hemi- -prefix

  1. half
    • hemi hedral

hemi·ac·e·tal [,he-mē-'a-sə-,tal] -n

  1. any of a class of compounds characterized by the grouping C(OH)(OR) where R is an alkyl group and usu. formed as intermediates in the preparation of acetals from aldehydes or ketones

he·mic ['hē-mik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or produced by the blood or the circulation of blood
    • a hemic murmur

hemi·cel·lu·lose [,he-mi-'sel-yə-,lōs, -,lōz] -n

  1. any of various plant polysaccharides less complex than cellulose and easily hydrolyzable to monosaccharides and other products

hemi·chor·date [-'kȯr-dət, -'kȯr-,dāt] -n

  1. any of a phylum (Hemichordata) of wormlike marine animals (as an acorn worm) that have in the proboscis an outgrowth of the pharyngeal wall which superficially resembles the notochord of chordates

hemi·cy·cle ['he-mi-,sī-kəl] -n

  1. a curved or semicircular structure or arrangement

hemi·demi·semi·qua·ver [,he-mi-,de-mi-'se-mi-,kwā-vər] -n

  1. sixty-fourth note

hemi·he·dral [,he-mi-'hē-drəl] -adj

  1. having half the faces required by complete symmetry

hemi·hy·drate [-'hī-,drāt] -n, adj

  1. a hydrate (as plaster of paris) containing half a mole of water to one mole of the compound forming the hydrate

hemi·me·tab·o·lous [,he-mi-mə-'ta-bə-ləs] -adj

  1. characterized by incomplete metamorphosis
    • hemimetabolous insects

hemi·mor·phic [,he-mi-'mȯr-fik] -adj, n

  1. having different crystalline forms at each end of a crystallographic axis

he·min ['hē-mən] -n

  1. a red-brown to blue-black crystalline salt C 34H 32N 4O 4FeCl derived from oxidized heme but usu. obtained in a characteristic crystalline form from hemoglobin

hemi·o·la [,he-mē-'ō-lə] -n

  1. a musical rhythmic alteration in which six equal notes may be heard as two groups of three or three groups of two

hemi·ple·gia [,he-mi-'plē-j(ē-)ə] -n, adj or n

  1. total or partial paralysis of one side of the body that results from disease of or injury to the motor centers of the brain

he·mip·ter·an [hi-'mip-tə-rən] -n, adj

  1. any of a large order (Hemiptera) of hemimetabolous insects (as the true bugs) that have hemelytra and mouthparts adapted to piercing and sucking

hemi·sphere ['he-mə-,sfir] -n, adj

  1. a half of the celestial sphere as divided into two halves by the horizon, the celestial equator, or the ecliptic
  2. half of a spherical or roughly spherical body (as a planet)
  3. the northern or southern half of the earth as divided by the equator or the eastern or western half as divided by a meridian
  4. the inhabitants of a terrestrial hemisphere
  5. realm, province
  6. one of two half spheres formed by a plane through the sphere's center
  7. a map or projection of a celestial or terrestrial hemisphere
  8. cerebral hemisphere

hemi·spher·ec·to·my [,he-mi-sfi-'rek-tə-mē] -n

  1. surgical removal of a cerebral hemisphere

hemi·stich ['he-mi-,stik] -n

  1. half a poetic line of verse usu. divided by a caesura

hemi·zy·gous [,he-mi-'zī-gəs] -adj

  1. having or characterized by one or more genes (as in a genetic deficiency or in an X chromosome paired with a Y chromosome) that have no allelic counterparts

hem·line ['hem-,līn] -n

  1. the line formed by the lower edge of a dress, skirt, or coat

hem·lock ['hem-,läk] -n

  1. any of several poisonous herbs (as a poison hemlock or a water hemlock) of the carrot family having finely cut leaves and small white flowers
  2. a drug or lethal drink prepared from the poison hemlock
  3. any of a genus ( Tsuga) of evergreen coniferous trees of the pine family
  4. the soft light splintery wood of a hemlock

he·mo·chro·ma·to·sis [,hē-mə-,krō-mə-'tō-səs] -n

  1. a hereditary disorder of metabolism involving the deposition of iron-containing pigments in the tissues that is characterized esp. by joint or abdominal pain, weakness, and fatigue and that may lead to bronzing of the skin, arthritis, diabetes, cirrhosis, or heart disease if untreated

he·mo·coel ['hē-mə-,sēl] -n

  1. a body cavity (as in arthropods or some mollusks) that contains blood or hemolymph and functions as part of the circulatory system

he·mo·cy·a·nin [,hē-mō-'sī-ə-nən] -n

  1. a copper-containing respiratory pigment in the circulatory fluid of various arthropods and mollusks

he·mo·cyte ['hē-mə-,sīt] -n

  1. a blood cell esp. of an invertebrate animal

he·mo·cy·tom·e·ter [,hē-mə-sī-'tä-mə-tər] -n

  1. hemacytometer

he·mo·di·al·y·sis [,hē-mō-dī-'a-lə-səs] -n

  1. dialysis

he·mo·di·lu·tion [-dī-'lü-shən, -də-] -n

  1. decreased concentration of cells and solids in the blood resulting from gain of fluid

he·mo·dy·nam·ic [-dī-'na-mik, -də-] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or involving hemodynamics
  2. relating to or functioning in the mechanics of blood circulation

he·mo·dy·nam·ics [-miks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a branch of physiology that deals with the circulation of the blood
  2. the forces or mechanisms involved in circulation

he·mo·fla·gel·late [,hē-mō-'fla-jə-lət, -,lāt; -flə-'je-lət] -n

  1. a flagellate (as a trypanosome) that is a blood parasite

he·mo·glo·bin ['hē-mə-,glō-bən] -n

  1. an iron-containing respiratory pigment of vertebrate red blood cells that consists of a globin composed of four subunits each of which is linked to a heme molecule, that functions in oxygen transport to the tissues after conversion to oxygenated form in the gills or lungs, and that assists in carbon dioxide transport back to the gills or lungs after surrender of its oxygen
  2. any of numerous iron-containing respiratory pigments of various organisms (as invertebrates and yeasts)

he·mo·glo·bin·op·a·thy [,hē-mə-,glō-bə-'nä-pə-thē] -n

  1. a blood disorder (as sickle-cell anemia) caused by a genetically determined change in the molecular structure of hemoglobin

hemoglobin S -n

  1. an abnormal hemoglobin that occurs in the red blood cells in sickle-cell anemia and sickle-cell trait

he·mo·glo·bin·uria [,hē-mə-,glō-bə-'nu̇r-ē-ə, -'nyu̇r-] -n, adj

  1. the presence of free hemoglobin in the urine

he·mo·lymph ['hē-mə-,lim(p)f] -n

  1. the circulatory fluid of various invertebrate animals that is functionally comparable to the blood and lymph of vertebrates

he·mo·ly·sin [,hē-mə-'lī-sᵊn] -n

  1. a substance that causes the dissolution of red blood cells

he·mo·ly·sis [hi-'mä-lə-səs, ,hē-mə-'lī-səs] -n, adj

  1. lysis of red blood cells with liberation of hemoglobin

hemolytic anemia -n

  1. anemia caused by excessive destruction (as in infection or sickle-cell anemia) of red blood cells

