homonym (häm´э nim') •n. 1 a word with the same pronunciation as another but with a different meaning, origin, and, usually, spelling (Ex.: bore and boar); homophone 2 loosely, a homograph 3 either of two people with the same name; namesake 4 Biol. a name for a genus, species, etc. unsuitable because already used for another taxonomic classification hom'o·nym´ic •adj. [Fr homonyme < L homonymus < Gr homōnymos, having the same name < homos, SAME + onyma, NAME]

homonymous (hou män´i mэs) •adj. 1 of, or having the nature of, a homonym 2 having the same name ho·mon´y·my (-mi:) •n.

homoousian (hou'mou u:´si: эn) •adj. [also H-] Theol. of or holding the teaching that God the Father and God the Son are of the same nature •n. [also H-] an adherent of this teaching Etymology [LL(Ec) homoousianus < LGr(Ec) homoousios, consubstantial < homos, SAME + ousia, essence: see HOMOIOUSIAN]

homophile (hou´mou fail', -mэ-) •n., adj. HOMOSEXUAL [HOMO- + -PHILE]

homophobia (hou'mэ fou´bi: э) •n. irrational hatred or fear of homosexuals or homosexuality ho´mo·phobe' (-foub') •n. ho'mo·pho´bic (-fou´bik) •adj. [HOMO(SEXUAL) + -PHOBIA]

homophone (häm´э foun') •n. 1 any of two or more letters or groups of letters representing the same speech sound (Ex.: c in civil and s in song) 2 HOMONYM (sense 1) ho·moph·o·nous (hou mäf´э nэs, hэ-) •adj. [< Gr homophōnos: see HOMOPHONIC]

homophonic (häm'э fän´ik, hou'mэ-) •adj. 1 Music having one melodic line at a time, the other voices or parts serving as accompaniment 2 HOMONYMOUS ho·moph·o·ny (hou mäf´э ni:), pl. -nies, •n. [< Gr homophōnos, of the same sound (< homos, SAME + phōnē, sound: see PHONE¹) + -IC]

homoplastic (hou'mou plæs´tik, häm'ou-) •adj. 1 of or having to do with homoplasy 2 derived from a member of the same species, as a graft: see AUTOPLASTY, HETEROPLASTY ho'mo·plas´ti·cal·ly •adv. [HOMO- + -PLASTIC]

homoplasy (hou´mou plei'si:, -plæs'i:) •n. Biol. correspondence between parts as a result of similarity of environment rather than common heredity: cf. HOMOGENY [HOMO- + -PLASY]

homopteran (hou mäp´tэr эn) •n. any of an order (Homoptera) of insects with sucking mouthparts and two pairs of membranous wings of uniform thickness, as aphids, cicadas, or scale insects •adj. of or relating to this order of insects [< ModL Homoptera: see HOMO- & PTERO- & -AN]

homopterous (hou mäp´tэr эs) •adj. HOMOPTERAN

homosexual (hou'mou sek´shu: эl, -mэ-) •adj. of or characterized by sexual desire for those of the same sex as oneself •n. a homosexual individual ho'mo·sex'ual´i·ty (-æl´э ti:) •n. ho'mo·sex´u·al·ly •adv. [see HOMO-]

homosphere (hou´mou sfir') •n. the lower of two divisions of the earth's atmosphere, extending to a height of c. 70 km (c. 43 mi.), characterized by a relatively constant composition of its component gases: cf. HETEROSPHERE

homosporous (hou mäs´pэ rэs, hou'mou spör´эs) •adj. Bot. producing only one kind of spore; isosporous

homostyly (hou´mou stai'li:) •n. the condition in which flowers of the same species have styles of equal length: see HETEROSTYLY ho'mo·sty´lous •adj. [HOMO- + STYL(E) + -Y³]

homotaxis (hou'mou tæk´sis, -mэ-; häm'ou-, -э-) •n. Geol. a similarity in the arrangement of layers, or in the fossil content, between strata of different regions not necessarily formed at the same time [ModL < HOMO- + -TAXIS]

homothallic (-θæl´ik) •adj. designating or possessing a mycelium that produces two kinds of cells, which function as male and female ho'mo·thal´lism •n. [HOMO- + THALL(US) + -IC]

homotransplant (-træns´plænt') •n. ALLOGRAFT ho'mo·trans'plan·ta´tion •n.

homozygosis (-zai gou´sis) •n. 1 the condition of being a homozygote 2 the production of a homozygote for any one pair or for several pairs of genes ho'mo·zy·got´ic (-gät´ik) •adj. [HOMO- + ModL zygosis: see HETEROZYGOSIS]

homozygote (-zai´gout') •n. a plant or animal having two identical alleles at a single locus on a chromosome, and hence breeding true to type for the particular character involved; purebred ho'mo·zy´gous (-zai gэs) •adj. [HOMO- + ZYGOTE]

Homs (hömz) city in W Syria, on the Orontes; pop. 354,000

homunculus (hou mûn´kyu: lэs, -mûŋ´-) pl. -li' (-lai') •n. a little man; dwarf; manikin [L, dim. of homo, man: see HOMO¹]

homy (houm´i:) hom´i·er, hom´i·est •adj. HOMEY hom´i·ness •n.

Hon 1 honorable 2 honorary hon (hûn) •n. [Slang] sweet one; honey: often a term of affectionate address

honan (hou´nän´, -næn´) •n. 1 a soft, thin silk fabric: also honan silk 2 any fabric like this Honan (hou´nän´) old form of HENAN

honcho (hän´chou') pl. -chos •n. Æ [Slang] a person in charge; leader; chief Æ -choed, -cho·ing •vt. [Slang] to take charge of; act as leader of [< Jpn hanchō, squad leader]

Hond Honduras

hondle (hän´dªl) -dled, -dling •vi. [Colloq.] to bargain; haggle

Honduras (hän dur´эs, -dyur´-) country in Central America, with coastlines on the Pacific & the Caribbean: 43,227 sq. mi. (112,088 sq. km); pop. 4,092,000; cap. Tegucigalpa Hon·du´ran •adj., n.

hone¹ (houn) •n. a fine-grained, hard stone used to sharpen cutting tools •vt. honed, hon´ing 1 to sharpen with or as with a hone 2 Mech. to enlarge or smooth (a bore) to exact specifications with a rotating stick (honing stone) containing abrasive material hon´er •n. [ME < OE han, a stone, akin to ON hein, a hone < IE base *ko(i)-, to sharpen, whet > L cos, whetstone, cotes, sharp rock, Gr kōnos, cone]

hone² (houn) honed, hon´ing •vi. [Dial.] 1 to yearn; long 2 to grumble; moan [ME honen < NormFr honer < OFr houir, to disgrace (< Frank *haunjan, to scorn, insult, akin to OE hean, wretched) < IE base *kau-, to humiliate > Latvian kauns, disgrace; sense infl. by OFr hognier, to grumble, prob. of echoic orig.]

Honegger (hän´э gэr, hou´neg эr; Fr ô ne geř´), Arthur 1892-1955; Fr. composer

honest (än´ist) •adj. 1 orig., a) held in respect; honorable b) respectable, creditable, commendable, seemly, etc. (a generalized epithet of commendation) 2 that will not lie, cheat, or steal; truthful; trustworthy 3 a) showing fairness and sincerity; straightforward; free from deceit {an honest effort} b) gained or earned by fair methods, not by cheating, lying, or stealing {an honest living} 4 being what it seems; genuine; pure {to give honest measure} 5 frank and open {an honest face} 6 [Archaic] virtuous; chaste •adv. [Colloq.] honestly; truly: an intensive [ME < OFr honeste < L honestus < honor, honor]

honestly (-li:) •adv. 1 in an honest manner 2 truly; really: used as an intensive {honestly, it is so}

honest-to-goodness (än´ist tэ gud´nis) •adj. [Colloq.] genuine; real; authentic Also hon´est-to-God´

honesty (än´is ti:) •n. 1 the state or quality of being honest; specif., a) orig., honor b) a refraining from lying, cheating, or stealing; a being truthful, trustworthy, or upright c) sincerity; fairness; straightforwardness d) [Archaic] chastity 2 any of a genus (Lunaria) of plants of the crucifer family, with purple and white flowers and large, flat, oval pods; esp., a plant (L. annua) whose pods are used in winter bouquets [ME honeste < OFr honesté < L honestas < honestus]

honewort (houn´wørt') •n. a perennial weed (Cryptotaenia canadensis) of the umbel family, with small, white flowers, found in shady places in the E U.S. [obs. hone, a swelling + WORT²: formerly used to treat such swellings]

honey (hûn´i:) pl. -eys •n. 1 a thick, sweet, syrupy substance that bees make as food from the nectar of flowers and store in honeycombs 2 a) anything like honey in texture, color, etc. b) sweet quality; sweetness 3 sweet one; darling; dear: often a term of affectionate address Æ 4 [Colloq.] something pleasing or excellent of its kind {a honey of an idea} •adj. 1 of or like honey 2 sweet; dear •vt. -eyed or -ied, -ey·ing 1 to make sweet or pleasant as with honey 2 to speak sweetly or lovingly to 3 to flatter •vi. to speak sweetly or lovingly; be very affectionate, attentive, or coaxing [ME honi, hunig < OE hunig, akin to Ger honig (OHG honang) < IE base *kenekó-, honey-yellow > Sans kāñcana-, golden]

honey badger RATEL

honey bear name for: 1 KINKAJOU 2 SLOTH BEAR

honey bucket [Slang] a bucket or container for human body waste, used where a toilet is not available

honey pot 1 any of a caste of workers in certain species of ants, that serve as living storehouses for a honeylike material later used by the whole colony 2 a waxy honey container made by some bees, esp. bumblebees, for storing their food

Honey Tangerine a citrus fruit with a deep-orange pulp, formed by crossing a tangerine and a sweet orange hybrid; Murcott

honeybee (hûn´i: bi:') •n. a bee that makes honey; esp., the common hive bee (Apis mellifera)

honeybunch (hûn´i: bûnch') •n. [Colloq.] darling; dear: often used in affectionate address Also hon´ey·bun'

honeycomb (hûn´i: koum') •n. 1 the structure of six-sided wax cells made by bees to hold their honey or eggs 2 anything like this in structure or appearance •vt. 1 to cause to have many holes like a honeycomb; riddle 2 to permeate or undermine {honeycombed with intrigue} •vi. to become riddled with holes like a honeycomb •adj. of, like, or patterned after a honeycomb Also hon´ey·combed' [ME hunicomb < OE hunigcamb < hunig, HONEY + camb, COMB¹]

honeycreeper (hûn´i: kri:'pэr) •n. 1 any of a family (Drepanididae) of brightly colored, insect-eating, Hawaiian passerine birds 2 any of various small, slender-billed passerine birds (family Emberizidae) of tropical America that feed on nectar and fruits

honeydew (hûn´i: du:', -dyu:') •n. 1 a sweet fluid, as manna, exuded from various plants 2 a sweet substance excreted by aphids and other juice-sucking homopteran plant insects, or secreted by certain fungi: often eaten by bees and ants Æ 3 short for HONEYDEW MELON

honeydew melon a variety of melon with a smooth, whitish rind and very sweet, greenish flesh

honeyeater (hûn´i: i:t'эr) •n. any of a large family (Meliphagidae) of Australasian passerine birds with a long, brushlike tongue that can be protruded to catch insects or draw nectar from flowers

honeyed (hûn´i:d) •adj. 1 sweetened, covered, or filled with honey 2 sweet as honey; flattering or affectionate {honeyed words} [ME honyede]

honeyguide (hûn´i: gaid') •n. any of a family (Indicatoridae) of small, heavily built, drab-colored piciform birds of Africa, Asia, and the East Indies: they are said to lead people or animals to bees' nests in order to eat the grubs and wax discarded by the people, etc. when they take the honeycombs

honeylocust (-lou´kэst) •n. any of a genus (Gleditsia) of trees of the caesalpinia family, esp. a North American species (G. triacanthos) usually having strong, thorny branches, featherlike foliage, and large, twisted pods containing beanlike seeds and a sweet pulp

honeymoon (hûn´i: mu:n') •n. 1 the holiday or vacation spent together by a newly married couple 2 a brief period of apparent agreement, as between political parties after an election •vi. to have or spend a honeymoon hon´ey·moon'er •n. [as if < HONEY + MOON (? in reference to the waning of the affection of newlyweds), but ? folk etym. for ON hjūnōttsmānathr, lit., wedding-night month]

honeysucker (hûn´i: sûk'эr) •n. 1 HONEYEATER 2 a small Australian marsupial (Tarsipes spencerae) with a long tongue and snout: it feeds on nectar and small insects Also honey opossum

honeysuckle (hûn´i: sûk´эl) •n. 1 any of a genus (Lonicera) of plants of the honeysuckle family, with small, fragrant flowers of red, yellow, or white 2 any of several similar plants with fragrant flowers, esp. columbine •adj. designating a family (Caprifoliaceae, order Dipsacales) of dicotyledonous, mostly woody plants, including the coralberry and elder [ME honisocle, dim. (see -LE) < OE hunigsuce (Brit dial. honeysuck) < hunig, HONEY + sucan, to SUCK]

hong (höŋ, häŋ) •n. [Historical] in China, a warehouse or factory [Chin hōng, a row, series, factory] Hong (häŋ, höŋ) Annamese name of the RED (river in Vietnam)

Hong Kong or Hongkong (häŋ´käŋ´, höŋ´köŋ´) 1 British crown colony in SE China, on the South China Sea: it consists of a principal island (Hong Kong Island), nearby islands, Kowloon Peninsula, & an area of adjacent mainland leased from China (called New Territories): 405 sq. mi. (1,049 sq. km); pop. 5,109,000; cap. Victoria 2 another name for VICTORIA (the capital)

honi soit qui mal y pense (ô ni: swå ki: mål i: päñs´) shamed be (anyone) who thinks evil of it: motto of the Order of the Garter [Fr]

honied (hûn´i:d) •adj. alt. sp. of HONEYED

honk (höŋk, häŋk) •n. 1 the call of a wild goose 2 any similar sound, as of an automobile horn •vi. to make any such sound •vt. 1 to express by honking 2 to sound (an automobile horn) honk´er •n. [echoic]

honkie or honky (höŋ´ki:) pl. -kies [Slang] a white person: a term of hostility and contempt Also hon´key •n.

honky-tonk (höŋ´ki: töŋk') •n. 1 [Old Slang] a cheap, disreputable, noisy cabaret or nightclub 2 [Slang] a bar, esp. one where country music is played •adj. RICKY-TICK; specif., designating such music played on a piano adjusted to give a tinkling sound •vi. [Slang] to make the rounds of honky-tonks [< ?]

