high-priced (hai´praist´) •adj. costly; expensive

high-rise (hai´raiz') •adj. designating or of a tall apartment house, office building, etc. of many stories •n. a high-rise building

highroad (hai´roud') •n. 1 [Chiefly Brit.] a main road; highway 2 an easy or direct way

high-sounding (hai´saun´diŋ) •adj. sounding pretentious or impressive

high-spirited (-spir´i tid) •adj. 1 having or showing a courageous or noble spirit 2 spirited; fiery 3 gay; lively

high-strung (-strûŋ´) •adj. highly sensitive or nervous and tense [from the tuning of stringed instruments]

high-style (-stail´) •adj. of or relating to style, fashion, or design that is the most up-to-date and, often, most costly

hight (hait) •adj. [Archaic] named; called {a maiden hight Elaine} [ME highte, merging OE hatte, pass. pt. with heht, active pt. of hatan, to command, call: confused in sense with ME hoten, pp. of same v.: akin to Ger heissen < IE base *kēi-, to move]

high-tail or hightail (hai´teil') •vi. [Colloq.] to leave or go in a hurry; scurry off: chiefly in high-tail it

high-tech (hai´tek') •adj. 1 of or involving highly specialized, complex technology, as in electronics: in full high´-tech·nol´o·gy Æ 2 of or involving furnishings, fashions, etc. that are industrial in design or look, as by being stark, metallic, strictly utilitarian, etc.

high-tension (hai´ten´shэn) •adj. having, carrying, or operating under a high voltage

high-test (hai´test') •adj. 1 passing severe tests; meeting difficult requirements 2 high-octane51

high-toned (hai´tound´) •adj. 1 [Now Rare] high in tone; high-pitched 2 characterized by dignity, lofty moral or intellectual quality, high principles, etc.: often used ironically or humorously Æ 3 [Colloq.] of or imitating the manners, attitudes, etc. of the upper classes

highty-tighty (hait'i: tait´i:) •adj., n., interj. HOITY-TOITY

high-water mark (hai´wöt´эr märk') 1 the highest level reached by a body of water in tidal flow, flood, etc. 2 the mark left after high water has receded 3 a culminating point; highest point

highway (hai´wei') •n. 1 any road freely open to everyone; public road 2 a main road; thoroughfare 3 a main route by land or water 4 a direct way to some objective [ME higewege; see HIGH & WAY]

highway patrol a police organization limited to activity on property owned or leased by a State, which controls highway traffic, investigates accidents, etc.

highwayman (hai´wei mэn) pl. -men (-mэn) •n. a man, esp. one on horseback, who formerly robbed travelers on a highway

HIH Her (or His) Imperial Highness

hi-hat (hai´hæt') •n. HIGH-HAT (n. 2)

Hiiumaa (hi:´u mä') island of Estonia, in the Baltic Sea: 373 sq. mi. (965 sq. km)

hijack (hai´jæk') •vt. 1 to steal (goods in transit, a truck and its contents, etc.) by force 2 to steal such goods from (a person) by force 3 to cheat, swindle, etc. by or as by the use of force 4 to seize control forcibly of (an aircraft, bus, ship, etc.), esp. in order to go to a nonscheduled destination hi´jack'er •n. [prob. < High, Jack, command to raise arms during robbery]

hi-jinks (hai´jiŋks') •n.pl. var. of HIGH JINKS

hike (haik) hiked, hik´ing •vi. 1 to take a long, vigorous walk; tramp or march, esp. through the country, woods, etc. Æ 2 to move up out of place •vt. 1 [Colloq.] to pull or jerk up; hoist {to hike up one's socks} Æ 2 [Colloq.] to raise (prices, etc.) Æ 3 Football SNAP (vt. 9) •n. Æ 1 a long, vigorous walk Æ 2 [Colloq.] a moving upward; rise {a price hike} hik´er •n. [< dial. heik, prob. akin to HITCH]

hilar (hai´lэr) •adj. of or relating to a hilum

hilarious (hi ler´i: эs; also hai-) •adj. 1 noisily merry; boisterous and gay 2 producing great merriment; very funny hi·lar´i·ous·ly •adv. hi·lar´i·ous·ness •n. [< L hilaris, hilarus < Gr hilaros, cheerful, gay (see SILLY) + -OUS]

hilarity (hi ler´i ti:; also hai-) •n. the state or quality of being hilarious; noisy merriment; boisterous gaiety [OFr hilarité < L hilaritas]

Hilary (hil´э ri:) a masculine and feminine name: var. Hillary: equiv. Fr. Hilaire [L Hilarius, lit., cheerful: see HILARIOUS]

Hilbert (hil´bэrt; Ger, -bэřt), Da·vid (Ger dä´vit) 1862-1943; Ger. mathematician

Hilda (hil´dэ) a feminine name [Ger < Gmc *hild-, battle, war (see HILT): often contr. of names containing base (e.g., Hildegunde, Brunhilde)]

Hildegarde (hil´dэ gärd') a feminine name: see HILDA [Ger < Gmc *hild-, battle + *gard-, to protect (see YARD²): hence, lit., battle protector]

hilding (hil´diŋ) •n. [Archaic] a low, contemptible person •adj. [Archaic] low and contemptible [prob. < ME heldinge, bending aside < helden (OE hieldan), to incline, bow]

Hill (hil), James Jerome 1838-1916; U.S. railroad magnate & financier, born in Canada hill (hil) •n. 1 a natural raised part of the earth's surface, often rounded and smaller than a mountain 2 a small pile, heap, or mound {an anthill} 3 a) a small mound of soil heaped over or around plants and tubers {a hill of potatoes} b) the plant or plants rooted in such a mound •vt. 1 to shape into or like a hill 2 to cover with a HILL (sense 3a) over the hill [Colloq.] 1 absent without permission; AWOL 2 in one's decline the Hill Æ 1 the location of the U.S. Capitol, where the Congress holds sessions Æ 2 the legislative branch of the U.S. government hill´er •n. [ME < OE hyll, akin to MDu hille < IE base *kel-, to project, rise high > L collis, hill, Gr kolophōn, peak]

hill myna an Asiatic myna bird (Gracula religiosa) with the ability to mimic human speech: often kept as a pet

hill of beans [Colloq.] a very small amount or value; trifle: used with a negative {not worth a hill of beans}

Hillary (hil´эr i:), Sir Edmund Percival 1919- ; New Zealand mountain climber & explorer

hillbilly (hil´bil'i:) pl. -lies •n. [Colloq.] a person who lives in or comes from the mountains or backwoods of the South, specif. Appalachia: sometimes a contemptuous term •adj. [Colloq.] of or characteristic of hillbillies {hillbilly music} [HILL + Billy, dim. of BILL]

Hillel (hil´el, -эl) c. 60 B.C.-c. A.D. 10; Jewish rabbi & scholar in Jerusalem

Hillingdon (hil´iŋ dэn) borough of Greater London: pop. 232,000

hillock (hil´эk) •n. a small hill; mound hill´ock·y •adj. [ME hilloc: see HILL & -OCK]

hillside (hil´said') •n. the side or slope of a hill

hilltop (-täp') •n. the top of a hill

hilly (hil´i:) hill´i·er, hill´i·est •adj. 1 full of hills; rugged, uneven, and rolling 2 like a hill; steep hill´i·ness •n.

hilt (hilt) •n. the handle of a sword, dagger, tool, etc.: see SWORD, illus. •vt. to provide a hilt for to the hilt thoroughly; entirely [ME hilt < OE, akin to ON hjalt < IE base *kel-, to strike, split > L calamitas, harm, OE hild, battle]

hilum (hai´lэm) pl. hi´la (-lэ) •n. 1 HILUS 2 Bot. a) a scar on a seed, marking the place where it was attached to the seed stalk b) the nucleus in a starch grain [ModL < L, little thing]

hilus (hai´lэs) pl. hi´li' (-lai') •n. Anat. a small notch, recess, or opening, as where vessels and nerves enter an organ [ModL, var. of prec.]