hemolytic disease of the newborn

  1. erythroblastosis fetalis

hemolytic uremic syndrome -n

  1. any of a group of rare disorders occurring esp. in young children that are characterized by hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and varying degrees of kidney failure and that are precipitated by various factors (as infection with E. coli)

he·mo·lyze ['hē-mə-,līz] -vb

  1. to cause hemolysis of
  2. to undergo hemolysis

he·mo·phil·ia [,hē-mə-'fi-lē-ə] -n

  1. a sex-linked hereditary blood defect that occurs almost exclusively in males and is characterized by delayed clotting of the blood and consequent difficulty in controlling hemorrhage even after minor injuries

he·mo·phil·i·ac [-'fi-lē-,ak] -adj

  1. of, resembling, or affected with hemophilia

hemophiliac -n

  1. one affected with hemophilia called also bleeder

he·mo·phil·ic [-'fi-lik] -n or adj

  1. hemophiliac

he·mo·poi·e·sis [,hē-mə-pȯi-'ē-səs] -n, adj

  1. hematopoiesis

he·mo·pro·tein [-'prō-,tēn, -'prō-tē-ən] -n

  1. a conjugated protein (as hemoglobin or cytochrome) whose prosthetic group is a porphyrin combined with iron

he·mop·ty·sis [hi-'mäp-tə-səs] -n

  1. expectoration of blood from some part of the respiratory tract

hem·or·rhage ['hem-rij, 'he-mə-] -n, adj

  1. a copious discharge of blood from the blood vessels
  2. a rapid and uncontrollable loss or outflow
    • a financial hemorrhage

hemorrhage -vb

  1. to undergo heavy or uncontrollable bleeding
  2. to lose rapidly and uncontrollably
    • hemorrhage money

hemorrhagic fever -n

  1. any of a diverse group of virus diseases (as Lassa fever and Ebola) that are usu. transmitted by arthropods or rodents and are characterized by a sudden onset, fever, aching, bleeding in the internal organs, petechiae, and shock

hem·or·rhoid ['hem-,rȯid, 'he-mə-] -n

  1. a mass of dilated veins in swollen tissue at the margin of the anus or nearby within the rectum usu. used in pl. called also piles

hem·or·rhoid·al [,hem-'rȯi-dᵊl, ,he-mə-] -n

  1. a hemorrhoidal part (as an artery or vein)

hemorrhoidal -adj

  1. of, relating to, or involving hemorrhoids
  2. rectal

he·mo·sid·er·in [,hē-mō-'si-də-rən] -n

  1. a yellowish-brown granular intracellular pigment that is formed in some phagocytic cells (as macrophages) by the breakdown of hemoglobin and is prob. essentially a denatured form of ferritin

he·mo·sta·sis [,hē-mə-'stā-səs] -n

  1. arrest of bleeding

he·mo·stat ['hē-mə-,stat] -n

  1. hemostatic
  2. an instrument for compressing a bleeding vessel

he·mo·stat·ic [,hē-mə-'sta-tik] -n

  1. a hemostatic agent

hemostatic -adj

  1. of or caused by hemostasis
  2. serving to check bleeding

hemp ['hemp] -n

  1. a tall widely cultivated Asian herb ( Cannabis sativaof the family Cannabaceae, the hemp family) that has a tough bast fiber used esp. for cordage and that is often separated into a tall loosely branched species ( C. sativa) and a low-growing densely branched species ( C. indica)
  2. the fiber of hemp
  3. a psychoactive drug (as marijuana or hashish) from hemp
  4. a fiber (as jute) from a plant other than the true hemp
  5. a plant yielding such fiber

hemp·en ['hem-pən] -adj

  1. composed of hemp

hemp nettle -n

  1. any of a genus ( Galeopsis) of coarse Old World herbs of the mint family
  2. a bristly Eurasian herb ( G. tetrahit) naturalized in No. America as a weed

hem·stitch ['hem-,stich] -vt, n

  1. to decorate (as a border) with hemstitch

hemstitch -n

  1. decorative needlework similar to drawnwork that is used esp. on or next to the stitching line of hems
  2. a stitch used in hemstitching

hen ['hen] -n

  1. a female chicken esp. over a year old
  2. a female bird
  3. the female of various mostly aquatic animals (as lobsters or fish)
  4. woman
  5. a fussy middle-aged woman

hen and chickens -n

  1. any of several plants having offsets, runners, or flowers that send out shoots
  2. houseleek

hen·bane ['hen-,bān] -n

  1. a poisonous fetid Eurasian herb ( Hyoscyamus niger) of the nightshade family with yellowish-brown flowers and sticky hairy leaves that yield hyoscyamine and scopolamine

hen·bit ['hen-,bit] -n

  1. a Eurasian herb ( Lamium amplexicaule) of the mint family that has small scalloped leaves and purplish flowers and is naturalized in No. America

hence ['hen(t)s] -adv

  1. from this place : away
  2. henceforth
  3. from this time
    • four years hence
  4. because of a preceding fact or premise : therefore
  5. from this source or origin

hence·forth ['hen(t)s-,fȯrth, hen(t)s-'] -adv

  1. from this point on

hence·for·ward [hen(t)s-'fȯr-wərd] -adv

  1. henceforth

hench·man ['hench-mən] -n

  1. a squire or page to a person of high rank
  2. a trusted follower : a right-hand man
  3. a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
  4. a member of a gang

hen·deca·syl·lab·ic [(,)hen-,de-kə-sə-'la-bik] -adj, n

  1. consisting of 11 syllables or composed of verses of 11 syllables

hen·di·a·dys [hen-'dī-ə-dəs] -n

  1. the expression of an idea by the use of usu. two independent words connected by and(as nice and warm) instead of the usual combination of independent word and its modifier (as nicely warm)

hen·e·quen ['he-ni-kən, ,he-ni-'ken] -n

  1. a strong yellowish or reddish hard fiber obtained from the leaves of a tropical American agave ( Agave fourcroydes) found chiefly in Yucatan and used esp. in making twine and rope
  2. a plant that yields henequen

hen·house ['hen-,hau̇s] -n

  1. a house or shelter for fowl

Hen·le's loop ['hen-lēz-] -n

  1. loop of henle

hen·na ['he-nə] -n

  1. a reddish-brown dye obtained from leaves of the henna plant and used esp. on hair
  2. an Old World tropical shrub or small tree ( Lawsonia inermis) of the loosestrife family with small opposite leaves and panicles of fragrant usu. white flowers

henna -vt

  1. to dye (as hair) with henna

hen·nery ['he-nə-rē] -n

  1. a poultry farm
  2. an enclosure for poultry

heno·the·ism ['he-nə-(,)thē-,i-zəm] -n, adj

  1. the worship of one god without denying the existence of other gods

hen party -n

  1. a party for women only

hen·peck ['hen-,pek] -vt

  1. to subject (one's husband) to persistent nagging and domination

hen·ry ['hen-rē] -n

  1. the practical meter-kilogram-second unit of inductance equal to the self-inductance of a circuit or the mutual inductance of two circuits in which the variation of one ampere per second results in an induced electromotive force of one volt