Honolulu (hän'э lu:´lu:, hou'nэ-) capital of Hawaii: seaport on the SE coast of Oahu: pop. 365,000 (met. area 836,000) [Haw, lit., sheltered bay]

honor (än´эr) •n. 1 high regard or great respect given, received, or enjoyed; esp., a) glory; fame; renown b) good reputation; credit 2 a keen sense of right and wrong; adherence to action or principles considered right; integrity {to conduct oneself with honor} 3 a) chastity or purity b) reputation for chastity 4 high rank or position; distinction; dignity {the great honor of the presidency} 5 [H-] a title of respect given to certain officials, as judges: preceded by Your or by His or Her 6 something done or given as a token or act of respect; specif., a) [Obs.] a curtsy; bow b) a social courtesy or privilege {may I have the honor of this dance?} c) a badge, token, decoration, etc. given to a person d) [pl.] public act or ceremonies of respect {buried with full military honors} e) [pl.] special distinction or credit given to students, esp. at commencement, for high academic achievement f) [pl.] an advanced course of study in place of or in addition to the regular course, for exceptional students {Honors English} 7 a person or thing that brings respect and fame to a school, country, etc. 8 Bridge a) any of the five highest cards in a suit b) [pl.] all, or any four, of the five highest cards of the trump suit or, in a no-trump hand, the four aces 9 Golf the privilege of driving first from the tee •vt. 1 to respect greatly; regard highly; esteem 2 to show great respect or high regard for; treat with deference and courtesy 3 to worship (a deity) 4 to do or give something in honor of 5 a) to accept and pay when due {to honor a check} b) to carry out the terms of {to honor a treaty obligation} c) to accept as valid, good for credit, etc. {a store that honors most credit cards} 6 to make a bow to in square dancing •adj. of or showing honor {honor roll} do honor to 1 to show great respect for 2 to bring or cause honor to do the honors to act as host or hostess, esp. by making introductions, proposing toasts, serving at table, etc. honor bright [Colloq.] honestly! truthfully! in honor of as a token of respect for on (or upon) one's honor staking one's good name or one's truthfulness, trustworthiness, or reliability SYN.—honor, as compared here, implies popular acknowledgment of a person's right to great respect as well as any expression of such respect [in honor of the martyred dead]; homage suggests great esteem shown in praise, tributes, or obeisance [to pay homage to the genius of Milton]; reverence implies deep respect together with love [he held her memory in reverence]; deference suggests a display of courteous regard for a superior, or for one to whom respect is due, by yielding to the person's status, claims, or wishes [in deference to his age] [ME honour < OFr < L honor, honos, official dignity, repute, esteem]

honor guard a ceremonial guard assigned to escort a distinguished person or to accompany a casket at a funeral Also guard of honor

honor society a college or high-school organization for students of high academic achievement Also honorary society

honor system in some schools, prisons, etc., a system whereby individuals are trusted to obey the rules, do their work, take tests, etc. without direct supervision

honorable (än´эr э bэl) •adj. 1 worthy of being honored; specif., a) of, or having a position of, high rank or worth (used as a title of courtesy for certain officials and for the children of certain British peers) b) noble; illustrious c) of good reputation; respectable 2 having or showing a sense of right and wrong; characterized by honesty and integrity; upright 3 bringing honor to the owner or doer 4 doing honor; accompanied with marks of respect {an honorable burial} hon'or·a·bil´i·ty or hon´or·a·ble·ness •n. hon´or·a·bly •adv. [ME honourable < OFr honorable < L honorabilis < honor]

honorable mention a citation of honor to a person or work of merit but of lesser distinction than top honors in a competition

honorarium (än'э rer´i: эm) pl. -ri·ums or -ri·a (-э) •n. a payment as to a professional person for services on which no fee is set or legally obtainable [L honorarium (donum), honorary (gift)]

honorary (än´эr er'i:) •adj. 1 given as an honor only, without the usual requirements or privileges {an honorary degree} 2 a) designating an office or position held as an honor only, without service or pay b) holding such a position or office c) recognizing academic distinction or accomplishment {an honorary society} 3 depending on one's honor; that cannot be legally enforced or collected: said of debts, etc. hon´or·ar'i·ly •adv. [L honorarius, of or conferring honor]

honoree (än'эr i:´) •n. a person receiving an honor

honorific (än'эr if´ik) •adj. conferring honor; showing respect {an honorific title or word} Also hon'or·if´i·cal •n. an honorific title or word hon'or·if´i·cal·ly •adv. [L honorificus < honor + facere, to make: see DO¹]

honoris causa (hou nou´ris kau´sæ') conferred as an honor {a law degree honoris causa} [L, for the sake of honor]

honors of war special privileges granted to a defeated army, as that of continuing to bear arms

honour (än´эr) •n., vt., adj. Brit. sp. of HONOR

Honshu (hän´shu:´) largest of the islands forming Japan: 88,946 sq. mi. (230,369 sq. km); chief city, Tokyo

Hooch (houkh), Pie·ter de (pi:´tэř dэ) c. 1629-c. 1684; Du. painter

hooch¹ (hu:ch) •n. [Slang] alcoholic liquor; esp., liquor that is of low quality or that is made or obtained illegally [contr. of Alaskan Ind hoochinoo, crude alcoholic liquor made by the Hoochinoo Indians (< Hutsnuwu, lit., grizzly bear fort)]

hooch² (hu:ch) •n. [Chiefly U.S. Mil. Slang] a place to live in; specif., a shack or thatched hut, as in Vietnam [< Jpn uchi, house]

hoochie-coochie (hu:ch´i: ku:ch´i:) •n. COOCH

Hood (hud), Mount mountain of the Cascade Range, in N Oreg.: a peak of volcanic origin: 11,245 ft. (3,427 m) Hood (hud) 1 John Bell 1831-79; Confederate general 2 Robin see ROBIN HOOD 3 Thomas 1799-1845; Eng. poet & humorist

-hood (hud) suffix forming nouns 1 state, quality, condition {childhood} 2 the whole group of (a specified class, profession, etc.) {priesthood} [ME -had, -hod < OE had, order, condition, quality, rank, akin to Ger -heit < IE *(s)kāit-, bright, gleaming: basic sense appearance by which known]

hood¹ (hud) •n. 1 a covering for the head and neck and, sometimes, the face, worn separately or as part of a robe, cloak, or jacket {a monk's cowl is a hood} 2 anything resembling a hood in shape or use; specif., a) a fold of cloth over the back of an academic or ecclesiastical gown, judge's robe, etc., often with distinguishing colors to indicate the wearer's degree, college affiliation, etc. Æ b) the body panel that usually covers the engine of an automotive vehicle c) a protective canopy, as above a cookstove, often containing a fan, for exhausting heat, smoke, and fumes d) the cowl of a chimney e) a covering for a horse's head f) Falconry the covering for a falcon's head when it is not chasing game 3 Zool. a) a bird's crest b) the fold of skin near a cobra's head that expands when the snake is excited •vt. to cover or provide with or as with a hood [ME < OE hod, akin to Ger hut, hat: for IE base see HAT]

hood² (hud; also hu:d) •n. [Slang] short for HOODLUM

hooded (hud´id) •adj. 1 having or covered with a hood 2 shaped like a hood; cucullate 3 with the eyelids partly closed {hooded eyes} 4 Zool. a) having the head different in color from the body b) having a crest like a hood c) capable of expanding the skin at each side of the neck by movements of the ribs, as the cobra

hooded crow a European carrion crow (Corvus corone cornix) with black wings, head, and tail, and a gray back and breast

hooded seal a large, dark-gray, earless seal (Cystophora cristata) of the N Atlantic: the male has on its head a hoodlike sac that can be inflated

hoodlum (hud´lэm, hu:d´-) •n. 1 a wild, lawless person, often a member of a gang of criminals 2 a tough-looking young ruffian hood´lum·ism' •n. [prob. < Ger dial. (esp. Swiss) hudilump, wretch, miserable fellow < MHG hudel, rag, wretch + lump, rag, tatter, wretch]

hoodoo (hu:´du:') pl. -doos' •n. 1 VOODOO 2 [Colloq.] a) a person or thing that causes bad luck b) bad luck 3 a natural rock formation of fantastic shape, esp. as found in the W U.S. •vt. to bring bad luck to hoo´doo·ism' •n. [var. of VOODOO]

hoodwink (hud´wiŋk') •vt. 1 orig., to blindfold 2 to mislead or confuse by trickery; dupe [HOOD¹ + WINK]

hooey (hu:´i:) •interj., n. [Slang] nonsense; bunk [echoic]

hoof (hu:f, huf) pl. hoofs or hooves (hu:vz, huvz) •n. 1 the horny covering on the feet of ungulate mammals 2 the entire foot of such an animal 3 [Slang] the human foot •vt., vi. 1 to kick or trample with the hoofs 2 [Colloq.] to walk: often with it 3 [Slang] to dance Æ on the hoof not butchered; alive [ME hoof < OE hof, akin to Ger huf < IE base *kapho- > Sans saphá-, hoof, claw]

hoof-and-mouth disease (hu:f'эn mauθ´, huf'-) var. of FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

hoofbeat (hu:f´bi:t', huf´-) •n. the sound made by the hoof of an animal when it runs, walks, etc.

hoofbound (-baund') •adj. having dryness and contraction of the hoof, which causes pain and lameness

hoofed (hu:ft, huft) •adj. having hoofs; ungulate

hoofer (huf´эr; also hu:f´-) •n. [Slang] a professional dancer, esp. a tap dancer, soft-shoe dancer, etc.

Hoogh (houkh), Pieter de var. of Pieter de HOOCH

Hooghly (hu:g´li:) river in E India, flowing into the Bay of Bengal: westernmost channel of the Ganges delta: c. 160 mi. (257 km)

hoo-ha (hu:´hä'; for interj. hu:'hä´) •n. [Colloq.] a commotion, fuss, or to-do •interj. an exclamation used to express surprise, excitement, etc., often in a mocking way [echoic]

hook (huk) •n. 1 a curved or bent piece of metal, wood, etc. used to catch, hold, or pull something; specif., a) a curved piece of wire or bone with a barbed end, for catching fish b) a curved piece of metal, wood, etc. fastened to a wall or chain at one end, used to hang things on, raise things up, etc. {a coat hook} c) a small metal catch inserted in a loop, or eye, to fasten clothes together d) [Slang] Naut. an anchor 2 a curved metal implement for cutting grain, etc. 3 something shaped like a hook; specif., a) a curving cape or headland (used in place names) {Sandy Hook} b) a sharp bend in a stream 4 a trap; snare [back-form. < HOOKER¹ (sense 3)] 5 [Colloq.] something intended to tempt or attract 6 a) the path of a hit or thrown ball that curves away to the left from a right-handed player or to the right from a left-handed player b) a ball that follows such a path 7 Boxing a short, sharp blow delivered with the arm bent at the elbow 8 Music FLAG¹ (sense 6) •vt. 1 to attach or fasten with or as with a hook or hook and eye 2 to take hold of with a hook 3 to catch with or as with a hook 4 to attack with the horns, as a bull; gore 5 to make into the shape of a hook Æ 6 to make (a rug, wall hanging, etc.) by drawing strips of yarn or cloth with a hook through a canvas or burlap backing 7 to hit or throw (a ball) in a HOOK (n. 6a) 8 [Colloq.] a) to tempt or attract b) to cause addiction to c) to steal; snatch 9 Boxing to hit with a hook •vi. 1 to curve as a hook does 2 to be fastened with a hook or hooks 3 to be caught by a hook Æ 4 [Slang] to work as a prostitute by hook or by crook in any way whatever; by any means, honest or dishonest Æ get the hook [Slang] to be discharged or dismissed: from the former practice of pulling incompetent actors off the stage with a long hooked pole Æ hook, line, and sinker [Colloq.] completely; altogether: orig. a fisherman's expression hook up 1 to connect or attach with a hook or hooks 2 to arrange and connect the parts of (a radio, etc.) off the hook [Colloq.] out of trouble, embarrassment, or a state of burdensome responsibility Æ on one's own hook [Colloq.] by oneself; without getting help, advice, etc. [ME < OE hoc, akin to HAKE, MDu hoec, ON hakr < IE base *keg-, peg for hanging]

hook and eye a device for fastening clothes, etc., consisting of a small loop and a hook that catches on it

hook and ladder a fire engine that carries long ladders, hooks for tearing down ceilings, and other equipment

hook shot Basketball a one-handed shot in which the extended arm is brought back over the head, tossing the ball toward the basket