Hilversum (hil´vэr sэm) city in WC Netherlands, near Amsterdam: pop. 88,000

him (him; unstressed, im, эm) objective case of HE¹: also used as a predicate complement with a linking verb (Ex.: that's him) (usage objected to by some) pron. [OE him, dat. of he, he, merged in sense with hine, acc. of he] HIM Her (or His) Imperial Majesty

Himachal Pradesh (hi mä´chэl pre desh´) state of N India: 21,599 sq. mi. (55,940 sq. km); pop. 4,200,000; cap. Simla

Himalayan (him'э lei´эn, hi mäl´yэn) •adj. of the Himalayas •n. 1 any of a breed of small, white, domesticated rabbit with the tail, feet, nose, and tips of the ears black 2 any of a breed of domestic cat with a stocky build, blue eyes, and a long, thick, light-colored coat shading to a darker color on the face, legs, ears, and tail, bred by crossing the Persian and the Siamese

Himalayas (-эz, -yэz) mountain system of SC Asia, extending along the India-Tibet border and through Pakistan, Nepal, & Bhutan: highest peak, Mt. Everest: also Himalaya Mountains

himation (hi mæt´i: än', -эn) pl. -mat´i·a (-э) •n. an ancient Greek outer garment consisting of a long rectangle of cloth draped over the left shoulder and wound around the body [Gr himation, dim. of heima, garment < hennynai, to clothe < IE base *wes- > WEAR¹, L vestis]

Himavat (him´э væt') Hindu Myth. the personification of the Himalayas and father of Devi [Hindi]

Himeji (hi:´me ji:') city on the S coast of Honshu, Japan, near Kobe: pop. 450,000

Himmler (him´lэr), Hein·rich (hain´řiH) 1900-45; Ger. Nazi leader: head of the SS & the Gestapo

himself (him self´) pron. a form of the 3d pers. sing., masc. pronoun, used: a) as an intensive [he went himself] b) as a reflexive [he hurt himself] c) [Irish] as a subject [himself will have his tea now] d) as a quasi-noun meaning his real, true, or actual self [he is not himself today] [OE him selfum, dat. sing. of he self: see HIM & SELF]

Himyarite (him´yэr ait') •n. 1 a member of an ancient South Arabian people that lived in S Arabia 2 an Arab descended from this people 3 the Semitic language of this people, a dialect of South Arabic, akin to Ethiopic •adj. designating or of the Himyarites or their language or culture Also Him'yar·it´ic (-rit´ik) [< Ar Himyar, a people of Yemen + -ITE¹]

hin (hin) •n. an ancient Hebrew unit of liquid measure, equal to about 1½ gallons (5.7 liters) [Heb hīn]

Hinayana (hi:'nэ yä´nэ) •n. a form of Buddhism stressing the original monastic discipline and attainment of nirvana by meditation: it developed mainly in Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, and Cambodia [Sans hīnayāna, lit., lesser vehicle]

Hind 1 Hindi 2 Hindu 3 Hindustan 4 Hindustani

hind¹ (haind) hind´er, hind´most' or hind´er·most' •adj. back; rear; posterior [ME hinde, short for hindan, from behind: see HINDER²]

hind² (haind) pl. hinds or hind •n. 1 the female of the red deer, in and after its third year 2 any of various groupers (genus Epinephelus) of the S Atlantic [ME < OE, akin to Ger hinde < IE base *em-, not having horns (as applied to horned animal species) > Gr kemas, young deer]

hind³ (haind) •n. 1 in N England and Scotland, a skilled farm worker or servant 2 [Archaic] a simple or boorish peasant; rustic [< ME hine (with unhistoric -d) < OE hina, earlier higna, generalized < gen. pl. of higa, member of a household: for base see HIDE³]

hindbrain (haind´brein') •n. 1 the hindmost part of the three primary divisions of the brain of a vertebrate embryo 2 the part of the fully developed brain evolved from this, consisting of the entire rhombencephalon, or either of its subdivisions, the metencephalon and the myelencephalon

Hindemith (hin´dэ mэθ; -mit), Paul 1895-1963; U.S. composer, born in Germany

Hindenburg (hin´dэn børg'; -buřkh'), Paul (Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und) von 1847-1934; Ger. field marshal: president of the Weimar Republic (1925-34)

hinder¹ (hin´dэr) •vt. 1 to keep back; restrain; get in the way of; prevent; stop 2 to make difficult for; thwart; impede; frustrate •vi. to delay action; be a hindrance SYN.—hinder implies a holding back of something about to begin and connotes a thwarting of progress [hindered by a lack of education]; obstruct implies a retarding of passage or progress by placing obstacles in the way [to obstruct the passage of a bill by a filibuster]; block implies the complete, but not necessarily permanent, obstruction of a passage or progress [the road was blocked by a landslide]; impede suggests a slowing up of movement or progress by interfering with the normal action [tight garters impede the circulation of the blood]; bar implies an obstructing as if by means of a barrier [he was barred from the club] —ANT. advance, further [ME hindren < OE hindrian, lit., to keep or hold back (akin to Ger hindern) < base of fol.]

hinder² (hain´dэr) •adj. [Now Rare] hind; rear; posterior [ME hindre < OE adv. hinder, back, behind (akin to Ger prep. hinter, behind) < ? base of he (see HE¹) + compar. suffix -der, akin to Gr -tero-, Sans -tara-: the word is now felt as compar. of HIND¹]

hindgut or hind-gut (haind´gût') •n. 1 the hindmost part of the embryonic alimentary canal, from which part of the colon is formed 2 the posterior part of the digestive tract of arthropods

Hindi (hin´di:) •adj. of or associated with N India •n. an Indo-Aryan language, the main language of India, now designated the official language [Hindi hindī < Hind: see HINDU]

hindmost (haind´moust') •adj. farthest back; closest to the rear; last Also hind´er·most' (hain´dэr-) [ME: see HIND¹ & -MOST]

Hindoo (hin´du:') pl. -doos' •adj., n. archaic sp. of HINDU

hindquarter (haind´kwört'эr) •n. 1 either of the two hind legs and the adjoining loin of a carcass of veal, beef, lamb, etc. 2 [pl.] the hind part of a four-legged animal

hindrance (hin´drэns) •n. 1 the act of hindering 2 any person or thing that hinders; obstacle; impediment; obstruction SYN. OBSTACLE [ME hinderaunce]

hindshank (haind´shæŋk') •n. 1 the upper part of the hind legs of cattle 2 meat from this part

hindsight (haind´sait') •n. 1 the rear sight of a firearm 2 ability to see, after the event, what should have been done

Hindu (hin´du:') •n. 1 [Archaic] a native or inhabitant of India or the Indian subcontinent 2 a follower of Hinduism •adj. designating or of the Hindus or Hinduism [Pers Hindū < Hind, India < OPers Hindu, India, land of the Indus < Sans sindhu, river, the Indus]

Hindu Kush (ku:sh) mountain range mostly in NE Afghanistan, extending to the Karakoram in NW Kashmir: highest peak, Tirich Mir

Hindu-Arabic numerals (-ær´э bik') ARABIC NUMERALS

Hinduism (hin´du: iz'эm) •n. the religion and social system of the Hindus, developed from Brahmanism with elements from Buddhism, Jainism, etc. added

Hindustan (hin'du: stæn´, -stän´) 1 kingdom in N India in the 15th & 16th cent. 2 a region in N India, between the Vindhya Mountains & the Himalayas, where Hindi is spoken 3 the entire Indian subcontinent 4 the republic of India [see HINDUSTANI]

Hindustani (hin'du: stä´ni:, -stæn´i:) •n. 1 the most important dialect of Western Hindi, used as a trade language throughout N India: see also HINDI, URDU 2 a type of speech closely allied to Urdu •adj. 1 of Hindustan or its people 2 of Hindustani [Hindi Hindūstānī, lit., dweller in northern India, Indian < Pers Hindūstān, lit., country of the Hindus < Hindū (see HINDU) + stān, a place, country]