hent ['hent] -vt

  1. seize

hen track -n

  1. an illegible or scarcely legible mark intended as handwriting called also hen scratch

hep ['hep, 'həp, 'hət] -interj

  1. used to mark a marching cadence
  2. hip

HEPA ['he-pə] -adj

  1. being, using, or containing a filter usu. designed to remove 99.97% of airborne particles measuring 0.3 micrometers or greater in diameter passing through it

hep·a·rin ['he-pə-rən] -n, adj

  1. a mucopolysaccharide sulfuric acid ester that is found esp. in the liver and lungs, that prolongs the clotting time of blood, and that is used medically in the form of its sodium salt

hepat- -comb form

  1. liver
    • hepat ectomy
    • hepato toxic
  2. hepatic and
    • hepato cellular

hep·a·tec·to·my [,he-pə-'tek-tə-mē] -n, adj

  1. excision of the liver or of part of the liver

he·pat·ic [hi-'pa-tik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, affecting, associated with, supplying, or draining the liver
    • a hepatic complaint
    • hepatic arteries

hepatic -n

  1. liverwort

he·pat·i·ca [hi-'pa-ti-kə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Hepatica) of herbs of the buttercup family with lobed leaves and delicate flowers

hep·a·ti·tis [,he-pə-'tī-təs] -n

  1. inflammation of the liver
  2. a disease or condition (as hepatitis A or hepatitis B) marked by inflammation of the liver

hepatitis A -n

  1. an acute usu. benign hepatitis caused by a picornavirus (species Hepatitis A virusof the genus Hepatovirus) that does not persist in the blood serum and is transmitted esp. in food and water contaminated with infected fecal matter called also infectious hepatitis

hepatitis B -n

  1. a sometimes fatal hepatitis caused by a double-stranded DNA virus (species Hepatitis B virusof the genus Orthohepadnavirus,family Hepadnaviridae) that tends to persist in the blood serum and is transmitted esp. by contact with infected blood or other bodily fluids (as semen) called also serum hepatitis

hepatitis C -n

  1. a hepatitis caused by a flavivirus (species Hepatitis C virusof the genus Hepacivirus) that tends to persist in the blood serum and is usu. transmitted by contact with infected blood (as by transfusion or by illicit intravenous drug use)

he·pa·to·cel·lu·lar [,he-pə-tō-'sel-yə-lər, hi-,pa-tə-'sel-] -adj

  1. of or involving hepatocytes
    • hepatocellular carcinoma

he·pa·to·cyte [hi-'pa-tə-,sīt, 'he-pə-tə-] -n

  1. an epithelial parenchymatous cell of the liver

hep·a·to·ma [,he-pə-'tō-mə] -n

  1. a usu. malignant tumor of the liver

he·pa·to·meg·a·ly [,he-pə-tō-'me-gə-lē, hi-,pa-tə-'me-] -n

  1. enlargement of the liver

he·pa·to·pan·cre·as [-'paŋ-krē-əs, -'pan-] -n

  1. a glandular structure (as of a crustacean) that combines the digestive functions of the vertebrate liver and pancreas

hep·a·to·tox·ic [-'täk-sik] -adj

  1. relating to or causing injury to the liver
    • hepatotoxic drugs

hep·a·to·tox·ic·i·ty [-täk-'si-sə-tē] -n

  1. a state of toxic damage to the liver
  2. a tendency or capacity to cause hepatotoxicity

hep·cat ['hep-,kat] -n

  1. hipster

He·phaes·tus [hi-'fes-təs, -'fēs-] -n

  1. the Greek god of fire and metalworking

hepped up -adj

  1. enthusiastic

Hep·ple·white ['he-pəl-,hwīt, -,wīt] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or imitating a style of furniture originating in late 18th century England

hepta- -comb form

  1. seven
    • hepta meter
  2. containing seven atoms, groups, or equivalents
    • hept ane

hep·ta·chlor ['hep-t-ə,klȯr] -n

  1. a cyclodiene chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide C 10H 5Cl 7that causes liver disease in animals and is a suspected human carcinogen

hep·tad ['hep-,tad] -n

  1. a group of seven

hep·ta·gon ['hep-tə-,gän] -n, adj

  1. a polygon of seven angles and seven sides

hep·tam·e·ter [hep-'ta-mə-tər] -n

  1. a line of verse consisting of seven metrical feet

hep·tane ['hep-,tān] -n

  1. any of several isomeric alkanes C 7H 16
  2. the liquid normal isomer occurring in petroleum and used esp. as a solvent and in determining octane numbers

hep·tar·chy ['hep-,tär-kē] -n

  1. a hypothetical confederacy of seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of the seventh and eighth centuries

Hep·ta·teuch ['hep-tə-,tük, -,tyük] -n

  1. the first seven books of the canonical Jewish and Christian Scriptures

hep·tath·lete [hep-'tath-,lēt] -n

  1. an athlete who competes in a heptathlon

hep·tath·lon [hep-'tath-lən, -,län, ÷-'ta-thə-] -n

  1. a 7-event athletic contest
  2. a composite contest for female athletes that consists of the 100-meter hurdles, the high jump, the shot put, the 200-meter dash, the long jump, the javelin throw, and the 800-meter run

hep·tose ['hep-,tōs, -,tōz] -n

  1. any of various monosaccharides C 7H 14O 7containing seven carbon atoms in a molecule

her [(h)ər, 'hər] -adj

  1. of or relating to her or herself esp. as possessor, agent, or object of an action
    • her house
    • her research

her ['shē] -pron

(variant of she)

  1. that female one who is neither speaker nor hearer
    • she is my wife
  2. used to refer to one regarded as feminine (as by personification)
    • she was a fine ship
  3. used as an alternative to he to refer to a person of unspecified gender
    • allow anyone to do whatever she wants -- D. J. Callahan
  4. a female person or animal often used in combination
    • she -cat
    • she -cousin

He·ra ['hir-ə, 'he-rə, 'her-ə] -n

  1. the sister and consort of Zeus

Her·a·cles ['her-ə-,klēz-, 'he-rə-] -n

  1. hercules

her·ald ['her-əld, 'he-rəld] -n

  1. an official at a tournament of arms with duties including the making of announcements and the marshaling of combatants
  2. an officer with the status of ambassador acting as official messenger between leaders esp. in war
  3. officer of arms
  4. an officer of arms ranking above a pursuivant and below a king of arms
  5. an official crier or messenger
  6. one that precedes or foreshadows
  7. one that conveys news or proclaims : announcer
  8. one who actively promotes or advocates : exponent

herald -vt

  1. to give notice of : announce
  2. to greet esp. with enthusiasm : hail
    • doctors are herald ing a new drug
  3. publicize
  4. to signal the approach of : foreshadow

he·ral·dic [he-'ral-dik, hə-] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to heralds or heraldry

her·ald·ry ['her-əl-drē, 'he-rəl-] -n

  1. the practice of devising, blazoning, and granting armorial insignia and of tracing and recording genealogies
  2. an armorial ensign
  3. insignia
  4. pageantry

herb ['ərb, US also & Brit usu 'hərb] -n, adj

  1. a seed-producing annual, biennial, or perennial that does not develop persistent woody tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season
  2. a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities
  3. marijuana