Hook·er (huk´эr) 1 Joseph 1814-79; Union general in the Civil War 2 Richard 1554-1600; Eng. clergyman & writer 3 Thomas c. 1586-1647; Eng. Puritan clergyman, in America after 1633

hookah or hooka (huk´э, hu:´kэ) •n. a kind of water pipe associated with the Middle East, with a long flexible tube for drawing the smoke through water in a vase or bowl and cooling it [Ar huqqa, pipe for smoking, vase]

Hooke (huk), Robert 1635-1703; Eng. physicist, mathematician, & inventor

hooked (hukt) •adj. 1 curved like a hook 2 having a hook or hooks Æ 3 made with a hook {a hooked rug} Æ 4 [Slang] a) addicted as to the use of a drug (often with on) b) preoccupied or obsessed with a person, fad, etc. (often with on) 5 [Slang] married

hooker¹ (huk´эr) •n. 1 one that hooks Æ 2 [Slang] an undiluted drink of whiskey Æ 3 [Slang] a prostitute [orig., a resident of Corlear's Hook, area in New York City whose brothels were frequented by sailors]

hooker² (huk´эr) •n. 1 an Irish or English fishing smack with one mast 2 any clumsy, old ship [Du hoeker < MDu hoeck-boot, lit., hook boat: see HOOK]

hooknose (huk´nouz') •n. a nose curved downward somewhat like a hook; aquiline nose hook´nosed' •adj.

hookup (huk´ûp') •n. 1 the arrangement and connection of parts, circuits, etc. in a radio, telephone system, network of radio stations, etc. 2 a connection, as for water or electricity, in a trailer park or campsite 3 [Colloq.] an agreement or alliance between two governments, parties, etc. [HOOK + UP¹]

hookworm (huk´wørm') •n. any of a superfamily (Ancylostomatoidea) of small, parasitic, intestinal nematode worms with hooks around the mouth: found esp. in tropical climates

hookworm disease a disease caused by hookworms, characterized by anemia, weakness, and abdominal pain: the larvae enter the body through the skin, usually of the bare feet; ancylostomiasis

hooky (huk´i:) See PLAY HOOKY Also hook´ey •n.

hooligan (hu:´li gэn) •n. [Slang] a hoodlum, esp. a young one hoo´li·gan·ism' •n. [< ? Hooligan (or Houlihan), name of an Irish family in Southwark, London]

hoop (hu:p; also hup) •n. 1 a circular band or ring for holding together the staves of a barrel, cask, etc. 2 anything like a hoop, as, a) a large, circular band rolled along the ground by children b) any of the rings of whalebone, steel, etc. forming the framework of a hoop skirt or the framework itself c) one of a pair of small bands that hold material taut for embroidery work Æ d) Basketball the metal rim of the basket e) Croquet WICKET •vt. to bind or fasten as with a hoop or hoops; encircle [ME < OE hop, akin to Du hoep, OFris hop, prob. < IE *keub- < base *keu-, to bend, curve > Lith kabe, a hook]

hoop skirt a skirt worn over hoops that make the skirt spread out: a fashion of the 18th cent.

hoop snake any of several American snakes alleged in folklore to take the tail in the mouth and roll along like a hoop

hoopla (hu:p´lä', hup´-) •n. [Colloq.] 1 great excitement; bustle 2 showy publicity; ballyhoo [< ?]

hoopoe (hu:´pu:') •n. an Old World coraciiform bird (Upupa epops) of a family (Upupidae) having only one species, with a long curved bill and erectile crest [earlier houpe < Fr huppe < L upupa, echoic of its cry]

hooray (hu rei´, hэ-; hu:-) •interj., n., vi., vt. HURRAH

hoosegow or hoosgow (hu:s´gau') •n. [Slang] a jail or guardhouse [< Sp juzgado, court of justice < pp. of juzgar, to judge < L judicare < judex, JUDGE]

Hoosier (hu:´zhэr) •n. [Colloq.] a native or inhabitant of Indiana [prob. < dial. (Cumberland) hoozer, something big]

hoot owl any of various owls that hoot; esp., the great horned owl

hoot¹ (hu:t) •vi. 1 to utter its characteristic hollow sound: said of an owl 2 to utter a sound like this 3 to shout or cry out, esp. in scorn or disapproval •vt. 1 to express (scorn, disapproval, etc.) of by hooting 2 to drive or chase away by hooting {to hoot an actor off the stage} •n. 1 the sound that an owl makes 2 any sound like this 3 a loud shout or cry of scorn or disapproval Æ 4 the least bit; whit {not worth a hoot} hoot´er •n. [ME houten, of echoic orig., as also in Swed, Norw huta]

hoot² (hu:t, u:t) •interj. [Scot. or North Eng.] an exclamation of objection, irritation, or impatience Also hoots (hu:ts, u:ts) [? var. of prec.]

hootch¹ (hu:ch) •n. [Slang] HOOCH¹

hootch² (hu:ch) •n. [Slang] HOOCH²

hootchy-kootchy (hu:ch´i: ku:ch´i:) pl. -koot´chies COOCH Also sp. hoot´chie-koot´chie •n. [< ?]

hootenanny (hu:t'ªn æn´i:, hu:t´ªn æn'i:) pl. -nies •n. a meeting of folk singers, as for public entertainment [orig. in sense of dingus, thingamajig; a fanciful coinage]

Hoover (hu:´vэr) 1 Herbert Clark 1874-1964; 31st president of the U.S. (1929-33) 2 J(ohn) Edgar 1895-1972; U.S. government official: director of the FBI (1924-72) Hoover (hu:´vэr) trademark for a vacuum cleaner •n. [h-] [Brit.] any vacuum cleaner •vi., vt. [h-] [Brit.] to run a vacuum cleaner (over)

Hoover Dam dam on the Colorado River, on the Ariz.-Nev. border: 726 ft. (221 m) high [after Pres. Hoover]

hooves (hu:vz, huvz) •n. pl. of HOOF

-hop (häp) combining form forming verbs to go from one of a (specified) group or class of places or things to another or others in succession {table-hop, job-hopping}

hop clover any of a group of clovers with yellow flowers resembling hops when dry, esp. a species (Trifolium agrarium) commonly found in NE U.S.

hop hornbeam 1 any of a genus (Ostrya) of North American trees of the birch family, with gray bark and hoplike cones 2 the hard wood of this tree, often used in tool handles

hop¹ (häp) hopped, hop´ping •vi. 1 to make a short leap or leaps on one foot 2 to move by leaping or springing on both (or all) feet at once, as a bird, frog, etc. 3 [Colloq.] a) to go or move briskly or in bounces b) to take a short, quick trip (with up, down, or over) •vt. 1 to jump over {to hop a fence} Æ 2 to get aboard {to hop a train} 3 [Colloq.] to fly over in an airplane •n. 1 an act or instance of hopping Æ 2 a bounce, as of a baseball 3 [Colloq.] a dance, esp. an informal one 4 [Colloq.] a short flight in an airplane SYN. SKIP¹ hop on (or all over) [Slang] to scold; reprimand [ME hoppen < OE hoppian, akin to Ger hüpfen < IE *keub- < base *keu-, to bend, curve > HIP¹, L cumbere, to lie: basic sense prob. to bend forward]

hop² (häp) •n. 1 a rough twining vine (Humulus lupulus) of the hemp family, having the female flowers borne in small cones covered with bladdery bracts 2 [pl.] the dried ripe cones of the female flowers, used for giving beer, ale, etc., a bitter taste and in medicine as a sedative Æ 3 [Slang] a narcotic drug; esp., opium •vt. hopped, hop´ping to flavor or treat with hops Æ hop up 1 to stimulate by or as by a drug 2 to supercharge (an automobile engine, etc.) [LME hoppe < MDu, akin to Ger hopfen]

Hope (houp) 1 a feminine name [< prec.] 2 Anthony (pseud. of Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins) 1863-1933; Eng. novelist hope (houp) •n. 1 a feeling that what is wanted will happen; desire accompanied by expectation 2 the thing that one has a hope for 3 a reason for hope 4 a person or thing on which one may base some hope 5 [Archaic] trust; reliance •vt. hoped, hop´ing [ME hopen < OE hopian, to expect, look for, akin to Ger hoffen < ? same IE base as HOP¹: orig. sense (?) to leap up in expectation] 1 to want and expect 2 to want very much •vi. 1 to have hope (for) 2 [Archaic] to trust or rely SYN. EXPECT hope against hope to continue having hope though it seems baseless hop´er •n. [ME < OE hopa, akin to Du hoop; see the v.]

hope chest a chest in which a young woman collects linen, clothing, etc. in anticipation of getting married

hopeful (houp´fэl) •adj. 1 feeling or showing hope; expecting to get what one wants 2 inspiring or giving hope {a hopeful sign} •n. a person who hopes, or seems likely, to succeed hope´ful·ness •n. [ME]

hopefully (houp´fэl i:) •adv. 1 in a hopeful manner 2 it is to be hoped (that) {to leave early, hopefully by six}

Hopei or Hopeh (hou´pei´) old forms of HEBEI

hopeless (houp´lis) •adj. 1 without hope {a hopeless prisoner} 2 allowing no hope; causing despair {a hopeless situation} 3 impossible to solve, cure, deal with, teach, etc. hope´less·ly •adv. hope´less·ness •n. SYN.—hopeless means having no expectation of, or showing no sign of, a favorable outcome [a hopeless situation]; despondent implies a being in very low spirits because of a loss of hope and a sense of futility about continuing one's efforts [her rejection of his suit left him despondent]; despairing implies utter loss of hope and may suggest the extreme dejection that results [the despairing lover spoke of suicide]; desperate implies such despair as makes one resort to extreme measures [hunger makes men desperate] —ANT. hopeful, optimistic

hophead (häp´hed') •n. [Slang] a drug addict [HOP², n. 3 + HEAD, n. 21]

Hopi (hou´pi:) pl. -pis or -pi •n. 1 a member of a North American Indian people living in NE Arizona 2 the Uto-Aztecan language of this people •adj. designating or of the Hopis or their language or culture [Hopi Hópitu, lit., good, peaceful]

Hopkins (häp´kinz) 1 Sir Frederick Gowland 1861-1947; Eng. biochemist 2 Gerard Man·ley 1844-89; Eng. poet & Jesuit priest 3 Johns 1795-1873; U.S. financier & philanthropist 4 Mark 1802-87; U.S. educator

Hopkinson (häp´kin sэn), Francis 1737-91; Am. jurist & poet: signer of the Declaration of Independence

hoplite (häp´lait') •n. a heavily armed foot soldier of ancient Greece [Gr hoplitēs < hoplon, a tool < hepein, to prepare, care for < IE base *sep-, to concern oneself with > Sans sápati, (he) woos, cultivates, L sepelire, to bury]

hop-o'-my-thumb (häp´ou mai θûm') •n. a very small person; midget [earlier hop on my thombe < HOP¹]

hopper (häp´эr) •n. 1 a person or thing that hops 2 any hopping insect, esp. a grasshopper 3 a box, tank, rail car, etc., often funnel-shaped, from which the contents can be emptied slowly and evenly {the hopper of an automatic coal stoker} [so called from making material hop] Æ 4 a freight car with a bottom that opens to unload freight: in full hopper car [ME hoppere] Hopper (häp´эr), Edward 1882-1967; U.S. painter

hopple (häp´эl) -pled, -pling •n., vt. HOBBLE

hopsacking (häp´sæk'iŋ) •n. 1 a coarse material for bags, made of jute or hemp 2 a sturdy fabric somewhat simulating this, made from cotton, wool, linen, or synthetic fiber and used for suits, coats, etc. Also hop´sack' [lit., sacking for hops]

hopscotch (häp´skäch') •n. a children's game in which a player tosses a small, flat object, as a stone, into one section after another of a figure drawn on the ground, hopping from section to section to pick up the object after each toss [HOP¹ + SCOTCH¹]

hor 1 horizon 2 horizontal

hora (hou´rэ, hör´э) •n. 1 a lively Romanian and Israeli folk dance performed in a circle 2 music for this dance [ModHeb hōrāh < Romanian horǎ < Turk hora]

Horace (hör´is, här´-) 1 a masculine name: see HORATIO 2 (L. name Quintus Horatius Flaccus) 65-8 B.C.; Rom. poet: known for his odes [< L Horatius]

Horae (hou´ri:', hör´i:) HOURS [L < Gr Hōrai]

horary (hou´rэ ri:, hör´э-) •adj. 1 of or indicating an hour or hours 2 occurring once every hour; hourly [ML horarius < L hora, HOUR]

Horatian (hou rei´shэn, -shi: эn; hэ-) •adj. of, like, or characteristic of Horace or his poetry [L Horatianus < Horatius, Horace]

Horatio (hou rei´shou, -shi: ou'; hэ-) a masculine name: var. Horace [altered (modeled on L) < It Orazio < L Horatius, name of a Roman gens]

Horatius (hou rei´shэs, -shi: эs; hэ-) Rom. Legend a hero who defends a bridge over the Tiber against the Etruscans

horde (hörd) •n. 1 a nomadic tribe or clan of Mongols 2 any wandering tribe or group 3 a large, moving crowd or throng; swarm •vi. hord´ed, hord´ing to form or gather in a horde SYN. CROWD¹ [Fr < Ger, earlier horda < Pol < Turk ordū, a camp < Tat urdu, a camp, lit., something erected < urmak, to pitch (a camp)]