Hines (hainz), Earl Kenneth (called Fatha) 1905-83; U.S. jazz pianist & composer

hinge (hinj) •n. 1 a joint or device on which a door, gate, lid, etc. swings 2 a natural joint, as of the bivalve shell of a clam or oyster 3 a thin, gummed piece of paper, folded for fastening a stamp in an album 4 anything on which matters turn or depend; cardinal point or principle; pivot •vt. hinged, hing´ing to equip with or attach by a hinge •vi. to hang as on a hinge; be contingent; depend {hopes hinging on his success} [ME, earlier henge (vowel raised before nasal) < hengen (< ON hengja) or < hangen: see HANG]

hinge joint a joint between bones that permits motion in only one plane, as the knee joint

hinny (hin´i:) pl. -nies •n. the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey: cf. MULE¹ [L hinnus < Gr innos, with h- after L hinnire, to whinny]

Hinshelwood (hin´shэl wud'), Sir Cyril Norman 1897-1967; Brit. chemist

hint (hint) •n. 1 a slight indication of a fact, wish, etc.; indirect suggestion or piece of advice; intimation; covert allusion {a hint that we should leave} 2 a very small amount or degree; trace {a hint of spice} 3 [Obs.] an occasion; opportunity •vt. to give a hint of; suggest indirectly; intimate •vi. to make a hint or hints SYN. SUGGEST hint at to suggest indirectly; intimate take a hint to perceive and act on a hint hint´er •n. [prob. var. of HENT]

hinterland (hin´tэr lænd') •n. 1 the land or district behind that bordering on a coast or river; specif., an inland region claimed by the state that owns the coast 2 an area far from big cities and towns; back country [Ger < hinter, back (see HINDER²) + land, LAND]

hip joint the junction between the femur and its socket in the pelvis

hip pointer a painful bruise or torn muscle at the upper ridge of the pelvis

hip roof a roof with sloping ends and sides hip-hop (hip´häp') •n. Æ a style of music, dance, etc., originally among inner-city youths of the 1980's, that includes rap and break dancing [orig. uncert.]

hip¹ (hip) •n. 1 a) the part of the human body surrounding and including the hip joint; esp., the fleshy part between the waist and the upper thigh; haunch b) HIP JOINT 2 the corresponding part of an animal's body 3 Archit. the angle formed by the meeting of two sloping sides of a roof •vt. hipped, hip´ping to make (a roof) with such an angle or angles on (or upon) the hip [Rare] at a disadvantage Originally with reference to wrestling smite hip and thigh to attack unsparingly; overwhelm with or as with blows [cf. Judg. 15:8] [ME hipe < OE hype, akin to Ger hüfte (OHG huf) < IE *keub-, to bend, as at a joint (< base *keu-, to bend, bend over) > L cubare, to lie, Gr kybos, hollow above the hips of cattle]

hip² (hip) •n. the fleshy false fruit of the rose, containing the achenes or true fruits: it is rich in vitamin C [with Early ModE shortened vowel < ME hepe < OE heope, akin to OHG hiufo, OS hiopo < IE base *eub-, brier, thorn]

hip³ (hip) •interj. an exclamation used in cheers {hip, hip, hurray!}

hip4 (hip) hip´per, hip´pest •adj. [Slang] 1 a) sophisticated; knowing; aware b) fashionable; stylish 2 of or associated with hipsters or hippies get (or be) hip to [Slang] to become (or be) informed or knowledgeable about hip´ness •n. [< ? HEP]

hipbone (hip´boun') •n. 1 INNOMINATE BONE 2 ILIUM 3 the neck of the femur

hip-huggers (hip´hûg'эrz) •n. pants fitted very tightly around the hips, with the waistline just above the hips: also hip huggers

hipparch (hip´ärk') •n. in ancient Greece, a cavalry commander [Gr hipparchos: see HIPPO- & -ARCH]

Hipparchus (hi pär´kэs) 2d cent. B.C.; Gr. astronomer

hipped¹ (hipt) •adj. 1 having hips of a specified kind {broad-hipped} 2 having the hip dislocated: said esp. of horses, cows, etc. 3 Archit. having a hip or hips {a hipped roof}

hipped² (hipt) •adj. 1 [Now Rare] melancholy or depressed Æ 2 [Colloq.] having a great, often excessive, interest; obsessed: with on {hipped on movies} [< HYP(OCHONDRIA)]

hippety-hop or hippity-hop (hip´э ti: häp´) •adj., adv. with a hopping movement •vi. -hopped´, -hop´ping to move by or as if by hopping

hippie (hip´i:) •n. [Slang] any of the young people of the 1960's who, in their alienation from conventional society, turned variously to mysticism, psychedelic drugs, communal living, etc. [< HIP4 + -IE]

Hippo HIPPO REGIUS hippo (hip´ou') pl. -pos •n. [Colloq.] HIPPOPOTAMUS

hippo- (hip´ou, -э) combining form horse {hippodrome} [< Gr hippos, a horse < IE *ewos > L equus, OE eoh, ON iōr]

Hippo Regius (hip´ou ri:´ji: эs) ancient city in N Africa, near modern Annaba, Algeria: capital of ancient Numidia &, later, a Roman colony

hippocampus (hip'ou kæm´pэs) pl. -cam´pi (-pai) •n. 1 Gr. & Rom. Myth. a sea monster with the head and forequarters of a horse and the tail of a dolphin or fish 2 a ridge along the lower section of each lateral ventricle of the brain hip'po·cam´pal •adj. [L, sea horse < Gr hippokampos, hippocampus < hippos (see HIPPO-) + kampos, sea monster]

hippocras (hip´э kræs') •n. a former cordial made of wine flavored with spices [ME ypocras < OFr < Ypocras, Hippocrates, after ML vinum Hippocraticum, wine of Hippocrates: from being filtered through a strainer called Hippocrates' sleeve (L manica Hippocratis)]

Hippocrates (hi päk´rэ ti:z') c. 460-c. 377 B.C.; Gr. physician: called the Father of Medicine Hip·po·crat·ic (hip'э kræt´ik) •adj.

Hippocratic oath the oath generally taken by students receiving a medical degree: it is attributed to Hippocrates and sets forth an ethical code for the medical profession

Hippocrene (hip´ou kri:n', hip'ou kri:´ni:) Gr. Myth. a fountain on Mt. Helicon, sacred to the Muses: its waters inspire poets [L < Gr Hippokrēnē < hippos (see HIPPO-) + krēnē, a spring, fountain]

hippodrome (hip´э droum') •n. 1 in ancient Greece and Rome, a course for horse races and chariot races, surrounded by tiers of seats in an oval 2 an arena or building for equestrian events, circuses, games, etc. [Fr < L hippodromos < Gr: see HIPPO- & -DROME]

hippogriff or hippogryph (hip´ou grif') •n. a mythical monster with the hindquarters of a horse and the head and wings of a griffin [Fr hippogriffe < It ippogrifo < Gr hippos (see HIPPO-) + L gryphus, GRIFFIN]

Hippolyta (hi päl´i tэ) Gr. Myth. a queen of the Amazons, whose magic girdle is obtained by Hercules as one of his twelve labors: also Hip·pol´y·te' (-ti:')

Hippolytus (hi päl´i tэs) Gr. Myth. a son of Theseus: when he rejects the love of his stepmother, Phaedra, she turns Theseus against him by false accusations, and at Theseus' request, Poseidon brings about his death

Hippomenes (hi päm´i ni:z') Gr. Myth. the youth who wins the race against ATALANTA

hippopotamus (hip'э pät´э mэs) pl. -a·mus·es, -a·mi' (-mai'),n. r -a·mus any of a family (Hippopotamyidae) of large, plant-eating, artiodactylous mammals with a heavy, thick-skinned, almost hairless body and short legs: they live chiefly in or near rivers in Africa [L < Gr hippopotamos, lit., river horse < hippos (see HIPPO-) + potamos, river, orig., that which goes down < IE base *pet-, to fall, fly > FEATHER, Gr pteryx, wing]

-hippus (hip´эs) combining form forming nouns horse {eohippus} [ModL < Gr hippos: see HIPPO-]

hippy (hip´i:) pl. -pies •n. [Slang] HIPPIE

hipshot (hip´shät') •adj. 1 having the hip dislocated 2 having one hip lower than the other

hipster (hip´stэr) •n. [Old Slang] 1 a hip person 2 BEATNIK: a term of the 1950's and early 1960's: cf. HIPPIE

hipsters (-stэrz) •n.pl. pants, briefs, etc. with the top coming just above the hips