her·ba·ceous [,(h)ər-'bā-shəs] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an herb
  2. having little or no woody tissue and persisting usu. for a single growing season
  3. having the texture, color, or appearance of a leaf

herb·age ['(h)ər-bij] -n

  1. herbaceous vegetation (as grass) esp. when used for grazing
  2. the succulent parts of herbaceous plants

herb·al ['(h)ər-bəl] -n

  1. a book about plants esp. with reference to their medicinal properties
  2. herbarium

herbal -adj

  1. of, relating to, utilizing, or made of herbs

herb·al·ism ['(h)ər-bə-,liz-əm] -n

  1. herbal medicine

herb·al·ist ['(h)ər-bə-list] -n

  1. a person who practices healing by the use of herbs
  2. a person who collects or grows herbs

herbal medicine -n

  1. the art or practice of using herbs and herbal preparations to maintain health and to prevent, alleviate, or cure disease
  2. a plant or plant part or an extract or mixture of these used in herbal medicine

her·bar·i·um [,(h)ər-'ber-ē-əm] -n

  1. a collection of dried plant specimens usu. mounted and systematically arranged for reference
  2. a place that houses an herbarium

herb doctor -n

  1. herbalist

herbed ['(h)ərbd] -adj

  1. seasoned with herbs

her·bi·cide ['(h)ər-bə-,sīd] -n, adj, adv

  1. an agent used to destroy or inhibit plant growth

her·bi·vore ['(h)ər-bə-,vȯr] -n

  1. a herbivorous animal

her·biv·o·rous [,(h)ər-'biv-rəs, -'bi-və-] -adj, n

  1. feeding on plants

her·bol·o·gy [(h)ər-'bä-lə-jē] -n

  1. herbal medicine

herb Rob·ert ['(h)ərb-'rä-bərt] -n

  1. a low annual or biennial geranium ( Geranium robertianum) with small reddish-purple flowers

Her·cu·le·an [,hər-kyə-'lē-ən, ,hər-'kyü-lē-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Hercules
  2. of extraordinary power, extent, intensity, or difficulty
    • Herculean tasks
    • Herculean proportions

Her·cu·les ['hər-kyə-,lēz] -n

  1. a mythical Greek hero renowned for his great strength and esp. for performing 12 labors imposed on him by Hera
  2. a northern constellation between Corona Borealis and Lyra

Her·cu·les'club ['hər-kyə-,lēz-,kləb] -n

  1. a small prickly eastern U.S. tree ( Aralia spinosa) of the ginseng family with large compound leaves called also angelica tree
  2. a small prickly southern U.S. tree ( Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) of the rue family

herd ['hərd] -n, adj

  1. a number of animals of one kind kept together under human control
  2. a congregation of gregarious wild animals
  3. a group of people usu. having a common bond
    • a herd of tourists
  4. a large assemblage of like things
  5. the undistinguished masses : crowd
    • isolate the individual prophets from the herd -- Norman Cousins
  6. to gather, lead, or drive as if in a herd
    • herd ed the children into the car
  7. to keep or move (animals) together
  8. to place in a group
  9. to assemble or move in a herd
  10. to place oneself in a group : associate

herd·er ['hər-dər] -n

  1. one that herds
  2. herdsman

herds·man ['hərdz-mən] -n

  1. a manager, breeder, or tender of livestock
  2. bootes

here ['hir] -adv

  1. in or at this place
    • turn here
    often used interjectionally esp. in answering a roll call
  2. now
    • here it's morning already
  3. in an arbitrary location
    • a book here, a paper there
  4. at or in this point, particular, or case
    • here we agree
  5. in the present life or state
  6. hither
    • come here
  7. used interjectionally in rebuke or encouragement
  8. used for emphasis esp. after a demonstrative pronoun or after a noun modified by a demonstrative adjective
    • this book here
  9. used for emphasis after a demonstrative adjective but before the noun modified
    • this here book
  10. this place

here·abouts ['hir-ə-,bau̇ts] -adv

  1. in this vicinity

here·af·ter [hir-'af-tər] -adv

  1. after this in sequence or in time
  2. in some future time or state

hereafter -n

  1. future
  2. an existence beyond earthly life
    • belief in the hereafter
  3. future

here and now -n

  1. the present time used with the
    • man's obligation is in the here and now -- W. H. Whyte

here and there -adv

  1. in one place and another
  2. from time to time

here·away ['hir-ə-,wā] -adv

  1. hereabouts

here·by [hir-'bī, 'hir-,] -adv

  1. by this means

her·e·dit·a·ment [,her-ə-'di-tə-mənt] -n

  1. heritable property

he·red·i·tar·i·an [hə-,re-də-'ter-ē-ən] -n, adj

  1. an advocate of the theory that individual differences in human beings can be accounted for primarily on the basis of genetics

he·red·i·tary [hə-'re-də-,ter-ē] -adj, adv

  1. genetically transmitted or transmittable from parent to offspring
  2. characteristic of or fostered by one's predecessors
  3. received or passing by inheritance or required to pass by inheritance or by reason of birth
  4. having title or possession through inheritance or by reason of birth
  5. of a kind established by tradition
    • hereditary enemies
  6. of or relating to inheritance or heredity

he·red·i·ty [hə-'re-də-tē] -n

  1. inheritance
  2. tradition
  3. the sum of the characteristics and potentialities genetically derived from one's ancestors
  4. the transmission of such qualities from ancestor to descendant through the genes

Her·e·ford ['hər-fərd sometimes 'her-ə-] -n

  1. any of a breed of hardy red-coated beef cattle of English origin with white faces and markings

here·in [hir-'in] -adv

  1. in this

here·in·above [(,)hir-,in-ə-'bəv] -adv

  1. at a prior point in this writing or document

here·in·af·ter [,hir-ə-'naf-tər] -adv

  1. in the following part of this writing or document

here·in·be·fore [(,)hir-,in-bi-'fȯr] -adv

  1. in the preceding part of this writing or document

here·in·be·low [-bi-'lō] -adv

  1. at a subsequent point in this writing or document

here·of [hir-'əv, -'äv] -adv

  1. of this

here·on [-'ȯn, -'än] -adv

  1. on this

He·re·ro [hə-'rer-(,)ō, 'her-ə-,rō] -n

  1. a member of a Bantu people of central Namibia

he·re·si·arch [hə-'rē-zē-,ärk, 'her-ə-sē-] -n

  1. an originator or chief advocate of a heresy

her·e·sy ['her-ə-sē, 'he-rə-] -n

  1. adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma
  2. denial of a revealed truth by a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church
  3. an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma
  4. dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice
  5. an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards

her·e·tic ['her-ə-,tik, 'he-rə-] -n

  1. a dissenter from established religious dogma
  2. a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church who disavows a revealed truth
  3. one who dissents from an accepted belief or doctrine : nonconformist

he·ret·i·cal [hə-'re-ti-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characterized by heresy
  2. of, relating to, or characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards : unorthodox