Horeb (hou´reb', hör´eb') Bible a mountain usually identified with Mt. Sinai: Ex. 3:1

horehound (hör´haund') •n. 1 a bitter herb (Marrubium vulgare) of the mint family, with white, downy leaves 2 a bitter juice extracted from its leaves, stem, or flowers and used in medicines and confections 3 cough medicine or candy made with this juice 4 any of various other mints [ME horehune < OE harhune < har, white, HOAR + hune, horehound]

horizon (hэ rai´zэn) •n. 1 the line where the sky seems to meet the earth: called visible (or apparent) horizon 2 [usually pl.] the limit or extent of one's outlook, experience, interest, knowledge, etc. {travel broadens one's horizons} 3 an archaeological level or an area of culture as indicated by surviving artifacts 4 Astron. the great circle on the celestial sphere perpendicular to the line from the observer's zenith to the nadir 5 Geol. a layer or small thickness of soil or rock identified by physical characteristics, particular fossils, etc. Etymology [altered (after L) < ME orizont < OFr orizonte < L horizon < Gr horizōn (kyklos), the bounding (circle), horizon < prp. of horizein, to bound, limit < horos, boundary, limit, akin to L urvus, city boundary, orig., furrow around city]

horizontal (hör'i zänt´ªl) •adj. 1 of or near the horizon 2 a) parallel to the plane of the horizon; not vertical b) placed, operating, or acting chiefly in a horizontal direction 3 flat and even; level 4 at, or made up of elements at, the same levels of industrial production and distribution, or of status •n. 1 a horizontal line, plane, etc. 2 position parallel to the horizon hor'i·zon·tal´i·ty (-tæl´э ti:) •n. hor'i·zon´tal·ly •adv. Etymology [ModL horizontalis < L horizon (gen. horizontis): see HORIZON]

horizontal bar a metal bar fixed in a horizontal position for chinning and other gymnastic exercises

horizontal union CRAFT UNION

hormone (hör´moun') •n. 1 a substance formed in some organ of the body, as the adrenal glands, the pituitary, etc., and carried by a body fluid to another organ or tissue, where it has a specific effect: now often prepared synthetically 2 a similar substance produced in a plant, as an auxin hor·mo´nal (-mou´nэl) or hor·mon´ic (-män´ik) •adj. [< Gr hormōn, prp. of horman, to stimulate, excite < hormē, impulse < IE base *ser-, to stream > Sans sará-, fluid, L serum, whey]

Hormuz (hör´mûz), Strait of strait joining the Persian Gulf & the Gulf of Oman, between Arabia & Iran

Horn (hörn), Cape cape on an island (Horn Island) in Tierra del Fuego, Chile: southernmost point of South America horn (hörn) •n. 1 a) a hard, hollow, bony or keratinous, permanent projection that grows on the head of various hoofed animals, esp. bovid ruminants b) an antler 2 anything that protrudes naturally from the head of an animal, as one of the tentacles of a snail, a tuft of feathers on certain birds, etc. 3 [usually pl.] the projections imagined as growing on the brow of a cuckold 4 a) the substance that horns are made of b) any similar, now often synthetic, substance 5 a) a container made by hollowing out a horn {a powder horn} b) a drink contained in a horn 6 CORNUCOPIA 7 anything shaped like or suggesting a horn; specif., a) a peninsula or cape b) either end of a crescent c) the pointed part of an anvil Æ d) a projection above the pommel of a cowboy's saddle 8 a) an instrument made of horn and sounded by blowing, as the shofar b) a brass instrument with a mellow tone, consisting of a long, spiral tube ending in a flaring bell, three valves, and a funnel-shaped mouthpiece (also called French horn) c) any brass instrument Æ d) Jazz any wind instrument e) a horn-shaped antenna 9 a device with a kind of blaring sound for signaling or warning 10 Electronics a) a horn-shaped loudspeaker b) a horn-shaped antenna 11 Bible an emblem of glory, strength, or honor 12 Geol. a jagged mountain peak resulting from the erosion of several cirques against one headland, as the Matterhorn in the Alps •vt. 1 to strike, butt, or gore with the horns 2 to furnish with horns 3 [Archaic] to cuckold •adj. made of horn {horn-rimmed glasses} Æ around the horn Baseball (thrown) from third base to second to first in trying for a double play Æ blow one's own horn [Colloq.] to praise oneself; boast Æ horn in (on) to intrude or meddle (in); butt in lock horns Æ to have a disagreement or conflict on the horns of a dilemma having to make a choice between two things, both usually unpleasant pull (or draw or haul) in one's horns 1 to hold oneself back; restrain one's impulses or efforts 2 to back down; become less dogmatic, positive, zealous, etc. the horn Æ [Colloq.] the telephone {she's on the horn, calling home} horn´less •adj. horn´like' •adj. [ME < OE, akin to Ger < IE base *er-, upper part of the body, head > L cornu, Gr keras]

horn fly a muscid fly (Haematobia irritans) that is a pest on cattle and sucks blood, esp. at the base of the horns

Horn of Africa easternmost part of NE Africa, on the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean: it includes Somalia and SE Ethiopia

horn of plenty CORNUCOPIA

horn silver CERARGYRITE

hornbeam (hörn´bi:m') •n. 1 any of a genus (Carpinus) of small, hardy trees of the birch family, with smooth, gray bark and drooping catkins with flat, papery bracts around a greenish nut 2 the very hard, white wood of this tree, which takes a hornlike polish and is used for tool handles, etc. [HORN + BEAM]

hornbill (-bil') •n. any of a family (Bucerotidae) of large, tropical, Old World coraciiform birds with partly united toes and a huge, curved bill, often with a bony protuberance

hornblende (hörn´blend') •n. a black, rock-forming mineral, a type of amphibole, containing iron and silicate of aluminum, calcium, etc., common in some granitic rocks [Ger: see HORN & BLENDE]

hornbook (hörn´buk') •n. 1 a sheet of parchment with the alphabet, table of numbers, etc. on it, mounted on a small board with a handle and protected by a thin, transparent plate of horn: it was formerly used as a child's primer 2 an elementary treatise

horned (hörnd) •adj. 1 having a horn or horns: often in hyphenated compounds {two-horned} 2 having a hornlike projection 3 [Archaic] cuckolded

horned owl any of several owls having two projecting tufts of feathers on the head

horned pout a bullhead catfish; esp., any of a brown species (Ictalurus nebulosus) of the E U.S. Also horn pout

horned toad any of a genus (Phrynosoma) of small, scaly, insect-eating iguanas with a flattened body, short tail, and hornlike spines

horned viper a poisonous N African snake (Cerastes cornutus) with a hornlike spine above each eye; asp

hornet (hör´nit) •n. any of several large social wasps (family Vespidae), strikingly colored yellow and black [ME harnette < OE hyrnet, akin to Ger hornisse < IE base *er- (see HORN) > L crabro, hornet]

hornet's nest [Colloq.] a situation fraught with trouble, hostility, risk, etc.

hornito (hör ni:t´ou, ör-) pl. -tos •n. a small, beehive-shaped mound built up from clots of molten lava ejected from an underlying volcanic tube [Sp, dim. of horno, oven < L furnus: see FURNACE]

horn-mad (hörn´mæd´) •adj. 1 maddened enough to gore: said of horned animals 2 enraged; furious

hornpipe (hörn´paip') •n. 1 an obsolete wind instrument with a bell and mouthpiece made of horn 2 a lively dance to the music of the hornpipe, formerly popular with sailors 3 music for this [ME]

hornstone (hörn´stoun') •n. [Obs.] flint or chert [transl. of Ger hornstein: so named from its appearance]

hornswoggle (hörn´swäg'эl) -gled, -gling •vt. [Slang] to swindle or hoax; trick [fanciful coinage]

horntail (hörn´teil') •n. any of a family (Siricidae) of hymenopteran insects, whose adult female has a horny, taillike extension for depositing eggs in tree trunks, in which the larvae burrow

hornworm (-wørm') •n. the caterpillar of various hawk moths, with a horny growth on the last segment

hornwort (hörn´wørt') •n. any of a genus (Ceratophyllum) of long, rootless waterlilies of the hornwort family submerged in lakes and slow-moving streams and having whorls of finely divided leaves •adj. designating a family (Ceratophyllaceae) of dicotyledonous, rapidly growing waterlilies [after ModL Ceratophyllum: see CERATO- & -PHYLL]

horny (hörn´i:) horn´i·er, horn´i·est •adj. 1 of, like, or made of horn 2 having horns 3 toughened and calloused {horny hands} 4 [Slang] [< horn, erect penis] a) sexually excited b) easily aroused sexuallyhorn´i·ness •n. [ME]

horologe (hör´э louj', -läj') •n. a timepiece; clock, hourglass, sundial, etc. [ME < OFr < L horologium < Gr hōrologion < hōra, HOUR + legein, to say: see LOGIC]

horologic (hör'э läj´ik) •adj. of horology or horologes Also hor'o·log´i·cal [L horologicus]

horologist (hou räl´э jist) •n. an expert in horology; maker of or dealer in timepieces Also ho·rol´o·ger

Horologium (hör'э lou´ji: эm) a S constellation near Eridanus: essentially a large area with few bright objects

horology (hou räl´э ji:) •n. the science or art of measuring time or making timepieces [< Gr hōra, HOUR + -LOGY]

horoscope (hör´э skoup') •n. 1 the position of the planets and stars with relation to one another at a given time, esp. at the time of a person's birth, regarded in astrology as determining one's destiny 2 a chart of the zodiacal signs and the positions of the planets, etc. 3 a forecast based on such a chart, usually a set of twelve predictions for the twelve signs of the zodiac hor'o·scop´ic (-skäp´ik) •adj. ho·ros·co·py (hou räs´kэ pi:) •n. [Fr < L horoscopus < Gr hōroskopos, observer of the hour of birth < hōra, HOUR + skopos, watcher, by metathesis < IE *spokos < base *spek-, to SPY]

Horowitz (hör´э wits, här´-), Vlad·i·mir (vlæd´э mir') 1904-89; U.S. pianist, born in Russia

horrendous (hö ren´dэs, hэ-) •adj. horrible; frightful hor·ren´dous·ly •adv. [L horrendus < prp. of horrere: see HORRID]

horrent (hör´эnt) •adj. [Archaic] 1 standing up like bristles; bristling 2 horrified; shuddering [L horrens (gen. horrentis), prp. of horrere: see HORRID]

horrible (hör´э bэl, här´-) •adj. 1 causing a feeling of horror; terrible; dreadful; frightful 2 [Colloq.] very bad, ugly, shocking, unpleasant, etc. [ME < OFr < L horribilis < horrere: see HORRID]

horribly (hör´э bli:) •adv. 1 in a horrible manner 2 to a horrible degree 3 [Colloq.] very; extremely

horrid (hör´id, här´-) •adj. 1 orig., bristling; shaggy; rough 2 causing a feeling of horror; terrible; revolting 3 very bad, ugly, unpleasant, etc. hor´rid·ly •adv. hor´rid·ness •n. [L horridus < horrere, to bristle, shake, be afraid < IE base *Ghers-, to bristle > GORSE]

horrific (hö rif´ik, hэ-) •adj. horrifying; horrible [Fr horrifique < L horrificus < horrere, to bristle (see HORRID) + facere, to make (see DO¹)]

horrify (hör´э fai', här´-) -fied', -fy'ing •vt. 1 to cause to feel horror 2 [Colloq.] to shock or disgust SYN. DISMAY hor'ri·fi·ca´tion •n. [L horrificare < horrificus: see HORRIFIC]

horripilate (hö rip´э leit') -lat'ed, -lat'ing •vt. to produce horripilation •vi. to experience horripilation; bristle [< L horripilatus, pp. of horripilare, to bristle with hairs < horrere, to bristle (see HORRID) + pilus, hair]

horripilation (hö rip'э lei´shэn) •n. the erection of hair of the head or body, as from fear, disease, or cold; goose flesh [LL horripilatio: see HORRIPILATE]

horror (hör´эr, här´-) •n. 1 orig., a) a bristling b) a shuddering 2 the strong feeling caused by something frightful or shocking; shuddering fear and disgust; terror and repugnance 3 strong dislike or aversion; loathing 4 the quality of causing horror 5 something that causes horror 6 [Colloq.] something very bad, ugly, disagreeable, etc. •adj. intended to cause horror {horror movies} the horrors [Colloq.] a fit of extreme nervousness, panic, depression, revulsion, etc. [ME horrour < OFr < L horror < horrere, to bristle: see HORRID]

horror-struck (hör´эr strûk') •adj. struck with horror; horrified Also hor´ror-strick'en (-strik'эn)

hors concours (ôř kouñ ku:ř´) outside or beyond competition [Fr]

hors de combat (ôř dэ kouñ bå´) put out of action; disabled [Fr, out of combat]

hors d'oeuvre (ör'dørv´; Fr ôř dë´vřª) pl. hors d'oeuvres (dørvz´) or Fr. hors d'oeu·vre (dë´vřª) an appetizer, as olives, canapés, etc., served usually before a meal [Fr, lit., outside of work < hors, outside (< L foris) + de, of (see DE-) + oeuvre, work (< L opera, works)]