Hirakata (hir'э kät´э) city in S Honshu, Japan, north of Osaka: pop. 373,000

Hiram (hai´rэm) a masculine name: dim. Hi [Heb hīrām, prob. < ahīrām, exalted brother]

hircine (hør´sain', -sin) •adj. of or like a goat; esp., smelling like a goat [L hircinus < hircus, goat < IE *gherkwo- < *Ghers-, to bristle > HORRID]

hire (hair) •n. 1 the amount paid to get the services of a person or the use of a thing 2 a hiring or being hired •vt. hired, hir´ing 1 to get the services of (a person) or the use of (a thing) in return for payment; employ or engage 2 to give the use of (a thing) or the services of (oneself or another) in return for payment: often with out 3 to pay for (work to be done) for hire available for work or use in return for payment: also on hire Æ hire out to work, esp. as a laborer, for payment hir´a·ble or hire´a·ble •adj. hir´er •n. SYN.—to hire, in strict usage, means to get, and let means to give, the use of something in return for payment, although hire, which is also applied to persons or their services, may be used in either sense [to hire a hall, a worker, etc., rooms to let]; lease implies the letting or, in loose usage, the hiring of property (usually real property) by written contract; rent implies payment of a specific amount, usually at fixed intervals, for hiring or letting a house, land, or other property; charter implies the hiring or leasing of a ship, bus, etc. [ME < OE hyr, wages, akin to Du huur, Ger heuer]

hire purchase [Brit.] INSTALLMENT PLAN

hireling (hair´liŋ) •n. a person who is for hire; esp., one who will follow anyone's orders for pay; mercenary •adj. of or like a hireling; mercenary [prec. + -LING¹]

hiring hall an employment office, esp. one operated by a union to place its members in jobs in the order of their applications

hi-riser (hai´riz´эr) •n. a couch with two mattresses, one below the other on a separate frame, that is convertible into a double bed or two single beds

Hirohito (hir'ou hi:´tou) 1901-89; emperor of Japan (1926-89)

Hiroshige (hir'ou shi:´gei), An·do (än´dou) 1797-1858; Jpn. painter

Hiroshima (hir´э shi:´mэ; occas. hi rou´shi mэ) seaport in SW Honshu, Japan, on the Inland Sea: largely destroyed (Aug. 6, 1945) by a U.S. atomic bomb, the first ever used in warfare: pop. 907,000

hirsute (hør´su:t'; hэr su:t´) •adj. hairy; shaggy; bristly hir´sute'ness •n. [L hirsutus < hirtus, bristly, akin to hircus: see HIRCINE]

hirsutism (hør´su:t iz'эm; hэr su:t´-) •n. a heavy, esp. abnormal, growth of hair

hirudin (hir´yu: din') •n. a substance found in the salivary glands of leeches that prevents the coagulation of blood [orig. a trademark: < L hirudo, leech + -IN¹]

his (hiz; unstressed, iz) pron. that or those belonging to him: used without a following noun [that book is his, his are better]: also used after of to indicate possession [a friend of his] possessive pronominal adj. of, belonging to, made by, or done by him [ME < OE, gen. masc. & neut. of he]

Hispania (hi spei´ni: э, -spä´-) 1 Latin name for IBERIAN PENINSULA 2 old poet. name for SPAIN

Hispanic (hi spæn´ik) •adj. 1 Spanish or Spanish-and-Portuguese 2 of or relating to Hispanics •n. a usually Spanish-speaking person of Latin American origin who lives in the U.S. His·pan´i·cism' (-i siz'эm) •n. His·pan´i·cist •n. [L Hispanicus]

Hispaniola (his'pэn you´lэ) island in the West Indies, between Cuba & Puerto Rico: divided between Haiti & the Dominican Republic: 29,979 sq. mi. (77,945 sq. km)

hispid (his´pid) •adj. covered with rough bristles, stiff hairs, or small spines his·pid´i·ty •n. [L hispidus: for IE base see HIRCINE]

Hiss (his), Al·ger (æl´jэr) 1904- ; U.S. public official: convicted of perjury hiss (his) •vi. 1 to make a sound like that of a prolonged s, as of a goose or snake when provoked or alarmed, or of escaping steam, air, etc. 2 to show dislike or disapproval of by hissing •vt. 1 to say or indicate by hissing 2 to show dislike or disapproval of by hissing 3 to force or drive by hissing {to hiss a performer off the stage} •n. the act or sound of hissing hiss´er •n. [ME hissen, of echoic orig.]

hist abbrev. 1 historian 2 historical 3 history hist (st; hist is a spelling pronun.) •interj. an exclamation to attract attention, call for silence, etc., equivalent to be quiet! or listen!

histaminase (his tæm´i neis') •n. an enzyme found in the animal digestive system, capable of inactivating histamine [HISTAMIN(E)- + -ASE]

histamine (his´tэ mi:n', -min') •n. an amine, C5H9N3, produced by the decarboxylation of histidine and found in all organic matter: it is released by the tissues in allergic reactions, lowers the blood pressure by dilating blood vessels, stimulates gastric secretion, etc. his'ta·min´ic (-min´ik) •adj. [HIST(IDINE)- + AMINE]

histidine (his´ti di:n', -din') •n. a nonessential amino acid, C3H3N2CH2CH(NH)2COOH, that is essential for growth in infancy: see AMINO ACID [< Gr histion (see HISTIOCYTE) + -INE³]

histiocyte (his´ti: ou sait') •n. a large macrophage, found in connective tissue, that participates in the body's reaction to infection and injury his'ti·o·cyt´ic (-sit´ik) •adj. [< Gr histion, web, dim. of histos (see HISTO-) + -CYTE]

histo- (his´tou, -tэ) combining form tissue {histology} Also, before a vowel, hist- [< Gr histos, a loom, web < base of histanai, to set up, STAND]

histochemistry (his'tou kem´is tri:) •n. the study of the chemical components of cells and tissues his'to·chem´i·cal (-i kэl) •adj. his'to·chem´i·cal·ly •adv.

histocompatibility (-kem pæt'э bil´э ti:) •n. a condition of compatibility between the tissues of a graft or transplant and the tissues of the body receiving it

histogen (his´tou jэn, -tэ-) •n. Bot. a group of cells that gives rise to new tissue, such as cambium, cork cambium, etc. histogenic •adj. [HISTO- + -GEN]

histogenesis (his'tou jen´э sis, -tэ-) •n. the process of tissue development and differentiation his'to·ge·net´ic (-jэ net´ik) •adj. his'to·ge·net´i·cal·ly •adv. [HISTO- + -GENESIS]

histogram (his´tou græm', -tэ-) •n. Statistics a bar graph in which the area of each bar is proportional to the frequency or relative frequency represented [HISTO(RY) + -GRAM]

histology (his täl´э ji:) •n. 1 the branch of biology concerned with the microscopic study of the structure of tissues 2 the tissue structure of an organism or part, as revealed by microscopic study his·to·log·ic (his'tou läj´ik, -tэ-) or his'to·log´i·cal •adj. his'to·log´i·cal·ly •adv. his·tol´o·gist •n. [HISTO- + -LOGY]

histolysis (his täl´i sis) •n. Biol. the breaking down and dissolution of organic tissues his·to·lyt·ic (his´tou lit´ik, -tэ-) •adj. [HISTO- + -LYSIS]

histone (his´toun') •n. any of a group of strongly basic, simple proteins found in the nucleus of cells and associated with DNA: they are sometimes poisonous when injected into an animal and prevent the clotting of blood [< Gr histos (see HISTO-) + -ONE]

histopathology (his'tou pэ θäl´э ji:) •n. the study of the microscopic changes in tissues caused by disease [HISTO- + PATHOLOGY]

histoplasmosis (-plæz mou´sis) •n. a condition ranging from a mild infection to a severe disease, caused by a fungus (Histoplasma capsulatum) which may be inhaled or ingested: infections may occur in the lungs, liver, spleen, central nervous system, etc. [ModL < Histoplasma (capsulatum) < HISTO- + PLASMA + -OSIS]