here·to [hir-'tü] -adv

  1. to this writing or document

here·to·fore ['hir-tə-,fȯr, ,hir-tə-'] -adv

  1. up to this time : hitherto

here·un·der [hir-'ən-dər] -adv

  1. under or in accordance with this writing or document

here·un·to [hir-'ən-(,)tü, ,hir-(,)ən-'tü] -adv

  1. to this

here·up·on ['hir-ə-,pȯn, -,pän, ,hir-ə-'] -adv

  1. on this : immediately after this

here·with [hir-'with, -'with] -adv

  1. with this communication : enclosed in this
  2. hereby

He·rez [hə-'rez] -n

  1. a Persian rug characterized by a large central geometric medallion and by angular floral designs

her·i·ot ['her-ē-ət] -n

  1. a feudal duty or tribute due under English law to a lord on the death of a tenant

her·i·ta·bil·i·ty [,her-ə-tə-'bi-lə-tē, ,he-rə-] -n

  1. the quality or state of being heritable
  2. the proportion of observed variation in a particular trait (as height) that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors in contrast to environmental ones

her·i·ta·ble ['her-ə-tə-bəl, 'he-rə-] -adj

  1. capable of being inherited or of passing by inheritance
  2. hereditary

her·i·tage ['her-ə-tij, 'he-rə-] -n

  1. property that descends to an heir
  2. something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor : legacy, inheritance
  3. tradition
  4. something possessed as a result of one's natural situation or birth : birthright
    • the nation's heritage of tolerance

her·i·tor ['her-ə-tər] -n

  1. one that inherits : inheritor

herkyjerky ['hər-kē-'jər-kē] -adj

  1. characterized by sudden, irregular, or unpredictable movement or style

herm ['hərm] -n

  1. a statue in the form of a square stone pillar surmounted by a bust or head esp. of Hermes

her·ma ['hər-mə] -n

  1. herm

her·maph·ro·dite [(,)hər-'ma-frə-,dīt] -n, adj

  1. an animal or plant having both male and female reproductive organs
  2. something that is a combination of diverse elements

Her·maph·ro·di·tus [(,)hər-,ma-frə-'dī-təs] -n

  1. a son of Hermes and Aphrodite who becomes joined in one body with a nymph while bathing

her·ma·typ·ic [,hər-mə-'ti-pik] -adj

  1. building reefs
    • hermatypic corals

her·me·neu·tic [,hər-mə-'nü-tik, -'nyü-] -n

  1. the study of the methodological principles of interpretation (as of the Bible)
  2. a method or principle of interpretation

her·me·neu·ti·cal [,hər-mə-'nü-ti-kəl, -'nyü-] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to hermeneutics : interpretative

Her·mes ['hər-(,)mēz] -n

  1. a Greek god of commerce, eloquence, invention, travel, and theft who serves as herald and messenger of the other gods

Hermes Tris·me·gis·tus [-,tris-mə-'jis-təs] -n

  1. a legendary author of works embodying magical, astrological, and alchemical doctrines

her·met·ic [(,)hər-'me-tik] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to the Gnostic writings or teachings arising in the first three centuries a.d.and attributed to Hermes Trismegistus
  2. relating to or characterized by occultism or abstruseness : recondite
  3. airtight
    • hermetic seal
  4. impervious to external influence
    • trapped inside the hermetic military machine -- Jack Newfield
  5. recluse, solitary
    • leads a hermetic life

her·met·i·cism [-'me-tə-,si-zəm] -n

  1. hermetism

her·me·tism ['hər-mə-,ti-zəm] -n

  1. a system of ideas based on hermetic teachings
  2. adherence to or practice of hermetic doctrine
  3. the practice of being hermetically mysterious
    • it is not...willful hermetism, if the message of their art is veiled and indirect -- R. J. Goldwater

her·mit ['hər-mət] -n

  1. one that retires from society and lives in solitude esp. for religious reasons : recluse
  2. beadsman
  3. a spiced molasses cookie

her·mit·age ['hər-mə-tij] -n

  1. the habitation of a hermit
  2. a secluded residence or private retreat : hideaway
  3. monastery
  4. the life or condition of a hermit

Her·mi·tage [,(h)er-mi-'täzh] -n

  1. a red or white Rhone valley wine

hermit crab -n

  1. any of numerous chiefly marine small decapod crustaceans (esp. families Diogenidae, Paguridae, and Parapaguridae) having soft asymmetrical abdomens and occupying the empty shells of gastropods

Her·mi·tian matrix [er-'mē-shən-, ,hər-'mi-shən-] -n

  1. a square matrix having the property that each pair of elements in the ith row and jth column and in the jth row and ith column are conjugate complex numbers

hern ['her-ən, 'he-rən] -n

(variant of heron)

  1. any of various long-necked and long-legged wading birds (family Ardeidae) with a long tapering bill, large wings, and soft plumage

her·nia ['hər-nē-ə] -n, adj

  1. a protrusion of an organ or part (as the intestine) through connective tissue or through a wall of the cavity (as of the abdomen) in which it is normally enclosed called also rupture

her·ni·ate ['hər-nē-,āt] -vi, n

  1. to protrude through an abnormal body opening : rupture
    • a herniated intervertebral disk

he·ro ['hir-(,)ō] -n

  1. a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability
  2. an illustrious warrior
  3. a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities
  4. one that shows great courage
  5. the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work
  6. the central figure in an event, period, or movement
  7. submarine
  8. an object of extreme admiration and devotion : idol

Hero -n

  1. a legendary priestess of Aphrodite loved by Leander

he·ro·ic [hi-'rō-ik also her-'ō- or hē-'rō-] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, resembling, or suggesting heroes esp. of antiquity
  2. exhibiting or marked by courage and daring
  3. supremely noble or self-sacrificing
  4. of impressive size, power, extent, or effect
    • a heroic voice
  5. of great intensity : extreme
    • heroic effort
  6. of a kind that is likely only to be undertaken to save a life
    • heroic surgery
  7. of, relating to, or constituting drama written during the Restoration in heroic couplets and concerned with a conflict between love and honor

heroic -n

  1. a heroic verse or poem
  2. flamboyantly heroic language or action
  3. heroic action or behavior
  4. determined effort esp. in the face of difficulty

heroic couplet -n

  1. a rhyming couplet in iambic pentameter

he·ro·i·cize [hi-'rō-ə-,sīz also her-'ō- or hē-'rō-] -vt

  1. heroize

he·roi·com·ic [hi-,rō-i-'kä-mik] -adj

  1. comic by being ludicrously noble, bold, or elevated

heroic poem -n

  1. an epic or a poem in epic style

heroic stanza -n

  1. a rhymed quatrain in heroic verse with a rhyme scheme of abab called also heroic quatrain

heroic verse -n

  1. dactylic hexameter esp. of epic verse of classical times called also heroic meter
  2. the iambic pentameter used esp. in English epic poetry during the 17th and 18th centuries called also heroic line heroic meter

her·o·in ['her-ə-wən, 'he-rə-] -n

  1. a strongly physiologically addictive narcotic C 21H 23NO 5that is made by acetylation of but is more potent than morphine and that is prohibited for medical use in the U.S. but is used illicitly for its euphoric effects

her·o·ine ['her-ə-wən, 'hir-, 'he-rə-] -n

  1. a mythological or legendary woman having the qualities of a hero
  2. a woman admired and emulated for her achievements and qualities
  3. the principal female character in a literary or dramatic work
  4. the central female figure in an event or period