Horsa (hör´sэ) see HENGIST [OE: see HORSE]

horse (hörs) pl. hors´es or horse •n. 1 any of several domesticated or wild varieties of a large, strong species (Equus caballus) of perissodactylous mammal having a long, flowing tail: used for transportation, work, etc. for at least 5,000 years 2 the full-grown male of the horse; gelding or stallion 3 anything like a horse in that a person sits, rides, or is carried on it 4 a device, esp. a frame with legs, to support something; specif., a) SAWHORSE b) a clotheshorse 5 a man: a joking, friendly, or insolent term 6 [Colloq.] Chess a knight Æ 7 [Colloq.] PONY (sense 4) 8 [Slang] a) HORSEPOWER Æ b) HEROIN 9 Gym. a padded block on legs, used for jumping or vaulting 10 [with pl. v.] [Brit.] Mil. mounted troops; cavalry 11 Mining a mass of earth or rock inside a vein or coal seam •vt. horsed, hors´ing 1 to supply with a horse or horses; put on horseback 2 a) to place on a man's back or a wooden horse for flogging b) to flog 3 [Colloq.] to shove; push Æ 4 [Slang] to subject to horseplay •vi. to mount or go on horseback •adj. 1 of a horse or horses 2 mounted on horses 3 large, strong, or coarse of its kind {horse mackerel} Æ back the wrong horse 1 to bet on a horse that loses the race 2 to choose or support the losing side beat (or flog) a dead horse [Colloq.] to argue an issue that is already settled from the horse's mouth [Colloq.] from the original or authoritative source of information Æ hold one's horses [Slang] to curb one's impatience Æ horse around [Slang] 1 to engage in horseplay 2 to spend time in pointless or trifling activity horse of another (or a different) color an entirely different matter on one's high horse [Colloq.] acting in an arrogant, haughty, or disdainful manner to horse! get on your horse! mount! [ME hors < OE hors, hros, akin to Ger ross (OHG hros), prob. < IE base *(s)ker-, to leap (or < ? *ers-, to run > L cursus)]

horse chestnut any of a genus (Aesculus) of shrubs and trees of the horse-chestnut family, including buckeyes; esp., a tree (A. hippocastanum) with large, palmately compound leaves, clusters of white flowers, and glossy brown seeds (horse chestnuts) growing in burs

horse gentian any of a genus (Triosteum) of coarse, weedy plants of the honeysuckle family, with opposite leaves, inconspicuous flowers, and leathery, orange fruit

Horse Guard a special cavalry brigade assigned to the British royal household

horse latitudes either of two belts over the oceans at c. 30° - 35° north and south latitude, characterized by calms, light wind, high barometric pressure, and hot, dry weather [said to be so named because sailing vessels transporting horses to the West Indies often had to throw horses overboard because of water shortages resulting from delays while becalmed]

horse mackerel 1 any of various large tuna 2 any of various jack fishes (genus Trachurus) having a bony plate along the entire lateral line

horse nettle a weed (Solanum carolinense) of the nightshade family, with yellow prickles, white or bluish flowers, and yellow berries

horse opera [Slang] WESTERN (n. 2)

horse pistol a large pistol formerly carried by horsemen

horse sense [Colloq.] common sense

horse trade 1 an exchange of horses 2 any bargaining session marked by shrewd calculation by each side horse´-trade', -trad'ed, -trad'ing, •vi. horse´-trad'er •n.

horse-and-buggy (hörs'эn bûg´i:) •adj. 1 of the period in which the horse-drawn buggy was a common mode of transportation 2 old-fashioned; outmoded

horseback (hörs´bæk') •n. 1 the back of a horse Æ 2 a low, sharp ridge; hogback •adv. on horseback

horsecar (hörs´kär') •n. 1 a streetcar drawn by horses 2 a car for transporting horses

horse-chestnut (hörs´chest'nût') •adj. designating a family (Hippocastanaceae, order Sapindales) of dicotyledonous trees, including the horse chestnuts [transl. of obs. botanical L Castanea equina: reason for name uncert.]

horsefeathers (-feð'эrs) •n., interj. [Slang] nonsense; bunk

horseflesh (-flesh') •n. 1 the flesh of the horse, esp. when used as food 2 horses collectively

horsefly (-flai') pl. -flies' •n. 1 any of a number of large dipterous flies (family Tabanidae), the female of which sucks the blood of horses, cattle, etc. 2 any of various other dipterous flies troublesome to horses, esp. any of a family (Gasterophilidae) of botflies [ME hors fleege]

horsehair (hörs´her') •n. 1 the hair made from the mane or tail of a horse 2 a stiff fabric made from this hair; haircloth •adj. 1 of horsehair 2 covered or stuffed with horsehair [ME horsher]

horsehair worm GORDIAN WORM

horsehide (-haid') •n. 1 the hide of a horse 2 leather made from this Æ 3 [Colloq.] a baseball

horselaugh (hörs´læf') •n. a loud, boisterous, usually derisive laugh; guffaw

horseleech (-li:ch') •n. 1 a large North American leech (Haemopis marmoratis) said to attach itself to the mouth of horses while they are drinking 2 [Archaic] a veterinarian

horseless (hörs´lis) •adj. 1 without a horse 2 not requiring a horse; self-propelled {an automobile was formerly called a horseless carriage}

horseman (hörs´mэn) pl. -men (-mэn) •n. 1 a man who rides on horseback 2 a man skilled in the riding, managing, or care of horses horse´man·ship' •n. [ME horsman]

horsemint (hörs´mint') •n. Æ any of a genus (Monarda) of North American plants of the mint family, with heads of showy flowers, usually red or purplish [ME horsminte]

horseplay (hörs´plei') •n. rough, boisterous fun

horseplayer (hörs´plei'эr) •n. one who is in the habit of betting on horses in horse races

horsepower (hörs´pau'эr) •n. 1 the power exerted by a horse in pulling 2 a unit for measuring the power of motors or engines, equal to 746 watts or to a rate of 33,000 foot-pounds per minute (the force required to raise 33,000 pounds at the rate of one foot per minute) [first adopted by James WATT]

horsepower-hour (-aur') •n. a unit of work equal to 1,980,000 foot-pounds

horsepox (hörs´päks') •n. a highly contagious viral skin disease of horses, characterized by fever and poxlike lesions on the mouth, leg, etc.

horseradish (-ræd'ish) •n. 1 a plant (Armoracia lapathifolia) of the crucifer family, grown for its pungent, white, fleshy root 2 a relish made of the grated root

horse's neck an iced drink consisting of ginger ale or ginger ale and soda water, garnished with lemon, and sometimes containing an alcoholic liquor

horseshit (hörs´shit', hör´-; hörsh-) •n. [Vulgar Slang] 1 horse excrement 2 foolish or exaggerated talk or behavior; nonsense •interj. [Vulgar Slang] nonsense!

horseshoe (hörs´shu:', hör´-; hörsh´-) •n. 1 a flat, U-shaped metal plate nailed to a horse's hoof for protection 2 anything shaped like this 3 [pl.] a game in which the players toss horseshoes at two facing stakes driven into the ground 40 feet apart, the object being to encircle the stake or come as close to it as possible •vt. -shoed', -shoe'ing to fit with a horseshoe or horseshoes horse´sho'er •n. [ME horscho, contr. of horsis sho]

horseshoe arch an arch shaped like a horseshoe

horseshoe crab any of an order (Xiphosura, class Merostomata) of sea arthropods shaped like the base of a horse's foot and having a long, spinelike tail

horsetail (hörs´teil') •n. 1 a horse's tail 2 any of the only surviving genus (Equisetum) of a division (Equisetophyta) of plants having hollow, jointed stems, with scalelike leaves at the joints and spores borne in terminal cones; scouring rush

horseweed (hörs´wi:d') •n. 1 a common weed (Conyza canadensis) of the composite family, with a wandlike stem and a panicle of many small, greenish-white flower heads 2 any of various other weeds

horsewhip (-hwip') •n. a whip for driving or managing horses •vt. -whipped', -whip'ping to lash with a horsewhip

horsewoman (-wum'эn) pl. -wom'en (-wim'in) •n. 1 a woman who rides on horseback 2 a woman skilled in the riding or managing of horses

horst (hörst) •n. Geol. a raised, usually elongated, rock mass between two faults [Ger, orig., thicket, prob. < IE *kurs-to- < base *kurs-, thicket, tree > OIr crann, thicket]

horsy (hörs´i:) hors´i·er, hors´i·est •adj. 1 of, like, or suggesting a horse; esp., having large features and a big body that looks strong but awkward 2 a) connected with or fond of horses, fox-hunting, or horse racing b) having the manners, attitudes, etc. of people who are fond of horses, hunting, etc. Also hors´ey hors´i·ly •adv. hors´i·ness •n.

hort 1 horticultural 2 horticulture

hortatory (hör´tэ tör'i:) •adj. 1 serving to encourage or urge to good deeds 2 exhorting; giving advice Also hor´ta·tive (-tiv) [LL(Ec) hortatorius < pp. of L hortari, to incite, encourage, freq. of horiri, to urge, encourage < IE base *Gher-, to desire > YEARN, Gr charis]

Hortense (hör tens´, hör´tens; Fr ôř täñs´) 1 a feminine name 2 (born Hortense de Beauharnais) 1783-1837; queen of Holland (1806-10): wife of Louis Bonaparte [Fr < L Hortensia, fem. of Hortensius, name of a Roman gens]

horticulture (hör´ti kûl'chэr) •n. the art or science of growing flowers, fruits, vegetables, and shrubs, esp. in gardens or orchards hor'ti·cul´tur·al •adj. hor'ti·cul´tur·ist •n. [< L hortus, a garden (< IE base *Gher-, to enclose > Gr chortos, farmyard, Welsh garth, fold) + cultura: see CULTURE]

Horus (hou´rэs) Egypt. Myth. the sun god, represented as having the head of a hawk: the son of Osiris and Isis [L < Gr Hōros < Egypt Heru, hawk]

Hos Bible Hosea

hosanna (hou zæn´э) •n., interj. an exclamation of praise to God [ME osanna < OE < LL(Ec) < Gr(Ec) hōsanna < Heb hōshīāh nnā, lit., save, we pray]

hose (houz) pl. hose or hos´es •n. 1 orig., a tightfitting outer garment worn by men, covering the hips, legs, and feet, or extending only to the knees or ankles, and attached to the doublet by cords or ribbons (called points) 2 [pl.] a) stockings b) socks 3 [prob. infl. by Du hoos, water pipe, of same origin] a) a flexible tube used to convey fluids, esp. water from a hydrant or faucet b) such a tube equipped with a nozzle and attachmentsvt. hosed, hos´ing 1 to put water on with a hose; sprinkle or drench with a hose: often with down Æ 2 [Slang] to beat as with a hose [ME < OE hosa, leg covering, akin to Ger hose < IE *(s)keus- < base *(s)keu-, to conceal, hide > SKY]

Hosea (hou zi:´э, -zei´э) Bible 1 a Hebrew prophet of the 8th cent. B.C. 2 the book of his writings Abbrev. Hos or Ho [Heb hōshēa, lit., salvation]

hosen (hou´zэn) archaic pl. of HOSE (n. 1 & 2) •n.

hosier (hou´zhэr) •n. 1 a person who makes or sells hosiery 2 [Brit.] HABERDASHER [ME < hose, HOSE]

hosiery (hou´zhэr i:) •n. 1 hose; stockings and socks 2 [Chiefly Brit.] hose and knitted or woven underwear [< prec.]

hosp hospital

hospice (häs´pis) •n. 1 a place of shelter for travelers, esp. such a shelter maintained by monks 2 a home for the sick or poor 3 a homelike facility to provide supportive care for terminally ill patients [Fr < L hospitium, hospitality, inn, lodging < hospes, host, guest < *hostipots < hostis, stranger, enemy < IE base *ghostis, stranger, guest (> GUEST, OSlav gospodi) + *potis, master: see DESPOT]

hospitable (häs´pit э bэl; often häs pit´-) •adj. 1 a) friendly, kind, and solicitous toward guests b) prompted by or associated with friendliness and solicitude toward guests {a hospitable act} 2 favoring the health, growth, comfort, etc. of new arrivals; not adverse {a hospitable climate} 3 receptive or open, as to new ideas hos´pi·ta·bly •adv. [MFr < ML hospitabilis < hospitare, to receive as a guest < hospes: see HOSPICE]

hospital (häs´pit'ªl) •n. 1 orig., a) a place of shelter and rest for travelers, etc. b) a charitable institution for providing and caring for the aged, infirm, orphaned, etc. (now only in names) 2 an institution providing medical, surgical, or psychiatric testing and treatment for people who are ill, injured, pregnant, etc. on an inpatient, outpatient, or emergency care basis: often involved with public health programs, research, medical education, etc. 3 [Colloq.] a repair shop for dolls, clocks, or other small items in hospital [Brit., etc.] confined in a hospital [ME < OFr < LL hospitale, a house, inn < L (cubiculum) hospitale, guest (room), neut. of hospitalis, of a guest < hospes: see HOSPICE]

hospital corners neat, secure corners made by tucking in bedclothes at the foot with a double fold

Hospitaler or Hospitaller (häs´pit'ªl эr) •n. [occas. h-] a member of a religious military society organized during the Middle Ages to care for the sick and needy [ME < OFr hospitalier < ML < hospitalarius < LL hospitale]