historian (his tör´i: эn) •n. 1 a writer of history 2 an authority on or specialist in history [MFr historien]

historic (his tör´ik, -tär´-) •adj. historical; esp., famous in history [L historicus < Gr historikos]

historical (his tör´i kэl, -tär´-) •adj. 1 of or concerned with history as a science {the historical method} 2 providing evidence for a fact of history; serving as a source of history {a historical document} 3 based on or suggested by people or events of the past {a historical novel} 4 established by history; not legendary or fictional; factual; real 5 showing the development or evolution in proper chronological order {a historical account} 6 famous in history: now usually HISTORIC his·tor´i·cal·ly •adv. his·tor´i·cal·ness •n. [< L historicus + -AL]

historical linguistics the branch of linguistics that deals with language changes over a period of time

historical materialism an interpretation of history, esp. in Marxist theory, that holds that the chief determinants of society and social institutions are economic factors

historical present the present tense used for the narration of past events

historical school a school of thought, as in economics, legal philosophy, etc., maintaining that the basic facts and principles of a discipline, and their development, are to be ascertained by the study and interpretation of history

historicism (his tör´i siz'эm) •n. a theory of history that holds that the course of events is determined by unchangeable laws or cyclic patterns his·tor´i·cist •n., adj.

historicity (his'tэ ris´э ti:) •n. the condition of having actually occurred in history; authenticity

historicize (his tör´э saiz') -cized', -ciz'ing •vt. to make, or make seem, historical or historically real •vi. to use historical materials

historico- (his tör´i kou) combining form historical, historical and {historicoliterary}

historied (his´tэ ri:d) •adj. having a history or told about in history

historiographer (his tör'i: äg´rэ fэr) •n. 1 a historian; esp., one appointed to write the history of some institution, country, etc. 2 a specialist in historiography his·to'ri·o·graph´ic (-э græf´ik) or his·to'ri·o·graph´i·cal •adj. his·to'ri·o·graph´i·cal·ly •adv. [< OFr or LL: OFr historiographeur < LL historiographus < Gr historiographos < historia (see HISTORY) + graphein, to write (see GRAPHIC)]

historiography (-fi:) •n. 1 the writing of history 2 HISTORY (sense 4)specif., the study of the techniques of historical research and historical writing, the methods of major historians, etc. 3 a body of historical writing

history (his´tэ ri:; often his´tri:) pl. -ries •n. 1 an account of what has or might have happened, esp. in the form of a narrative, play, story, or tale 2 a) what has happened in the life or development of a people, country, institution, etc. b) a systematic account of this, usually in chronological order with an analysis and explanation 3 all recorded events of the past 4 the branch of knowledge that deals systematically with the past; a recording, analyzing, correlating, and explaining of past events 5 a known or recorded past {the strange history of his coat} 6 something that belongs to the past {the election is history now} 7 something important enough to be recorded 8 [Rare] a scientific account of a system of natural phenomena {natural history} 9 a record of a person's medical condition, treatments received, etc. {her medical history} make history to be or do something important enough to be recorded [ME < L historia < Gr, a learning by inquiry, narrative < histōr, knowing, learned < base of eidenai, to know < IE base *weid-, to see, know > WISE¹]

histrionic (his'tri: än´ik) •adj. 1 of, or having the nature of, acting or actors 2 overacted or overacting; theatrical; artificial; affected his'tri·on´i·cal·ly •adv. [LL histrionicus < L histrio, actor; ult. of Etr orig.]

histrionics (-iks) •n.pl. [sometimes with sing. v.] 1 theatricals; dramatics 2 an artificial or affected manner, display of emotion, etc.; melodramatics

hit (hit) hit, hit´ting •vt. 1 to come against, usually with force; strike {the car hit the tree} 2 to give a blow to; strike; knock 3 to strike so as to deliver (a blow) 4 to strike by throwing or shooting a missile at {to hit the target} 5 to cause to knock, bump, or strike, as in falling, moving, etc.: often with on or against {to hit one's head on a door} 6 to affect strongly or adversely so as to distress or harm {a town hard hit by floods} 7 to come upon by accident or after search; find; light upon {to hit the right answer} Æ 8 to arrive at (a place or point); reach; attain {stocks hit a new high} 9 STRIKE, vt. 8, 9, & 10 (variously) Æ 10 [Slang] to apply oneself to steadily or frequently {to hit the books} 11 [Slang] to demand or require of: with for; often with up {she hit me up for a loan} Æ 12 [Slang] to murder 13 [Slang] to supply with a drug, etc. Æ 14 Baseball to get (a specified base hit) {to hit a double} Æ 15 Blackjack to deal another card to •vi. 1 to give a blow or blows; strike 2 to attack suddenly 3 to knock, bump, or strike: usually with against 4 to come by accident or after search: with on or upon Æ 5 to ignite the combustible mixture in its cylinders: said of an internal-combustion engine Æ 6 Baseball to get a base hit •n. 1 a blow that strikes its mark 2 a collision of one thing with another 3 an effectively witty or sarcastic remark 4 a stroke of good fortune 5 a successful and popular song, singer, book, author, etc. Æ 6 [Slang] a murder 7 [Slang] a dose of a drug, a drink of alcoholic liquor, etc. 8 Backgammon a game won by a player after one or more of the opponent's men have been removed from the board Æ 9 Baseball BASE HIT hit it off to get along well together; be congenial hit off to mimic or portray briefly and well, usually in a satirical way hit on [Slang] to make sexual advances to hit or miss without regard to success or failure; in a haphazard or aimless way hit (out) at 1 to aim a blow at; try to hit 2 to attack in words; criticize severely hit someone over the head 1 to strike someone on the head 2 to emphasize repeatedly or strongly to someone {you don't have to hit me over the head with it I understand} hit the fan [Slang] to become suddenly embarrassing, troublesome, etc.; have a strong negative effect Æ hit the road to leave; go away hit´ter •n. [ME hitten < OE hittan < ON hitta, to hit upon, meet with < IE base *keid-, to fall > Welsh cwydd, a fall]

hit list [Colloq.] a list of those persons, groups, programs, etc. to be opposed or done away with [see HIT MAN]

hit man [Colloq.] a man paid to kill someone; hired murderer [< underworld slang hit, murder]

hit-and-run (hit´ªn rûn´) •adj. 1 hitting and then escaping: usually of an automobile driver who flees from the scene of an accident in which he or she is involved 2 Baseball designating a prearranged play in which a runner on base starts running as the pitch is made and the batter must attempt to hit the ball to protect the runner

hitch (hich) •vi. 1 to move jerkily; walk haltingly; limp; hobble 2 to become fastened or caught, as by becoming entangled or hooking on to something 3 to strike the feet together in moving: said of a horse Æ 4 [Slang] to hitchhike •vt. 1 to move, pull, or shift with jerks {hitch your chair up to the table} 2 to fasten with a hook, knot, harness, etc.; unite; tie 3 [Colloq.] to marry: usually in the passive Æ 4 [Slang] to hitchhike •n. 1 a short, sudden movement or pull; tug; jerk 2 a hobble; limp 3 a hindrance; obstacle; entanglement 4 a fastening or catch; thing or part used to connect or join together {a trailer hitch on the car's bumper} Æ 5 [Slang] a ride in hitchhiking Æ 6 [Slang] a period of time served, as of military service, imprisonment, etc. 7 a kind of knot that can be easily undone, for fastening a line as to a ring or pole without a hitch smoothly, easily, and successfully [ME hicchen, to move jerkily < ?]