her·o·ism ['her-ə-,wi-zəm, 'he-rə- also 'hir-] -n

  1. heroic conduct esp. as exhibited in fulfilling a high purpose or attaining a noble end
  2. the qualities of a hero

he·ro·ize ['hir-(,)ō-,īz; 'her-ə-,wīz, 'he-rə-] -vt

  1. to make heroic

her·on ['her-ən, 'he-rən] -n

  1. any of various long-necked and long-legged wading birds (family Ardeidae) with a long tapering bill, large wings, and soft plumage

her·on·ry [-rē] -n

  1. a heron rookery

heroworship -vt, n

  1. to feel or express hero worship for

hero worship -n

  1. veneration of a hero
  2. foolish or excessive adulation for an individual

her·pes ['hər-(,)pēz] -n, adj

  1. any of several inflammatory diseases of the skin caused by herpesviruses and characterized by clusters of vesicles
  2. herpes simplex

herpes sim·plex [-'sim-,pleks] -n

  1. either of two diseases caused by herpesviruses (species Human herpesvirus 1and Human herpesvirus 2of the genus Simplexvirus) and marked esp. by watery blisters on the skin or mucous membranes of the lips, mouth, face, or genital region

her·pes·vi·rus [-'vī-rəs] -n

  1. any of a family ( Herpesviridae) of double-stranded DNA viruses that include the cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus and the causative agents of chicken pox, herpes simplex, Marek's disease, roseola infantum, and shingles

herpes zoster -n

  1. shingles

her·pe·tol·o·gy [,hər-pə-'tä-lə-jē] -n, adj

  1. a branch of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians

Herr [(,)her] -n

  1. used among German-speaking people as a title equivalent to Mr.

her·ren·volk ['her-ən-,fōk, -,fȯlk] -n

  1. master race

her·ring ['her-iŋ, 'he-riŋ] -n

  1. : either of two food fishes (genus Clupeus):
  2. one ( C. harengus) that is abundant in the temperate and colder parts of the No. Atlantic and that in the adult state is preserved by smoking or salting and in the young state is extensively canned and sold as sardines
  3. one ( C. pallasisyn. C. h. pallasi) of the No. Pacific harvested esp. for its roe
  4. any of a large family (Clupeidae) of soft-finned bony fishes (as the herrings, shads, sardines, and menhadens) that have a laterally compressed body and a forked tail and usu. occur in schools

her·ring·bone ['her-iŋ-,bōn, 'he-riŋ-] -n

  1. a pattern made up of rows of parallel lines which in any two adjacent rows slope in opposite directions
  2. a twilled fabric with a herringbone pattern
  3. a suit made of this fabric
  4. a herringbone arrangement (as of materials or parts)
  5. a method in skiing of ascending a slope by herringboning

herringbone -vt

  1. to produce a herringbone pattern on
  2. to arrange in a herringbone pattern
  3. to produce a herringbone pattern
  4. to ascend a slope by toeing out on skis and placing the weight on the inner side

herring gull -n

  1. a common large gull ( Larus argentatus) of the northern hemisphere that as an adult is largely white with a gray mantle, dark wing tips, pink feet, and yellow bill

hers ['hərz] -pron, sing or pl in constr

  1. that which belongs to her used without a following noun as a pronoun equivalent in meaning to the adjective her

her·self [(h)ər-'self, Southern also -'sef] -pron

  1. that identical female one used reflexively, for emphasis, in absolute constructions, and in place of her esp. when joined to another object
    • she considers herself lucky
    • she herself did it
    • herself an orphan, she understood the situation
    • accepted the award for her colleagues and herself
  2. her normal, healthy, or sane condition or self
  3. a woman of consequence
  4. the mistress of the house

her·sto·ry ['hər-st(ə-)rē] -n

  1. history
  2. history considered or presented from a feminist viewpoint or with special attention to the experience of women

Herts -abbr

  1. Hertfordshire

hertz ['hərts, 'herts] -n

  1. a unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second abbr. Hz

he's ['hēz, ēz]

  1. he is : he has

he/she ['hē-'shē; 'hē-ər-; 'hē-'slash-] -pron

  1. he or she used as a pronoun of common gender

Hesh·van ['k̲esh-vən] -n

  1. the second month of the civil year or the eighth month of the ecclesiastical year in the Jewish calendar

hes·i·tance ['he-zə-tən(t)s] -n

  1. hesitancy

hes·i·tan·cy [-tən(t)-sē] -n

  1. : the quality or state of being hesitant: as
  2. indecision
  3. reluctance
    • took that drastic step only with the greatest hesitancy
  4. hesitation

hes·i·tant ['he-zə-tənt] -adj, adv

  1. tending to hesitate : slow to act or proceed

hes·i·tate ['he-zə-,tāt] -vb, n, adv

  1. to hold back in doubt or indecision
  2. to delay momentarily : pause
  3. stammer
  4. to hold back from in doubt or uncertainty
    • wouldn't hesitate to commit herself

hes·i·ta·tion [,he-zə-'tā-shən] -n

  1. an act or instance of hesitating
  2. a pausing or faltering in speech

Hes·pe·ri·an [he-'spir-ē-ən] -adj

  1. western, occidental

Hes·per·i·des [he-'sper-ə-,dēz] -n pl

  1. a legendary garden at the western extremity of the world producing golden apples
  2. the nymphs in classical mythology who guard with the aid of a dragon a garden in which golden apples grow

hes·per·i·din [he-'sper-ə-dən] -n

  1. a crystalline glycoside C 28H 34O 15found in most citrus fruits and esp. in orange peel

hes·per·id·i·um [,hes-pə-'ri-dē-əm] -n

  1. a berry (as an orange or lime) having a leathery rind

Hes·per·us ['hes-p(ə-)rəs] -n

  1. evening star

hes·sian ['he-shən] -n

  1. a native of Hesse
  2. a German mercenary serving in the British forces during the American Revolution
  3. a mercenary soldier
  4. burlap

Hessian boot -n

  1. a high boot that extends to just below the knee and is commonly ornamented with a tassel and that was introduced into England by the Hessians early in the 19th century

Hessian fly -n

  1. a small European dipteran fly ( Mayetiola destructor) introduced into No. America that is destructive to wheat

hes·so·nite ['he-sə-,nīt] -n

  1. a yellow to brown garnet

hest ['hest] -n

  1. command, precept

Hes·tia ['hes-tē-ə; 'hes-chə, 'hesh-] -n

  1. the Greek goddess of the hearth and chief goddess of domestic activity

het ['het] -n, adj

  1. heterosexual

he·tae·ra [hi-'tir-ə] -n

  1. one of a class of highly cultivated courtesans in ancient Greece
  2. demimondaine

heter- -comb form

  1. other than usual : other : different
    • hetero phyllous
  2. containing atoms of different kinds
    • hetero cyclic

het·ero ['he-tə-,rō] -n, adj

  1. heterosexual

het·ero·at·om ['he-tə-rō-,a-təm] -n

  1. an atom other than carbon in the ring of a heterocyclic compound

het·ero·cer·cal [-'sər-kəl] -adj

  1. having the upper lobe larger than the lower with the vertebral column extending into the upper lobe
  2. having or relating to a heterocercal tail fin