Hospitalet (ôs'pi: tä let´) city in NE Spain: suburb of Barcelona: pop. 294,000

hospitality (häs'pi tæl´э ti:) pl. -ties •n. the act, practice, or quality of being hospitable; solicitous entertainment of guests •adj. 1 designating the business of operating a motel or hotel 2 designating a room or suite in a motel or hotel where guests or customers are entertained, as at a convention [L hospitalitas < hospitalis: see HOSPITAL]

hospitalization (häs'pit'ªl i zei´shэn) •n. 1 a hospitalizing or being hospitalized Æ 2 [Colloq.] HOSPITALIZATION INSURANCE

hospitalization insurance insurance providing for payment of hospital expenses for the insured and, usually, members of the immediate family

hospitalize (häs´pitªl aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. to send to, put in, or admit to a hospital

host¹ (houst) •n. 1 a wafer of the bread used in a Eucharistic service 2 [H-] a consecrated Eucharistic wafer [ME hoste < OFr hoiste < ML(Ec) hostia, consecrated host < L, animal sacrificed, prob. < hostire, to recompense, requite]

host² (houst) •n. 1 one who entertains guests either at home or elsewhere 2 a person who keeps an inn or hotel; innkeeper 3 a country or area that provides place and services for a competition or event {the city will be host to the Olympics} 4 a) any organism on or in which a parasitic organism lives for nourishment or protection b) an individual, esp. an embryo, into which a graft is inserted 5 Radio, TV the person who conducts a program that features informal conversation, interviews, etc. •vi., vt. to act as host or hostess (to or at) [ME hoste < OFr, host, guest < L hospes (gen. hospitis): see HOSPICE]

host³ (houst) •n. 1 an army 2 a multitude; great number SYN. CROWD¹ [ME < OFr < ML hostis, army, hostile force < L: see HOSPICE]

hosta (häs´tэ, hou´stэ) •n. PLANTAIN LILY

hostage (häs´tij) •n. 1 a person given as a pledge, or taken prisoner as by an enemy or terrorist, until certain conditions are met 2 [Obs.] the state of being a hostage SYN. PLEDGE give hostages to fortune to get and be responsible for a family; esp., children [ME < OFr < hoste: see HOST²]

hostel (häs´tэl) •n. an inn; hostelry; specif., YOUTH HOSTEL •vi. to stop at hostels when traveling [ME < OFr < LL hospitale: see HOSPITAL]

hostel school any of the boarding schools operated by the Canadian government for Eskimo and Indian children

hosteler (-эr) •n. 1 [Archaic] an innkeeper 2 a traveler who stops at hostels [ME < OFr hostelier]

hostelry (häs´tэl ri:) pl. -ries •n. a lodging place; inn; hotel [ME hostellerie < OFr < hostel: see HOSTEL]

hostess (hous´tis) •n. 1 a woman who entertains guests either at home or elsewhere; sometimes, the wife of a host 2 a woman innkeeper or the wife of an innkeeper 3 a) a woman whose work is seeing that guests or travelers are comfortable, as in a lodge b) a woman employed in a restaurant to supervise serving, often in charge of reservations and of seating patrons c) a woman who serves as a paid partner at a public dance hall •vi., vt. to act as hostess (to or at) [ME < OFr hostesse, fem. of hoste, HOST²]

hostile (häs´tэl; chiefly Brit, -tail') •adj. 1 of or characteristic of an enemy; warlike 2 having or showing ill will; unfriendly; antagonistic 3 not hospitable or compatible; adverse 4 Finance of or relating to the acquisition of a corporation against the wishes of its management {a hostile takeover} •n. a hostile person hos´tile·ly •adv. [L hostilis < hostis, enemy: see HOSPICE]

hostility (häs til´э ti:) pl. -ties •n. 1 a feeling of enmity, ill will, unfriendliness, etc.; antagonism 2 a) an expression of enmity and ill will; hostile act b) [pl.] open acts of war; warfare SYN. ENMITY [Fr hostilité < LL hostilitas < L hostilis, prec.]

hostler (häs´lэr, äs´-) •n. 1 a person who takes care of horses at an inn, stable, etc.; groom Æ 2 a person who services a truck or a railroad engine at the end of a run 3 [Obs.] an innkeeper [contr. of HOSTELER]

hot (hät) hot´ter, hot´test •adj. 1 a) having a high temperature, esp. one that is higher than that of the human body b) characterized by a relatively or abnormally high temperature; very warm c) feeling uncomfortably overheated 2 producing a burning sensation in the mouth, throat, etc. {hot pepper} 3 full of or characterized by any very strong feeling, or by intense activity, speed, excitement, etc., as a) impetuous; fiery; excitable {a hot temper} b) violent; raging; angry {a hot battle, hot words} c) full of enthusiasm; eagerly intent; ardent d) inflamed with sexual desire; lustful e) very controversial f) [Colloq.] very lucky or effective {a hot streak in gambling} 4 a) following or pressing closely {in hot pursuit} b) close to what is being sought (said of the seeker) Æ 5 as if heated by friction; specif., a) electrically charged, esp. with a current of high voltage {a hot wire} b) highly radioactive 6 designating or of color that suggests heat, as intense red, orange, etc. 7 [Colloq.] that has not had time to lose heat, freshness, currency, etc.; specif., a) recently issued or announced {hot news} b) just arrived {hot from the front} c) clear; intense; strong {a hot scent} Æ d) recent and from an inside source {a hot tip} e) currently very popular {a hot recording} Æ 8 [Slang] a) recently stolen b) contraband c) sought by the police d) dangerous or risky for use as a hiding place 9 [Slang] a) excellent, good, funny, etc. (a general term of approval) b) very skillful or successful Æ 10 Jazz designating or of highly emotional music or playing characterized by exciting rhythmic and tonal effects, and an insistent, driving beat 11 thrown or batted hard or with great speed: said of a ball •adv. in a hot manner; hotly (all) hot and bothered [Slang] flustered, excited, etc. get hot Æ [Slang] to act, perform, etc. with great spirit or enthusiasm hot under the collar [Slang] extremely angry or provoked hot up [Slang] to heat or warm up make it hot for [Colloq.] to make things difficult or uncomfortable for hot´ly •adv. hot´ness •n. [ME < OE hat, akin to Ger heiss, Goth heito, fever < IE base *kai-, heat > Lith kaistù, to become hot]

hot air Æ [Slang] empty or pretentious talk or writing

hot cake PANCAKE sell like hot cakes [Colloq.] to be sold rapidly and in large quantities

hot cell a protected enclosure, usually made of concrete, containing shielded windows and manipulators operated by remote control, used to handle radioactive materials, as for processing, testing, etc.

hot cross bun a bun marked with a cross usually made of frosting, eaten esp. during Lent

hot dog 1 [Colloq.] a frankfurter or wiener, esp. one served hot in a long, soft roll, with mustard, relish, etc. 2 [Slang] an exclamation expressing delight [orig. (?) so called (c. 1900) by T. A. Dorgan, U.S. cartoonist (died 1929), prob. in allusion to pop. notion that the sausage was made of dog meat]

hot flash the sensation of a wave of heat passing over the body, often experienced by women during menopause

hot line 1 a means of direct communication for use in emergency or crisis; specif., a direct telephone line between government leaders 2 a telephone line to a social service agency, as a suicide prevention center

hot pants 1 very brief, tight, outer shorts for women, especially popular in the early 1970's 2 [Slang] strong sexual desire: usually in the phrase get (or have) hot pants for

hot pepper 1 any of various pungent peppers: see CAPSICUM 2 a plant on which these grow

hot plate a small, portable device for cooking food, usually with only one or two gas or electric burners

hot pot [Chiefly Brit.] meat or fish and potatoes cooked together in a tightly covered pot

hot potato Æ [Colloq.] a troubling or seemingly insoluble problem, issue, etc. that no one wants to handle

hot rod [Slang] 1 an automobile, usually an old one stripped of extraneous parts, adjusted or rebuilt for quick acceleration and great speed 2 HOT RODDER

hot rodder (hät´ räd'эr) [Slang] a person, typically a teenager, who drives hot rods hot rod·ding (-räd'iŋ)

hot seat [Slang] 1 ELECTRIC CHAIR 2 any difficult position subjecting a person to harassment, criticism, or stress

hot spot [Slang] 1 an area of actual or potential trouble or violence 2 a lively nightclub 3 an area of especially intense heat or radiation

hot spring a spring whose water is above 37°C (98.6°F)

Hot Springs city in central Ark., adjoining a national park, Hot Springs National Park: 1.5 sq. mi. (3.8 sq. km): the park has 47 hot mineral springs: pop. 32,000

hot tub a large tub, often made of wood, in which several people can soak in hot water together

hot war actual warfare: opposed to COLD WAR

hot water [Colloq.] trouble; difficulty: preceded by in, into, etc.

hot-and-sour soup (hät´эn saur') a spicy Chinese soup made with pork, chicken, beans, vinegar, etc., served hot

hotbed (hät´bed') •n. 1 a bed of earth covered with glass and heated by manure, electricity, etc. for forcing plants 2 any place that fosters rapid growth or extensive activity

hotblooded (-blûd'id) •adj. easily excited; excitable; ardent, reckless, etc.

hotbox (hät´bäks') •n. an overheated bearing on an axle or shaft

hotchpot (häch´pät') •n. Eng. Law a pooling of property of different persons for equal redistribution [ME hochepot < OFr, stew < hocher, to shake (< Frank *hottisōn, akin to LowG hotzen < IE base *kwet-, to shake > L quatere) + pot, POT]

hotchpotch (häch´päch') •n. 1 a thick stew of various meats and vegetables 2 a) HODGEPODGE b) HOTCHPOT [< prec.]

hot-dog (hät´dög') -dogged', -dog'ging •vi. [Slang] to perform, esp. in sports, so as to attract attention; show off •n. [Slang] a person who hot-dogs; showoff •adj. [Slang] designating a form of freestyle skiing that involves acrobatics Also hot´dog' hot´-dog'ger •n. [< prec., interj.]

hotel (hou tel´) •n. 1 a commercial establishment providing lodging and, usually, meals and other services for the public, especially for travelers 2 in France, the mansion of a person of wealth or rank [Fr hôtel < OFr hostel, HOSTEL]

hôtel de ville (ou tel dэ vi:l´) Fr. equiv. of TOWN HALL [Fr]

hotelier (hout'ªl ir´, -yei´; hou'tel'-; hou tel´yэr; Fr ô tэ lyei´) •n. an owner or manager of a hotel [Fr hotelier < OFr: see HOTEL & -IER]

hotfoot (hät´fut') •adv. [Colloq.] in great haste Æ vi. [Colloq.] to hurry; hasten: with it pl. -foots' the prank of secretly inserting a match between the sole and upper of a victim's shoe and then lighting it •n. [ME hot fot]

hothead (-hed') •n. a hotheaded person

hotheaded (-hed'id) •adj. 1 quick-tempered; easily made angry 2 hasty; impetuous; rash hot´head'ed·ly •adv. hot´head'ed·ness •n.

hothouse (hät´haus') •n. a building made mainly of glass, artificially heated for growing plants; greenhouse •adj. 1 grown in a hothouse 2 needing very careful treatment, as if grown in a hothouse; delicate

hot-press (hät´pres') •vt. to exert heat and pressure on (metals, paper, etc.) with a press, as for producing a smooth surface, imparting a gloss, etc. •n. a machine for doing this

hots (häts) •n. strong sexual desire: with the

hotshot (hät´shät') •n. [Slang] Æ 1 a person regarded by others or personally as an expert in some activity or as very important, aggressive, or skillful: often used ironically and attributively Æ 2 a fast freight train Also hot shot or hot-shot

hotspur (hät´spør') •n. a rash, hotheaded person [nickname of Sir Henry PERCY: see Shakespeare's Henry IV]

hot-tempered (hät´tem'pэrd) •adj. having a fiery temper; easily made angry

Hottentot (hät´ªn tät') •n. 1 a member of a nomadic pastoral people of SW Africa 2 their Khoisan language •adj. of the Hottentots or their language [Afrik, lit., hot & tot, echoic of click consonants characteristic of their language]

hot-walker (hät´wök'эr) •n. a person whose job is walking racehorses after races, workouts, etc. to allow them to cool off gradually

hot-wire (hät´wair') -wired', -wir'ing •vt. [Slang] to start the engine of (an automobile, boat, etc.) without a key, as by crossing ignition wires

houdah (hau´dэ) •n. HOWDAH

Houdan (hu:´dæn') •n. any of a breed of medium-sized domestic chicken with five toes and white or black-and-white feathers [Fr, after Houdan, town in NC France]

Houdini (hu: di:´ni:), Harry (born Ehrich Weiss) 1874-1926; U.S. stage magician & escape artist

Houdon (u: douñ´; E hu:´dän), Jean An·toine (zhäñ äñ twån´) 1741-1828; Fr. sculptor

hound¹ (haund) •n. 1 any of several breeds of hunting dog that find game either by scenting and tracking, as the beagle, the bloodhound, and the foxhound, or by sighting followed by swift pursuit, as the borzoi, deerhound, and greyhound 2 any dog, especially a member of one of the hunting breeds, with drooping ears, a deep-throated bark, and a keen sense of smell 3 a contemptible person Æ 4 [Slang] a devotee or fan {autograph hound} •vt. 1 to hunt or chase with or as with hounds; chase or follow continually; nag {to hound a debtor} 2 to urge on; incite as to pursuit SYN. BAIT follow the (or ride to) hounds to hunt (a fox, etc.) on horseback with hounds [ME < OE hund, a dog (generic term), akin to Ger < IE base *kwon-, dog > CYNIC, Gr kyōn, L canis: sense 1 shows specialization, accompanied by generalization of OE docga: see DOG]

hound² (haund) •n. 1 either of two projections at the masthead for supporting the trestletrees and the upper parts of the lower rigging 2 a horizontal bar in the running gear of a wagon, cart, etc., for strengthening the connection of various parts [< ME houn < ON hūnn, knob (< IE base *eu-, to swell, arch > L cavus, hollow), with unhistoric -d, infl. by prec.]