Hitchcock (hich´käk), Alfred (Joseph) 1899-1980; Brit. film director Hitchcock (hich´käk) •adj. designating or of a style of 19th-cent. American furniture characterized by simple lines and having a black finish with stenciled designs {a Hitchcock chair}

hitchhike (hich´haik') -hiked', -hik'ing •vi. to travel by asking for rides from motorists along the way •vt. to get (a ride) or make (one's way) by hitchhiking hitch´hik'er •n. [HITCH + HIKE]

hither (hið´эr) •adv. to or toward this place; here •adj. on or toward this side; nearer {the hither horse} [ME hider < OE (akin to Goth hidre, ON hethra) < base of he (see HE¹) + -der, suffix as in HINDER²]

hithermost (hið´эr moust') •adj. nearest

hitherto (hið´эr tu:, hið'эr tu:´) •adv. 1 until this time; to now 2 [Obs.] hither [see HITHER & TO]

hitherward (-wэrd) •adv. [Rare] toward this place; hither: also hith´er·wards [OE hiderweard: see -WARD]

Hitler (hit´lэr), Adolf 1889-1945; Nazi dictator of Germany (1933-45), born in Austria Hit·ler´i·an (-lir´i: эn) •adj.

Hitlerism (-iz'эm) •n. the fascist program, ideas, and methods of Hitler and the Nazis Hit´ler·ite' (-ait') •n., adj.

hit-or-miss (hit´эr mis´) •adj. haphazard; random

hit-skip (-skip') •adj. HIT-AND-RUN (sense 1)

Hittite (hit´ait') •n. 1 any of an ancient people of Asia Minor and Syria (fl. 1700-700 B.C.) 2 the language of the Hittites, considered by most authorities to be associated with Indo-European: it is recorded in divergent cuneiform and hieroglyphic inscriptions •adj. of the Hittites, their language, or culture [Heb Hittī (< Hittite hatti) + -ITE¹]

HIV either of two retroviruses that infect human T cells and cause AIDS [h(uman) i(mmunodeficiency) v(irus)]

hive (haiv) •n. 1 a box or other shelter for a colony of domestic bees; beehive 2 a colony of bees living in a hive; swarm 3 a crowd of busy, very active people 4 a place where many people are busy or actively engaged •vt. hived, hiv´ing 1 to put or gather (bees) into a hive 2 to store up (honey) in a hive 3 to store up for future use; garner •vi. 1 to enter a hive 2 to live together in or as in a hive hive off 1 to depart from a group 2 to separate from the whole {hived off the first graders to another playground} [ME hyfe < OE, akin to ON hūfr, ship's hull < IE *keup- (< base *keu-, to bend, curve) > L cupa, a tub]

hives (haivz) •n. URTICARIA [orig. Scot dial.]

HL House of Lords: also H of L hl hectoliter(s)

HLA any of certain inherited antigens present on the surface of nucleated body cells in humans, used in determining histocompatibility, susceptibility to certain diseases, etc. [h(uman) l(eukocyte) a(ntigen)]

HM Her (or His) Majesty hm hectometer(s)

hmm or hm (hэm: conventionalized pronun.) •interj. HEM²: used in indicating hesitation, thoughtful consideration of another's statement, a question, etc.

HMO HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION

HMS 1 Her (or His) Majesty's Service 2 Her (or His) Majesty's Ship or Steamer

Ho 1 Chem. symbol for holmium 2 Bible Hosea ho (hou) •interj. 1 an exclamation of pleasure, surprise, derision, etc. 2 an exclamation to attract attention: sometimes used after a destination or direction {westward ho!} 3 whoa! stop! halt! [ME < OFr] [ME, echoic]

Ho Chi Minh (hou´ chi:´ min´) (born Nguyen That Thanh) 1890-1969; president of North Vietnam (1954-69)

Ho Chi Minh City seaport in S Vietnam: formerly (as Saigon) capital of South Vietnam, 1954-76: pop. 4,000,000

hoagie or hoagy (hou´gi:) pl. -gies •n. HERO SANDWICH [? altered < hoggie (< HOG), named in reference to large size]

hoar (hör) •adj. 1 HOARY 2 [Obs.] moldy; stale •n. 1 HOARINESS 2 HOARFROST [ME hore < OE har, akin to Ger hehr, venerable < IE base *ei-, term for dark colors, gray, brown > HUE¹, ON harr, gray, old, Pol szary, gray]

hoard (hörd) •n. a supply stored up and hidden or kept in reserve •vi. to get and store away money, goods, etc. •vt. to accumulate and hide or keep in reserve hoard´er •n. hoard´ing •n. [ME hord < OE, akin to Ger hort, Goth huzd < IE *keus- < base *(s)keu-, to cover, conceal > HIDE¹, Gr skylos, animal's skin]

hoarding (hör´diŋ) •n. [Brit.] 1 a temporary wooden fence around a site of building construction or repair 2 a billboard [< obs. hoard, hoarding < OFr hourde < Frank *hurda, enclosure, pen: for IE base see HURDLE]

hoarfrost (hör´fröst') •n. FROST (sense 3) [ME horfrost: see HOAR & FROST]

hoarse (hörs) hoars´er, hoars´est •adj. 1 harsh and grating in sound; sounding rough and husky 2 having a rough, husky voice hoarse´ly •adv. hoarse´ness •n. [ME hors, hase < OE has, akin to ON hāss, OS hēs, OHG heisi < IE base *kai-, heat > HOT, HEAT]

hoarsen (hör´sэn) •vt., vi. to make or become hoarse

hoary (hör´i:) hoar´i·er, hoar´i·est •adj. 1 white, gray, or grayish-white 2 having white or gray hair because very old: also hoar´y-head'ed (-hed'id) 3 very old; ancient hoar´i·ly •adv. hoar´i·ness •n. [HOAR + -Y²]

hoary marmot a marmot (Marmota caligata) found in the mountains of NW North America

hoatzin (hou æt´sin, wät si:n´) •n. a crested South American bird (Opisthocomus hoazin) of an order (Opisthocomiformes) with only one species: the wings of its young have claws [AmSp < Nahuatl uatzin]

hoax (houks) •n. a trick or fraud, esp. one meant as a practical joke •vt. to deceive with a hoax SYN. CHEAT hoax´er •n. [< ? HOCUS]

hob¹ (häb) •n. 1 a projecting ledge at the back or side of a fireplace, used for keeping a kettle, saucepan, etc. warm 2 a peg used as a target in quoits, etc. 3 a device for cutting teeth in a gear blank, etc. [? var. of HUB]

hob² (häb) •n. [Brit. Dial.] 1 a rustic; lout 2 an elf or goblin [H-] Robin Goodfellow, or Puck play (or raise) hob with to make trouble for; interfere with and make disordered [ME, old familiar form for ROBIN, ROBERT]

Hobart (hou´bэrt, -bärt) capital of Tasmania: seaport on the SE coast: pop. 173,000

Hobbema (häb´э mä), Mein·dert (main´dэřt) 1638-1709; Du. painter

Hobbes (häbz), Thomas 1588-1679; Eng. social philosopher: author of Leviathan Hobbes´i·an •adj., n.

Hobbism (häb´iz'эm) •n. the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes, who held that a strong government, esp. an absolute monarchy, is needed to control clashing individual interests

hobble (häb´эl) -bled, -bling •vi. 1 to go unsteadily, haltingly, etc. 2 to walk lamely or awkwardly; limp •vt. 1 to cause to go haltingly or lamely 2 to hamper the movement of (a horse, etc.) by tying two feet together 3 to hamper; hinder •n. 1 an awkward, halting walk; limp 2 a rope, strap, etc. used to hobble a horse; fetter 3 [Rare] an awkward situation; difficulty hob´bler •n. [ME hobelen (akin to Du hobbelen, Ger dial. hobbeln) < base of hoppen (see HOP¹) + freq. suffix]

hobble skirt a woman's long skirt so narrow below the knees as to hinder the wearer's movements; esp., such a skirt popular from 1910 to 1914

hobblebush (häb´эl bush') •n. a viburnum (Viburnum alnifolium) with clusters of small, white flowers and red to purple berries

hobbledehoy (häb´эl di: hoi') •n. a boy or adolescent youth, esp. one who is awkward and gawky [earlier hoberdihoye, hobbedihoy, prob. based on HOB² with cross assoc. < HOBBLE, HOBBY¹]

hobby¹ (häb´i:) pl. -bies •n. 1 [Archaic] a medium-sized, vigorous horse 2 HOBBYHORSE 3 something that one likes to do or study in one's spare time; favorite pastime or avocation [< sense 2, with notions as in phrase RIDE A HOBBY] ride a hobby to be excessively devoted to one's favorite pastime or subject hob´by·ist •n. [ME hobi < hobin, dim. of Robert, ROBERT]