het·ero·chro·ma·tin [-'krō-mə-tən] -n, adj

  1. densely staining chromatin that appears as nodules in or along chromosomes and contains relatively few genes

het·ero·clite ['he-tə-rə-,klīt] -n

  1. a word irregular in inflection
  2. a noun irregular in declension
  3. one that deviates from common forms or rules

heteroclite -adj

  1. deviating from common rules or forms

het·ero·cy·clic [,he-tə-rō-'sī-klik, -'si-] -adj, n

  1. relating to, characterized by, or being a ring composed of atoms of more than one kind

heterocyclic amine -n

  1. an amine containing one or more closed rings of carbon and nitrogen
  2. any of various carcinogenic amines formed when creatine or creatinine reacts with free amino acids and sugar in meat cooked at high temperatures

het·ero·cyst ['he-tə-rō-,sist] -n, adj

  1. a large transparent thick-walled cell that is found in the filaments of some cyanobacteria and is the site of nitrogen fixation

het·ero·dox ['he-tə-rə-,däks, 'he-trə-] -adj

  1. contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard, a traditional form, or an established religion : unorthodox, unconventional
    • heterodox ideas
  2. holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines

het·ero·doxy [-,däk-sē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being heterodox
  2. a heterodox opinion or doctrine

het·ero·du·plex [,he-tə-rō-'dü-,pleks, -'dyü-] -n, adj

  1. a nucleic-acid molecule (as DNA) composed of two chains with each derived from a different parent molecule

het·ero·dyne ['he-tə-rə-,dīn, 'he-trə-] -adj

  1. of or relating to the production of an electrical beat between two radio frequencies of which one usu. is that of a received signal-carrying current and the other that of an uninterrupted current introduced into the apparatus
  2. of or relating to the production of a beat between two optical frequencies

heterodyne -vt

  1. to combine (as a radio frequency) with a different frequency so that a beat is produced

het·er·oe·cious [,he-tə-'rē-shəs] -adj, n

  1. passing through the different stages in the life cycle on alternate and often unrelated hosts
    • heteroecious aphids

het·ero·ga·mete [,he-tə-rō-'ga-,mēt also -gə-'mēt] -n

  1. either of a pair of dissimilar and usu. oogamous gametes

het·ero·ga·met·ic [-gə-'me-tik] -adj, n

  1. forming two kinds of gametes of which one produces male offspring and the other female offspring
    • the human male is heterogametic

het·er·og·a·mous [,he-tə-'rä-gə-məs] -adj

  1. having or characterized by fusion of unlike gametes

het·er·og·a·my [-mē] -n

  1. sexual reproduction involving fusion of unlike gametes often differing in size, structure, and physiology
  2. the condition of reproducing by heterogamy

het·ero·ge·ne·ity [,he-tə-rō-jə-'nē-ə-tē, ,he-trō-] -n

  1. the quality or state of being heterogeneous

het·ero·ge·neous [,he-tə-rə-'jē-nē-əs, ,he-trə-, -nyəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. consisting of dissimilar or diverse ingredients or constituents : mixed

het·er·og·e·nous [,he-tə-'rä-jə-nəs] -adj

  1. heterogeneous

het·er·og·e·ny [-nē] -n

  1. a heterogenous collection or group

het·ero·glos·sia [,he-tə-rō-'glä-sē-ə, -'glȯ-] -n

  1. a diversity of voices, styles of discourse, or points of view in a literary work and esp. a novel

het·er·og·o·ny [,he-tə-'rä-gə-nē] -n, adj

  1. alternation of generations
  2. alternation of a dioecious with a parthenogenetic generation
  3. allometry

het·ero·graft ['he-tə-rō-,graft] -n

  1. xenograft

het·ero·kary·on [,he-tə-rō-'ker-ē-,än, -ən, -'ka-rē-] -n

  1. a cell (as in the mycelium of a fungus) that contains two or more genetically unlike nuclei

het·ero·kary·o·sis [,he-tə-rō-,ker-ē-'ō-səs, -,ka-rē-] -n, adj

  1. the condition of having cells that are heterokaryons

het·er·ol·o·gous [-'rä-lə-gəs] -adj, adv

  1. derived from a different species

het·ero·ly·sis [,he-tə-'rä-lə-səs, -ə-rə-'lī-səs] -n, adj

  1. decomposition of a compound into two oppositely charged particles or ions

het·ero·mor·phic [,he-tə-rə-'mȯr-fik] -adj, n

  1. deviating from the usual form
  2. exhibiting diversity of form or forms
    • heteromorphic pairs of chromosomes

het·er·on·o·mous [,he-tə-'rä-nə-məs] -adj

  1. subject to external controls and impositions

het·er·on·o·my [-mē] -n

  1. subjection to something else
  2. a lack of moral freedom or self-determination

het·ero·nym ['he-tə-rə-,nim] -n

  1. one of two or more homographs (as a bassvoice and bass,a fish) that differ in pronunciation and meaning

het·ero·phile ['he-tə-rə-,fī(-ə)l] -adj

  1. relating to or being any of a group of antigens in organisms of different species that induce the formation of antibodies that will cross-react with the other antigens of the group
  2. being or relating to any of these antibodies

het·er·oph·o·ny [,he-tə-'rä-fə-nē] -n

  1. independent variation on a single melody by two or more voices

het·ero·phyl·lous [,he-tə-rō-'fi-ləs] -adj, n

  1. having the foliage leaves of more than one form on the same plant or stem

het·ero·ploid ['he-tə-rə-,plȯid] -adj, n

  1. having a chromosome number that deviates from and is not an integral multiple of the number characteristic of a given species

het·er·op·ter·ous [,he-tə-'räp-tə-rəs] -adj

  1. of or relating to an insect order or suborder (Heteroptera) comprising the true bugs

het·ero·sex·ism [,he-tə-rō-'sek-si-zəm] -n, adj

  1. discrimination or prejudice by heterosexuals against homosexuals

het·ero·sex·u·al [,he-tə-rō-'sek-sh(ə-)wəl, -'sek-shəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward the opposite sex
  2. of, relating to, or involving sexual intercourse between individuals of opposite sex
  3. of or relating to different sexes

heterosexual -n

  1. a heterosexual person

het·er·o·sis [,he-tə-'rō-səs] -n, adj

  1. the marked vigor or capacity for growth often exhibited by crossbred animals or plants called also hybrid vigor

het·ero·so·cial [,he-tə-rō-'sō-shəl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or involving social relationships between persons of the opposite sex

het·ero·spo·ry ['he-tə-rə-,spȯr-ē, ,he-tə-'räs-pə-rē] -n, adj

  1. the production of microspores and megaspores (as in seed plants)

het·ero·thal·lic [,he-tə-rō-'tha-lik] -adj, n

  1. having two or more morphologically similar haploid phases or types of which individuals from the same type are mutually sterile but individuals from different types are cross-fertile
    • heterothallic fungi
    • heterothallic spores
  2. dioecious

het·ero·top·ic [-rə-'tä-pik] -adj

  1. occurring in an abnormal place
    • heterotopic bone formation
    • heterotopic liver transplant