hound's-tongue (haundz´tûŋ') •n. any of a genus (Cynoglossum) of weedy plants of the borage family, with white, blue, or reddish flowers and hairy, tongue-shaped leaves

houndstooth check (-tu:θ') a pattern of irregular broken checks, used in woven material for jackets, shirts, etc. Also hound's-tooth check

Hounsfield (haunz´fi:ld'), Godfrey Newbold 1919- ; Brit. engineer & inventor: developed the CAT scanner

Hounslow (haunz´lou) borough of Greater London, England: pop. 197,000

hour (aur) •n. 1 a) a division of time, one of the twenty-four parts of a day; sixty minutes b) one of the twelve points on a clock, watch, etc. marking the beginning or end of such a division {the ninth hour} 2 a point or period of time; specif., a) a fixed point or period of time for a particular activity, occasion, etc. {the dinner hour} b) an indefinite period of time of a specified kind {his finest hour} c) [pl.] a period fixed for work, receiving patients, etc. {office hours from 2 to 5} d) [pl.] the usual times for getting up or going to bed {to keep late hours} 3 the time of day as indicated by a timepiece or as reckoned from midnight to midnight, expressed in hours and minutes {arrival at 14:30 hours} 4 a measure of the distance usually covered in an hour {two hours from New York to Philadelphia by rail} 5 Astron. a sidereal hour; angular unit equaling 15° measured along the celestial equator 6 Eccles. a canonical hour or the prayers then said: see BREVIARY Æ 7 Educ. a class session of approximately one hour: each hour of a course per week is a unit of academic credit after hours after the regular hours for business, school, etc. hour after hour every hour or for many successive hours hour by hour each hour of the hour most prominent at this time one's hour the time of one's death the small (or wee) hours the hours just after midnight [ME < OFr hore < L hora < Gr hōra, hour, time, period, season < IE base *yē-, year, summer (< *ei-, to go) > YEAR]

hour angle Astron. the angle formed at the pole, or its arc on the celestial equator, between the hour circle of a celestial object and the observer's celestial meridian measured in hours, minutes, etc.: it represents the elapsed time since the object passed directly over the observer

hour circle Astron. any great circle of the celestial sphere which passes through the celestial poles and is therefore perpendicular to the celestial equator

hour hand the short hand of a clock or watch, which indicates the hours and moves around the dial once every twelve hours

hourglass (aur´glæs') •n. an instrument for measuring time by the trickling of sand, mercury, water, etc. through a small opening from one glass bulb to another below it, in a fixed period of time, esp. one hour

houri (hu´ri:, hau´-) pl. -ris •n. 1 in Muslim belief, any of the beautiful nymphs of the Muslim Paradise 2 a seductively beautiful woman [Fr < Pers hūri < Ar hūrīyah, black-eyed woman, ult. < hawira, to be dark-eyed]

hourly (aur´li:) •adj. 1 done, taken, or happening every hour 2 completed or happening in the course of an hour {the hourly output} 3 reckoned by the hour {hourly wage} 4 frequent or continual {to live in hourly dread} •adv. 1 once an hour; every hour 2 with frequency

Hours (aurz) •n.pl. Gr. Myth. the goddesses of the seasons, justice, order, etc. [see HOUR]

house (haus; for v. hauz) pl. hous·es (hau´ziz) •n. 1 a building for human beings to live in; specif., a) the building or part of a building occupied by one family or tenant; dwelling place b) [Brit.] a college in a university c) an inn; tavern; hotel d) a building where a group of people live as a unit {a fraternity house} e) a monastery, nunnery, or similar religious establishment Æ f) [Colloq.] a brothel 2 the people who live in a house, considered as a unit; social group; esp., a family or household 3 [often H-] a family as including kin, ancestors, and descendants, esp. a royal or noble family {the House of Tudor} 4 something regarded as a house; place that provides shelter, living space, etc.; specif., a) the habitation of an animal, as the shell of a mollusk b) a building or shelter where animals are kept {the monkey house in a zoo} c) a building where things are kept when not in use {a carriage house} 5 any place where something is thought of as living, resting, etc. 6 a) a theater b) the audience in a theater 7 a) a place of business b) a business firm; commercial establishment Æ 8 the management of a gambling establishment 9 a church, temple, or synagogue {house of worship} 10 [often H-] a) the building or rooms where a legislature or branch of a legislature meets b) a legislative assembly or governing body 11 Astrol. a) any of the twelve parts into which the heavens are divided by great circles through the north and south points of the horizon b) a sign of the zodiac considered as the seat of a planet's greatest influence •adj. designating or of a salad dressing, brand of liquor, etc. served at a particular bar or restaurant •vt. housed (hauzd), hous´ing 1 to provide, or serve as, a house or lodgings for 2 to store in a house 3 to cover, harbor, or shelter by or as if by putting in a house 4 Archit., Mech. to insert into a housing •vi. 1 to take shelter 2 to reside; live bring down the house [Colloq.] to receive enthusiastic applause from the audience clean house 1 to clean and put a home in order Æ 2 to get rid of all unwanted things, undesirable conditions, etc. keep house to take care of the affairs of a home; run a house like a house on fire (or afire) with speed and vigor Æ on the house given free, at the expense of the establishment play house to pretend in child's play to be grown-up people with the customary household duties set (or put) one's house in order to put one's affairs in order the House 1 HOUSE OF COMMONS 2 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES [ME hous < OE hus, akin to Ger haus (OHG hūs) < IE *(s)keus- < base *(s)keu-, to cover, conceal > SKY]

house arrest detention, often under guard, of an arrested person in that person's own home, a hospital, etc.

House of Burgesses the lower house of the colonial legislature of Virginia

house of cards any flimsy structure, plan, etc.

House of Commons the lower house of the legislature of Great Britain or Canada

house of correction a place of short-term confinement for persons convicted of minor offenses and regarded as capable of being reformed

House of Delegates Æ the lower house of the legislature of Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia

House of Keys (-ki:z´) the lower, elective house of the legislature of the Isle of Man

House of Lords the upper house of the legislature of Great Britain, made up of the nobility and high-ranking clergy

House of Representatives the lower house of the legislature of the U.S., certain other countries, and most of the States of the U.S.

house organ a periodical published by a business firm for distribution among its employees, affiliates, etc.

house party 1 the entertainment of guests overnight or for a few days in a home 2 the guests

house physician a resident physician of a hospital, hotel, etc. Also house doctor

house sparrow ENGLISH SPARROW

houseboat (haus´bout') •n. a large, flat-bottomed boat with a superstructure resembling a house, usually moored and used as a residence

houseboy (-boi') •n. HOUSEMAN (sense 1)

housebreak (-breik') -broke', -bro'ken, -break'ing •vt. to make housebroken [back-form. < HOUSEBROKEN]

housebreaking (-breik'iŋ) •n. the act of breaking and entering into another's house to commit theft or some other felony: it is itself a felony house´break'er •n.

housebroken (-brou'kэn) •adj. 1 trained to live in a house (i.e., to defecate and urinate outdoors or in a special place): said of a dog, cat, etc. 2 made docile and conventional

housecarl (haus´kärl') •n. a member of the bodyguard or household troops of a Danish or English king or nobleman in late Anglo-Saxon times [Late OE huscarl < ON hūskarl, lit., houseman: see HOUSE & CHURL]

housecleaning (haus´kli:n'iŋ) •n. 1 the cleaning of the furniture, floors, woodwork, etc. of a house 2 a getting rid of superfluous things, undesirable conditions, etc. house´clean' •vi., vt.

housecoat (haus´kout') •n. a woman's garment, typically long and loose, for casual wear at home

housedress (-dres') •n. any fairly cheap dress, as of printed cotton, worn at home for housework, etc.

housefly (-flai') pl. -flies' any of a genus (Musca) of disease-carrying muscid flies found in and around houses, and feeding on garbage, manure, and food; esp., a common worldwide species (M. domestica) •n.

houseful (haus´ful') •n. as much or as many as a house will hold or accommodate {a houseful of guests}

household (haus´hould') •n. 1 the person or persons who live in one house, apartment, etc.; variously, one person or a group, esp. a family 2 the home and its affairs •adj. 1 of a household or home; domestic 2 common; ordinary [ME houshold: see HOUSE & HOLD¹, n.]

household arts HOME ECONOMICS

household word a common word, saying, name, or thing that is familiar to nearly everyone

householder (-houl'dэr) •n. a person who owns or maintains a house, apartment, etc. alone or as head of the household or family [ME housholdere]

househusband (haus´hûz'bэnd) •n. a married man whose principal occupation is managing a household and taking care of domestic affairs

housekeeper (-ki:'pэr) •n. one who manages a household; esp., a woman hired to do this

housekeeping (-ki:'piŋ) •n. 1 the work of a housekeeper 2 internal management of affairs, as of a business

housel (hau´zэl) •n. [Obs.] EUCHARIST •vt. [Obs.] to give the Eucharist to [ME < OE husel, akin to Goth hunsl, a sacrifice < Gmc *un-s-lo < IE base *wen-, to sanctify]

houseleek (haus´li:k') •n. SEMPERVIVUM [ME houslek: see HOUSE & LEEK]

houselights (haus´laits') •n.pl. the lights that illuminate the part of a theater where the audience is seated

housemaid (-meid') •n. a female servant who does housework

housemaid's knee an inflammation of the saclike cavity covering the kneecap, caused by much kneeling

houseman (-mэn, -mæn') pl. -men (-mэn, -men') •n. 1 a man employed to do cleaning or other routine work as in a house or hotel 2 [Brit.] INTERN

housemate (-meit') •n. a person who shares a house, apartment, condominium, etc. with another person

housemother (-mûð'эr) •n. a woman who has charge of a group living together, as in a dormitory or sorority house, and serves as chaperon and, often, housekeeper

houseplant (haus´plænt') •n. an indoor plant used primarily for decoration

house-proud (haus´praud') •adj. proud of one's house, its appearance, fine or expensive furnishings, etc.

house-raising (haus´rei'ziŋ) •n. a gathering of the members of a rural community to help build a neighbor's house or its framework

houseroom (haus´ru:m') •n. room or available space in a house; accommodation

housesit (haus´sit') -sat', -sit'ting •vi. to stay in a residence and care for it while its residents are absent house´sit'ter •n.

housetop (-täp') •n. the top of a house; roof from the housetops publicly and widely

housewares (-werz') •n.pl. articles for household use, esp. in the kitchen, such as dishes and glassware

housewarming (haus´wörm'iŋ) •n. a party given by or for someone moving into a new home

housewife (haus´waif'; for 2, usually hûz´if) pl. -wives' (-waivz'; for 2, usually hûz´ivz) •n. 1 a woman, esp. a married woman, whose principal occupation is managing a household and taking care of domestic affairs 2 a small sewing kit [ME houswif, huswif]

housewifely (-waif'li:) •adj. of or characteristic of a good housewife; thrifty, orderly, and managing well •adv. in the manner of a good housewife

housewifery (-waif'эr i:) •n. the work or function of a housewife; housekeeping

housework (-wørk') •n. the work involved in housekeeping, such as cleaning, cooking, and laundering

housing estate [Brit.] a housing development: see DEVELOPMENT (sense 4)

housing¹ (hau´ziŋ) •n. 1 the act of providing shelter or lodging 2 shelter or lodging; accommodation in houses, apartments, etc.: often used attributively {the housing problem} 3 houses collectively 4 a shelter; covering 5 Carpentry a space or recess made in a piece of wood so that another piece can be inserted 6 Mech. a frame, box, etc. for containing some part, mechanism, etc. 7 Naut. the part of the mast below the main deck [ME husing]

housing² (hau´ziŋ) •n. 1 [often pl.] a) an ornamental covering draped over a horse or other animal b) a decorative saddlecloth 2 [pl.] trappings; ornamentation [< ME house, houce, housing < OFr houce < Frank *hulfti: for IE base see HOLSTER]

Housman (haus´mэn), A(lfred) E(dward) 1859-1936; Eng. poet & classical scholar

Houston (hyu:s´tэn) city in SE Tex., a port on a ship canal connected with the Gulf of Mexico: pop. 1,631,000 (met. area 3,302,000) [after prec.] Houston (hyu:s´tэn), Samuel 1793-1863; U.S. general & statesman: president of the Republic of Texas (1836-38; 1841-44): U.S. senator (1846-59)

houstonia (hu:s tou´ni: э) •n. any of a genus (Houstonia) of small North American plants of the madder family, with blue, white, or purple flowers, as the bluet [ModL, after Wm. Houston (1695-1733), Eng botanist]

Houyhnhnm (hu: in´эm, hwin´эm) •n. in Swift's Gulliver's Travels, any of a race of horses with reasoning power and human virtues: see also YAHOO [coined by Jonathan SWIFT to suggest horse's whinny]

hove (houv) •vt., vi. alt. pt. & pp. of HEAVE

hovel (hûv´эl; also häv´-) •n. 1 a low, open shed as for sheltering animals or storing supplies or equipment 2 any small, miserable dwelling; hut •vt. -eled or -elled, -el·ing or -el·ling to shelter in a hovel [ME < ?]

hover (hûv´эr, also häv´-) •vi. 1 to stay suspended or flutter in the air near one place 2 to linger or wait close by, esp. in an overprotective, insistent, or anxious way 3 to be in an uncertain condition; waver (between) •n. the act of hovering hov´er·er •n. [ME hoveren, freq. of hoven, to stay (suspended)]

Hovercraft (hûv´эr kræft') trademark for a vehicle which travels across land or water just above a cushion of air provided by a downward jet, as from its engines and propellers •n. [h-] a vehicle of this kind [prec. + (AIR)CRAFT]