hobby² (häb´i:) pl. -bies •n. a small European falcon (Falco subbuteo), formerly trained for hawking [ME hobi < OFr hobei, hobel, dim. of hobe, a hawk < Du hobben, to move back and forth, akin to HOP¹]

hobbyhorse (häb´i: hörs') •n. 1 a) a figure of a horse attached to the waist of a person doing a morris dance so that the person seems to be riding it b) such a dancer 2 a child's toy consisting of a stick with a horse's head at one end: it is straddled in a pretense of riding 3 ROCKING HORSE 4 a scheme or idea with which one is preoccupied

hobgoblin (häb´gäb'lin) •n. 1 an elf; goblin 2 a frightening apparition; bogy; bugbear [H-] Robin Goodfellow; Puck [HOB², sense 2 + GOBLIN]

hobnail (häb´neil') •n. 1 a short nail with a broad head, put on the soles of heavy shoes to prevent wear or slipping 2 one of a series of knoblike decorations, as on the edge of a glass plate •vt. to put hobnails on [HOB¹, sense 2 + NAIL]

hobnob (häb´näb') •adv. [Now Rare] at random •vi. -nobbed', -nob'bing 1 [Now Rare] to drink together 2 to be on close terms (with someone); associate in a familiar way •n. [Now Rare] a friendly chat [earlier habnab, lit., to have and not have < ME habben, to have + nabben (< ne habben), not to have, esp. with reference to alternation in drinking]

hobo (hou´bou') pl. -bos' or -boes' •n. 1 a migratory worker: so used by such workers themselves 2 a vagrant; tramp •vi. to travel in the manner of a hobo SYN. VAGRANT [< ?]

Hoboken (hou´bou'kэn) city in NE N.J., on the Hudson River opposite New York: pop. 33,000 [< Du < AmInd hopoakan, at the place of the tobacco pipe: infl. by Hoboken, town in Belgium]

Hobson (häb´sэn), John Atkinson 1858-1940; Eng. economist

Hobson's choice (häb´sэnz) a choice of taking what is offered or nothing at all; lack of an alternative [after T. Hobson (c. 1544-1631), of Cambridge, England, who owned livery stables and let horses in strict order according to their position near the door]

hock¹ (häk) •n. 1 the joint bending backward in the hind leg of a horse, ox, etc., corresponding to the human ankle 2 the corresponding joint in the leg of a fowl •vt. to disable by cutting the tendons of the hock [S Brit var. of Scot hough < ME hoh, heel < OE < Gmc *hanha, HEEL¹, with loss of nasal as in SOFT, TOOTH]

hock² (häk) •n. [Chiefly Brit.] any white Rhine wine, orig. that from Hochheim, Germany [contr. of hockamore, altered < Ger Hochheimer]

hock³ (häk) •vt., n. [Slang] PAWN¹ [< Du hok, kennel, cage, prison]

hockey (häk´i:) •n. Æ 1 a team game played on ice, in which the players, using a curved stick with a flat blade (hockey stick) and wearing skates, try to drive a hard rubber disk (puck) into their opponent's goal; ice hockey 2 a similar game played on foot on a field with a small ball instead of a puck; field hockey [Early ModE, prob. < OFr hoquet, bent stick, crook, dim. of hoc, hook < MDu hoec, HOOK]

Hockney (häk´ni:), David 1937- ; Brit. painter

hockshop (häk´shäp') •n. [Slang] PAWNSHOP

hocus (hou´kэs) -cused or -cussed, -cus·ing or -cus·sing •vt. 1 to play a trick on; dupe; hoax 2 to drug (a person) 3 to put drugs in (a drink) [contr. < fol.]

hocus-pocus (-pou´kэs) •n. 1 meaningless words used as a formula by conjurers 2 a magician's trick or trickery; sleight of hand; legerdemain 3 any meaningless action or talk drawing attention away from some deception 4 trickery; deception •vt., vi. -cused or -cussed, -cus·ing or -cus·sing [Colloq.] to trick; dupe [imitation L, prob. altered < hax pax (max Deus adimax), arbitrary magic formula attributed to medieval traveling scholars]

hod (häd) •n. 1 a V-shaped, wood or metal trough with a long handle, used for carrying bricks, mortar, etc. on the shoulder 2 a coal scuttle [prob. < MDu hodde, akin to Ger dial. hotte]

hod carrier a laborer who assists a bricklayer, plasterer, or mason, as by carrying bricks, mortar, etc. on a hod

ho-daddy (hou´dæd'i:) pl. -dies [Slang] one who engages in the sport of surfing or, esp., one who spends much time on beaches with surfers for vicarious excitement Also ho´-dad' •n. [< ?]

hodden (häd´ªn) •n. [Scot.] a coarse, undyed woolen cloth: a gray variety (hodden gray) is made by mixing white and black fleece [< ?]

Hodeida (hou dei´dэ) seaport in Yemen, on the Red Sea: pop. 126,000

hodgepodge (häj´päj') •n. 1 a kind of stew: now usually HOTCHPOTCH 2 any jumbled mixture; mess; medley [ME hogpoch: see HOTCHPOTCH]

Hodgkin (häj´kin) 1 Sir Allan Lloyd 1914- ; Brit. biophysicist 2 Dorothy Crowfoot 1910- ; Brit. chemist

Hodgkin's disease (häj´kinz) a chronic disease of unknown cause characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes and inflammation of other lymphoid tissues, esp. of the spleen [after Dr. T. Hodgkin (1798-1866), Eng physician who first described it]

hodoscope (häd´э skoup') •n. an instrument for tracing the paths of ionizing particles, as of electrons in cosmic rays [< Gr hodos, path (see -ODE¹) + -SCOPE]

hoe (hou) •n. a tool with a thin, flat blade set across the end of a long handle, used for weeding, loosening soil, etc. •vt., vi. hoed, hoe´ing to dig, cultivate, weed, etc. with a hoe ho´er •n. [ME houe < OFr < OHG houwa < houwan, to cut, HEW]

hoecake (hou´keik') •n. a thin bread made of cornmeal, orig. baked on a hoe at the fire

hoedown (hou´daun') •n. 1 a lively, rollicking dance, often a square dance 2 music for this 3 a party at which hoedowns are danced [prob. of black orig.; assoc. with BREAKDOWN, sense 2]

Hofei (hû´fei´) old form of HEFEI

Hoffmann (hôf´män), Ernst The·o·dor Am·a·de·us (eřnst tei´ô dôř ä'mä dei´us) 1776-1822; Ger. writer & composer

Hofmann (häf´mэn, höf´-) 1 Hans 1880-1966; U.S. painter, born in Germany 2 Roald 1937- ; U.S. chemist, born in Poland

Hofmannsthal (hôf´mäns täl'), Hu·go von (hu:´gô fôn) 1874-1929; Austrian playwright & poet

Hofstadter (häf´stæt'эr), Richard 1916-70; U.S. historian

Hofuf (hu fu:f´) city in E Saudi Arabia, near the Persian Gulf: pop. 102,000

hog (hög, häg) pl. hogs or hog •n. 1 any swine, esp. a domesticated adult (Sus scrofa) ready for market, or, in England, a castrated boar: see PIG (sense 1) 2 [Brit., etc. (exc. Cdn.)] a young sheep not yet shorn 3 [Colloq.] a selfish, greedy, gluttonous, coarse, or filthy person •vt. hogged, hog´ging 1 a) to arch (the back) like a hog's b) to cause (a ship, keel, etc.) to be higher in the center than at the ends 2 to trim (a horse's mane) in order to make it bristly Æ 3 [Slang] to grab greedily; take all of or an unfair share of •vi. to be higher in the center than at the ends, as the bottom of a ship go (the) whole hog [Slang] to go all the way; do or accept something fully Æ high on (or off) the hog [Colloq.] in a luxurious or costly way Æ hog wild [Colloq.] highly excited; without moderation or restraint [ME < OE hogg < ? or akin to ON höggva, to cut (akin to OE heawan, HEW), in basic sense castrated]

hog cholera an infectious virus disease of hogs, characterized by fever, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and frequently by congestion and hemorrhages in the kidneys

hog peanut a twining, leguminous vine (genus Amphicarpaea) native to E North America: the flowers borne near the ground develop bladdery pods underground