het·ero·troph ['he-tə-rə-,trōf, -,träf] -n

  1. a heterotrophic individual

het·ero·tro·phic [,he-tə-rə-'trō-fik] -adj, adv, n

  1. requiring complex organic compounds of nitrogen and carbon (as that obtained from plant or animal matter) for metabolic synthesis

het·ero·typ·ic [,he-tə-rō-'ti-pik] -adj

  1. different in kind, arrangement, or form

het·ero·zy·go·sis [-(,)zī-'gō-səs] -n

  1. heterozygosity

het·ero·zy·gos·i·ty [-'gä-sə-tē] -n

  1. the state of being heterozygous

het·ero·zy·gote [-'zī-,gōt] -n

  1. a heterozygous individual

het·ero·zy·gous [-gəs] -adj

  1. having the two alleles at corresponding loci on homologous chromosomes different for one or more loci

heth ['k̲āt, 'k̲āth, 'k̲et, 'k̲eth] -n

  1. the 8th letter of the Hebrew alphabet

het·man ['het-mən] -n

  1. a Cossack leader

het up ['het-'əp] -adj

  1. highly excited : upset

heu·land·ite ['hyü-lən-,dīt] -n

  1. a zeolite consisting of a hydrous aluminosilicate of sodium and calcium

heu·ris·tic [hyu̇-'ris-tik] -adj, adv

  1. involving or serving as an aid to learning, discovery, or problem-solving by experimental and esp. trial-and-error methods
    • heuristic techniques
    • a heuristic assumption
  2. of or relating to exploratory problem-solving techniques that utilize self-educating techniques (as the evaluation of feedback) to improve performance

heuristic -n

  1. the study or practice of heuristic procedure
  2. heuristic argument
  3. a heuristic method or procedure

hew ['hyü] -vb, n

  1. to cut with blows of a heavy cutting instrument
  2. to fell by blows of an ax
    • hew a tree
  3. to give form or shape to with or as if with heavy cutting blows
    • hew ed their farms from the wilderness -- J. T. Shotwell
  4. to make cutting blows
  5. conform, adhere
    • hew to tradition
    often used in the phrase hew to the line
    • no pressure...on newspapers to hew to the official line -- N.Y. Times Mag.

HEW -abbr

  1. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

hex ['heks] -vb, n

  1. to practice witchcraft
  2. to put a hex on
  3. to affect as if by an evil spell : jinx
  4. a person who practices witchcraft
  5. spell, jinx
  6. hexagonal
    • a bolt with a hex head
  7. hexadecimal
  8. hexagon

hexa- -comb form

  1. six
    • hexa ploid
  2. containing six atoms, groups, or equivalents
    • hex ane

hexa·chlo·ro·eth·ane [,hek-sə-,klȯr-ō-'e-,thān] -n

  1. a toxic crystalline compound C 2Cl 6used esp. in smoke bombs and in the control of liver flukes in ruminants

hexa·chlo·ro·phene [-'klȯr-ə-,fēn] -n

  1. a powdered phenolic bacteria-inhibiting agent C 13H 6Cl 6O 2

hexa·chord ['hek-sə-,kȯrd] -n

  1. a diatonic series of six tones having a semitone between the third and fourth tones

hexa·dec·i·mal [,hek-sə-'des-məl, -'de-sə-] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or being a number system with a base of 16

hexa·gon ['hek-sə-,gän] -n

  1. a polygon of six angles and six sides

hex·ag·o·nal [hek-'sa-gə-nᵊl] -adj, adv

  1. having six angles and six sides
  2. having a hexagon as section or base
  3. relating to or being a crystal system characterized by three equal lateral axes intersecting at angles of 60 degrees and a vertical axis of variable length at right angles

hexa·gram ['hek-sə-,gram] -n

  1. a plane figure that has the shape of a 6-pointed star, that consists of two intersecting congruent equilateral triangles having the same point as center and their sides parallel, and that can be formed by constructing external equilateral triangles on the sides of a regular hexagon

hexa·he·dron [,hek-sə-'hē-drən] -n

  1. a polyhedron of six faces (as a cube)

hexa·hy·drate [-'hī-,drāt] -n

  1. a chemical compound with six molecules of water

hex·am·e·ter [hek-'sa-mə-tər] -n

  1. a line of verse consisting of six metrical feet

hexa·me·tho·ni·um [,hek-sə-mə-'thō-nē-əm] -n

  1. either of two compounds C 12H 30Br 2N 2or C 12H 30Cl 2N 2used as ganglionic blocking agents in the treatment of hypertension

hexa·meth·y·lene·tet·ra·mine [,hek-sə-'me-thə-,lēn-'te-trə-,mēn] -n

  1. a crystalline compound C 6H 12N 4used esp. as an accelerator in vulcanizing rubber and as a urinary antiseptic

hex·ane ['hek-,sān] -n

  1. any of several isomeric volatile liquid alkanes C 6H 14found in petroleum

hex·a·no·ic acid [,hek-sə-'nō-ik-] -n

  1. caproic acid

hexa·ploid ['hek-sə-,plȯid] -adj, n

  1. having or being six times the monoploid chromosome number

hexa·pod ['hek-sə-,päd] -n

  1. insect

hexapod -adj

  1. six-footed
  2. of or relating to insects

Hexa·teuch ['hek-sə-,tük, -,tyük] -n

  1. the first six books of the Bible

hex·e·rei [,hek-sə-'rī] -n

  1. witchcraft

hexo·bar·bi·tal [,hek-sə-'bär-bə-,tȯl] -n

  1. a barbiturate C 12H 16N 2O 3used as a sedative and hypnotic and in the form of its soluble sodium salt as an intravenous anesthetic of short duration

hexo·ki·nase [,hek-sə-'kī-,nās, -,nāz] -n

  1. any of a group of enzymes that accelerate the phosphorylation of hexoses (as in the formation of glucose-6-phosphate from glucose and ATP) in carbohydrate metabolism

hex·os·a·min·i·dase [,hek-,sä-sə-'mi-nə-,dās, -,dāz] -n

  1. either of two hydrolytic enzymes that catalyze the splitting off of a hexose from a ganglioside and are deficient in some metabolic diseases (as Tay-Sachs disease)

hex·o·san ['hek-sə-,san] -n

  1. a polysaccharide yielding only hexoses on hydrolysis

hex·ose ['hek-,sōs, -,sōz] -n

  1. a monosaccharide (as glucose) containing six carbon atoms in a molecule

hex·yl ['hek-səl] -n

  1. any of various isomeric alkyl radicals C 6H 13 derived from hexane

hex·yl·res·or·cin·ol [,hek-səl-rə-'zȯr-sᵊn-,ȯl, -,ōl] -n

  1. a crystalline phenol C 12H 18O 2used as an antiseptic and anthelmintic

hey ['hā] -interj

  1. used esp. to call attention or to express interrogation, surprise, or exultation

hey·day ['hā-,dā] -interj

  1. used to express elation or wonder

heyday -n

  1. high spirits
  2. the period of one's greatest popularity, vigor, or prosperity

hey presto [(')hā-'pres-(,)tō] -interj

  1. suddenly as if by magic

Hez·e·ki·ah [,he-zə-'kī-ə] -n

  1. a king of Judah under whom the kingdom underwent a ruinous Assyrian invasion at the end of the eighth century b.c.