How do you do? How is your health?: a conventionalized expression used in greeting a person or upon being introduced

how¹ (hau) •adv. 1 in what manner or way; by what means 2 in what state or condition 3 for what reason or purpose; why {how is it that you don't know?} 4 by what name 5 with what meaning; to what effect 6 to what extent, degree, amount, etc. 7 at what price Æ 8 [Colloq.] what: usually a request to repeat something said How is also used in exclamations, as a conjunction with many of the above meanings, and as an intensive •n. the way of doing; manner; method how about what is your thought or feeling concerning? how come? [Colloq.] how does it come that? how is it that? why? how now? how is that? what is the meaning of this? how so? how is it so? why? how then? 1 what is the meaning of this? 2 how else? [ME hwu, hu < OE, akin to OHG hweo (Ger wie), Goth hwai-wa < IE interrogative base *kwo-, *kwe- > WHY, WHO, L quo, Sans kā]

how² (hau) •interj. a greeting attributed to, and still used humorously in imitation of, American Indians

Howard (hau´эrd) 1 a masculine name: dim. Howie 2 Catherine c. 1520-42; 5th wife of HENRY VIII: beheaded 3 Henry see SURREY 4 Roy Wilson 1883-1964; U.S. editor & newspaper publisher 5 Sidney Coe (kou) 1891-1939; U.S. playwright [< the surname Howard]

howbeit (hau bi:´it) •adv. 1 [Archaic] however it may be; nevertheless 2 [Obs.] although [HOW¹ + BE + IT]

howdah (hau´dэ) •n. a seat, esp. with a canopy and railing, for riding on the back of an elephant or camel [Anglo-Ind < Hindi hauda < Ar haudaj]

how-do-you-do or how-d'-ye-do (hau´ du: yu: du:', haud´ yэ du:') •n. [Colloq.] an annoying or awkward situation: usually preceded by fine, pretty, nice, etc. Also how-de-do (hau´di: du:')

howdy (hau´di:) •interj. [Colloq. or Dial.] an expression of greeting [contr. < prec.]

Howe (hau) 1 Elias 1819-67; U.S. inventor of a sewing machine 2 Julia Ward 1819-1910; U.S. social reformer & poet 3 Sir William 5th Viscount Howe 1729-1814; commander in chief of Brit. forces in American Revolution (1775-78)

Howells (hau´эlz), William Dean 1837-1920; U.S. novelist, critic, & editor

however (hau ev´эr) •adv. 1 no matter how; in whatever manner 2 to whatever degree or extent 3 by what means {However did he escape?}: intensive of HOW¹ 4 nevertheless; yet; in spite of that; all the same: often used as a conjunctive adverb conj. [Archaic] although Also [Old Poet.] how·e'er´ (-er´) [ME hou-ever]

howitzer (hau´it sэr) •n. a short cannon, larger than a mortar, firing shells in a high trajectory [Du houvietser < 15th-c. Ger haufenitz < Czech houfnice, howitzer, orig., a sling]

howl (haul) •vi. 1 to utter the long, loud, wailing cry of wolves, dogs, etc. 2 to utter a similar cry of pain, anger, grief, etc. 3 to make a sound like this {the wind howls} 4 to shout or laugh in scorn, mirth, etc. •vt. 1 to utter with a howl or howls 2 to drive or effect by howling •n. 1 a long, loud, wailing cry of a wolf, dog, etc. 2 any similar sound 3 [Colloq.] something hilarious; joke howl down to drown out with shouts of scorn or anger one's night to howl one's time for unrestrained pleasure Etymology [ME hulen, akin to Ger heulen < IE echoic base *kāu- > Sans kāuti, (it) cries, OHG hūwila, owl]

howler (-эr) •n. 1 a person or thing that howls 2 HOWLING MONKEY 3 [Colloq.] a ludicrous blunder

howlet (hau´lit) •n. [Archaic] an owl [ME howlat, akin ? to Fr hulotte < OFr huler, to howl < L ululare, to howl: see ULULATE]

howling (haul´iŋ) •adj. 1 that howls 2 mournful; dreary 3 [Slang] great {a howling success}

howling monkey any of a genus (Alouatta, family Cebidae) of large, long-tailed, New World monkeys with a loud, howling cry

Howrah (hau´rэ) city in S West Bengal, India, on the Hooghly River, opposite Calcutta: pop. 745,000

howsoever (hau'sou ev´эr) •adv. 1 to whatever degree or extent 2 by whatever means; in whatever manner

how-to (hau´tu:') •adj. [Colloq.] giving elementary instruction in some handicraft, hobby, etc. {a how-to book} [< phrase how to make (or do) something]

hoy¹ (hoi) •n. 1 a former type of small, fore-and-aft-rigged vessel resembling a sloop 2 a heavy barge [ME hoye < MDu hoei, var. of hoede]

hoy² (hoi) •interj., n. an exclamation to attract attention, drive hogs, etc. [ME]

hoya (hoi´э) •n. any of a genus (Hoya) of tropical, evergreen shrubs of the milkweed family; esp., a vine (H. carnosa) with star-shaped, waxy, white-and-pink flowers

hoyden (hoi´dэn, hoid´ªn) •n. a bold, boisterous girl; tomboy •adj. bold and boisterous; tomboyish hoy´den·ish •adj. [Early ModE, a rude fellow < ? Du heiden, akin to OE hæthen, HEATHEN]

Hoyle (hoil) •n. a book of rules and instructions for indoor games, esp. card games, orig. compiled by Edmond Hoyle (1672-1769), English authority on card games and chess according to Hoyle according to the rules and regulations; in the prescribed, fair, or correct way

HP 1 high-powered 2 high pressure 3 hire purchase [Brit] 4 horsepower

HQ or hq headquarters

hr hour HR 1 Home Rule 2 Baseball home run(s) 3 House of Representatives

Hradec Králové (hřä´dets křä´lô ve) city in N Czech Republic: in a battle at nearby Sadová (1866), the Prussians defeated the Austrians; pop. 98,000

Hrdlička (hør´dlich kэ), A·leš (ä´lesh) 1869-1943; U.S. anthropologist, born in Bohemia

HRH Her (or His) Royal Highness

Hrolf (rälf, rölf) See ROLLO

HS high school

Hsiamen (shyä´mûn´) old form of XIAMEN

HSM Her (or His) Serene Majesty

ht 1 heat 2 height 3 high tension

HTLV any of a group of retroviruses that invade T cells: one type causes a form of leukemia, others (HIV) cause AIDS [h(uman) T(-cell) l(eukemia) v(irus)]

Hu Shih (hu:´ shë´, shi:´) 1891-1962; Chin. diplomat, philosopher, & writer

HUAC (hu:´æk', hyu:´-) House Un-American Activities Committee

Huang Hai or Hwang Hai (hwäŋ´ hai´) Chin. name of YELLOW SEA

Huang He (hwäŋ´hû´) river in N China, flowing from Tibet into the Gulf of Bo Hai: c. 3,000 mi. (4,828 km)

huaraches (wä rä´chi:z', -cheiz'; wэ rä´cheiz', hэ-; Sp wä řä´ches) •n.pl. flat sandals whose uppers are made of straps or woven leather strips [pl. of MexSp huarache]

Huáscar (wäs´kär) c. 1495-1533; Inca king of Peru, deposed by his half brother Atahualpa

Huascarán (wäs'kä řän´) mountain of the Andes, in WC Peru: 22,205 ft. (6,768 m)

Huastec (wäs tek´, wäs´tek') •n. 1 a member of an Amerindian people living in N Veracruz and adjacent regions of Mexico 2 the Mayan language of this people [MexSp huasteco < Nahuatl kwešte:kaλ, of uncert. orig.]

hub (hûb) •n. 1 the center part of a wheel, etc.; the part fastened to the axle, or turning on it 2 a center of interest, importance, or activity Æ the Hub name for Boston [prob. ult. < IE base *keu-, to bend, mound, boss]

hubba-hubba (hûb´э hûb´э) •interj. [Slang] an exclamation used to express approval, enthusiasm, etc. •adv. [Slang] quickly; rapidly

Hubbard squash (hûb´эrd) a hard winter squash with a green or yellow rind and firm, yellow flesh

Hubble effect (hûb´эl) RED SHIFT

hubble-bubble (hûb´эl bûb'эl) •n. 1 a tobacco pipe in which the smoke is drawn through water, causing a bubbling sound; simple type of hookah 2 a bubbling sound 3 hubbub; uproar [echoic]

Hubble's law the linear relationship between the distance of a galaxy from the observer and its motion away from the observer, resulting from the expansion of the universe

hubbly (hûb´li:) •adj. [Colloq.] rough or bumpy; uneven

hubbub (hûb´bûb', hû´-) •n. a confused sound of many voices; uproar; tumult SYN. NOISE [prob. < Celt, as in Gael ubub, exclamation of aversion]

hubby (hûb´i:) pl. -bies •n. [Colloq.] a husband

hubcap (hûb´kæp') •n. a tightfitting cap over the hub and lug nuts of a wheel, esp. of an automobile; wheel cover

Hubei (hu:´bei´) province in EC China: 72,394 sq. mi. (188,224 sq. km); pop. 47,804,000; cap. Wuhan

Hubel (hyu:´bэl, yu:´-), David Hunter 1926- ; U.S. neurophysiologist

Hubert (hyu:´bэrt) a masculine name: equiv. It. Uberto [Fr < OHG Huguberht, lit., bright (in) spirit < hugu, mind, spirit + beraht, BRIGHT]

Hubli-Dharwar (hub'li: där'wär´) city in Karnataka state, SW India; pop. 526,000

hubris (hyu:´bris; also hu:´-) •n. wanton insolence or arrogance resulting from excessive pride or from passion hu·bris´tic •adj. [Gr hybris < IE base ud-, up (> OUT) + *gwerī-, heavy: basic sense prob. to rush at impetuously]

huckaback (hûk´э bæk') •n. a coarse linen or cotton cloth with a rough surface, used for toweling Also huck [< ?]

huckle (hûk´эl) •n. [Archaic] the hip or haunch [dim. (see -LE) of obs. huck in same sense: ? akin to ON hūka, to crouch < IE base *keu-, to bend]

huckleberry (hûk´эl ber'i:) pl. -ries •n. 1 any of a genus (Gaylussacia) of plants of the heath family, having dark-blue berries with ten large seeds 2 the fruit of any of these shrubs 3 loosely, a blueberry [prob. altered < HURTLEBERRY]

hucklebone (hûk´ªl boun') •n. [Archaic] 1 the hipbone 2 the anklebone; talus [see HUCKLE]

huckster (hûk´stэr) •n. 1 a peddler or hawker of wares, esp. of fruits, vegetables, etc. 2 an aggressive or haggling merchant, esp. one who uses questionable methods Æ 3 [Colloq.] a person engaged in advertising, esp. for the mass media •vt. 1 to peddle or sell 2 to sell or advertise in an aggressive, questionable way huck´ster·ism' •n. [ME hokestere < MDu hoekster < hoeken, to peddle, akin to Ger hökern: see HAWKER¹]

HUD 1 (Department of) Housing and Urban Development 2 head-up display

Huddersfield (hûd´эrz fi:ld') city in SW Yorkshire, NC England: pop. 132,000

huddle (hûd´ªl) -dled, -dling •vi. 1 to crowd, push, or nestle close together, as cows do in a storm 2 to draw the limbs close to the body, as from cold {to huddle under a blanket} Æ 3 [Colloq.] to hold a private, informal conference Æ 4 Football to gather in a huddle •vt. 1 to crowd close together 2 to hunch or draw (oneself) up 3 to do, put, or make hastily and carelessly 4 to push or thrust in a hurried or disordered manner •n. 1 a confused crowd or heap of persons or things 2 confusion; muddle; jumble Æ 3 [Colloq.] a private, informal conference Æ 4 Football a grouping of a team behind the line of scrimmage to receive signals before a play [orig. (16th c.), to put out of sight < ? or akin to ME hudel, var. of hidel, a hiding place < OE hydel < hydan, HIDE¹]

Hudibrastic (hyu:'di bræs´tik) •adj. like, or in the style of, Samuel Butler's Hudibras, a mock-heroic satirical poem (1663-78) in iambic-tetrameter and rhyming couplets, ridiculing the Puritans

Hudson (hûd´sªn) 1 Henry died 1611; Eng. explorer, esp. of the waters about NE North America 2 W(illiam) H(enry) 1841-1922; Eng. naturalist & writer Hudson (hûd´sªn) river in E N.Y. flowing southward into Upper New York Bay: c. 315 mi. (565 km) [after Henry HUDSON]

Hudson Bay inland sea in NE Canada; arm of the Atlantic: c. 475,000 sq. mi. (1,230,200 sq. km) [after Henry HUDSON]

Hudson seal muskrat fur processed to resemble seal

Hudson Strait strait in NE Canada, connecting Hudson Bay with the Atlantic: c. 430 mi. (691 km) long; 37-120 mi. (60-195 km) wide [after Henry HUDSON]

Hue (hwei, wei) city in central Vietnam, on the South China Sea; pop. 209,000

hue¹ (hyu:) •n. 1 orig., general appearance; aspect 2 color; esp., the distinctive characteristics of a given color that enable it to be assigned a position in the spectrum 3 a particular shade or tint of a given color SYN. COLOR [ME hewe < OE heow, akin to Goth hiwi, appearance, form < IE *i-wo < base *ei-, (dark-)colored > OE hæwen, blue, har, HOAR]