Hogan (hou´gэn), Ben (born William Benjamin Hogan) 1912- ; U.S. golfer hogan (hou´gön', -gän'; -gэn) •n. the typical dwelling of the Navajo Indians, built of earth walls supported by timbers [Navajo hooghan, house]

Hogarth (hou´gärθ), William 1697-1764; Eng. painter & engraver: known for his satirical pictures of 18th-cent. English life Ho·garth´i·an •adj.

hogback (hög´bæk) •n. a ridge with a sharp crest and abruptly sloping sides, often formed by the outcropping edge of steeply dipping rock strata

hogfish (hög´fish') pl. (see FISH) -fish' or -fish'es •n. 1 any of several fishes whose head supposedly resembles that of a hog, as a pigfish 2 a bright-red, edible wrasse (Lachnolaimus maximus) found off the SE coast of the U.S. [orig. ? transl. of OFr porpeis: see PORPOISE]

Hogg (hög, häg), James 1770-1835; Scot. poet

hoggish (hög´ish) •adj. like a hog; very selfish, greedy, coarse, or filthy hog´gish·ly •adv. hog´gish·ness •n.

hogmanay (häg´mэ nei´) •n. [Scot.] New Year's Eve, when young people go about singing and seeking gifts [Anglo-Norm hoguinané, corrupted < OFr aguillanneuf, last day of the year < aguille, needle, point (< LL acula, dim. of L acus: see ACEROSE¹) + neuf, new (< L novus, NEW)]

hognose snake (hög´nouz') any of a genus (Heterodon) of small, harmless North American colubrine snakes with a flat snout and a thick body: also hog´nosed' snake

hognut (hög´nût') •n. PIGNUT

hogshead (högz´hed') •n. 1 a large barrel or cask holding from 63 to 140 gallons (238 to 530 liters) 2 any of various units of liquid measure, esp. one equal to 63 gallons or 52½ imperial gallons (238 liters) [ME hoggeshede, lit., hog's head: reason for name uncert.]

hogtie (hög´tai') -tied', -ty'ing or -tie'ing •vt. 1 to tie the four feet or the hands and feet of 2 [Colloq.] to make incapable of effective action, as if by tying up

hogwash (hög´wösh') •n. 1 refuse fed to hogs; swill 2 useless or insincere talk, writing, etc.

hogweed (-wi:d') •n. any of various coarse weeds, as ragweed

Hohenstaufen (hou'эn shtau´fэn) name of the ruling family of Germany (1138-1208; 1215-54) & of Sicily (1194-1268)

Hohenzollern (hou´эn tsôl'эřn; E, -zäl'эrn) 1 name of the ruling family of Brandenburg (1415-1918), of Prussia (1701-1918), & of Germany (1871-1918) 2 historical region of SW Germany: formerly a province of Prussia

Hohhot (hou´hout´) city in N China: capital of Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region: pop. 748,000

ho-hum (hou´hûm') •interj. an exclamation expressing boredom, lack of interest, weariness, etc. [conventionalized representation of a yawn]

hoi polloi (hoi´pэ loi´) the common people; the masses: usually patronizing or contemptuous: sometimes preceded by the [Gr, lit., the many]

hoicks (hoiks) •interj. a hunter's call to the hounds: also hoick [< ?]

hoise (hoiz) hoised or hoist, hois´ing •vt. obs. var. of HOIST [Early ModE phonetic sp. of earlier hyce < Du hijschen < or akin to LowG hissen: of naut. orig.]

hoisin sauce (hoi´sin, hoi sin´) a dark, spicy sauce used in Chinese cooking, made of fermented rice, soy beans, vinegar, sugar, salt, and chili

hoist (hoist) •vt. to raise aloft; lift or pull up, esp. by means of a cable, pulley, crane, etc. •n. 1 an act of hoisting 2 an apparatus for raising heavy things; elevator; tackle 3 Naut. a) the perpendicular height of a sail or flag b) a group of signal flags displayed together on one line [< HOISE + unhistoric -t (< ? the pp.)]

hoity-toity (hoit´i: toit´i:) •adj. 1 [Brit.] giddy or flighty; capricious 2 haughty; arrogant; condescending 3 petulant; touchy; huffy •n. hoity-toity behavior •interj. an exclamation used in rebuking a display of arrogance or huffiness [redupl. of obs. hoit, to indulge in noisy mirth]

Hokan (hou´kэn) •n. a group of distantly related language families of the SW U.S. and Mexico, including Yuman

hoke (houk) hoked, hok´ing •vt. [Slang] to treat in a mawkishly sentimental, crudely comic, or artificial way: usually with up •n. [Slang] HOKUM hok´ey •adj. Etymology [< HOKUM]

hokeypokey or hokypoky (hou´ki: pou´ki:) •n. 1 hocus-pocus; trickery 2 a kind of ice cream or flavored ice formerly sold by street vendors 3 a children's singing and dancing game [altered < HOCUS-POCUS]

Hokkaido (hou kai´dou) one of the four main islands of Japan, north of Honshu: 30,364 sq. mi. (78,642 sq. km); chief city, Sapporo

hokku (hö´ku:') •n. HAIKU

hokum (hou´kэm) •n. [Slang] 1 trite or mawkish sentiment, crude humor, etc. used to get a quick emotional response from an audience 2 nonsense; humbug; claptrap [altered < HOCUS(-POCUS)]

Hokusai (hô´ku sai´), Ka·tsu·shi·ka (kä´tsu shi:´kä) 1760-1849; Jpn. painter & wood engraver

Holarctic (häl ärk´tik, houl-) •adj. designating or of the zoogeographic region consisting of both the Nearctic and Palearctic realms [HOL(O)- + ARCTIC]

Holbein (houl´bain) 1 Hans c. 1465-1524; Ger. painter: called the Elder 2 Hans c. 1497-1543; Ger. portrait painter in England: son of Hans Holbein (the Elder): called the Younger

hold¹ (hould) held, hold´ing •vt. 1 to take and keep with the hands or arms, or by other means; grasp; clutch; seize Æ 2 to keep from going away; not let escape {to hold a prisoner, hold the train} 3 to keep in a certain place or position, or in a specified condition {to hold one's head up} 4 to restrain or control; specif., a) to keep from falling; bear the weight of; support; sustain {pillars holding the roof} b) to keep from acting; keep back {hold your tongue} c) to keep from advancing or attacking d) to keep from getting an advantage e) to get and keep control of; keep from relaxing {to hold someone's attention} f) to continue; maintain {to hold a course} Æ g) to keep (a letter, etc.) for delivery later h) to keep (a room, etc.) for use later i) to keep under obligation; bind {hold him to his word} a) to resist the effects of (alcoholic liquor) 5 to have and keep as one's own; have the duties, privileges, etc. of; own; possess; occupy {to hold shares of stock, to hold the office of mayor} 6 to keep against an enemy; guard; defend {hold the fort} 7 to have or conduct together; specif., a) to carry on (a meeting, conversation, etc.) b) to perform (a function, service, etc.) {to hold classes in the morning} 8 to call together or preside over {to hold court} 9 to have or keep within itself; have room or space for; contain {a bottle that holds a quart} 10 to have or keep in the mind 11 to have an opinion or belief about; regard; consider {to hold a statement to be untrue} 12 Law a) to decide; adjudge; decree b) to bind by contract c) to possess by legal title {to hold a mortgage} 13 Music to prolong (a tone or rest) •vi. 1 to retain a hold, a firm contact, etc. {hold tight} 2 to go on being firm, loyal, etc. {to hold to a resolution} 3 to remain unbroken or yielding; not give way {the rope held} 4 to have right or title: usually with from or of 5 to be in effect or in force; be true or valid {a rule that holds in any case} 6 to keep up; continue [the wind held from the north]; specif., a) to remain in the air, waiting to land {a plane held over Boston} b) to remain on a telephone line {that line is busy will you hold?} 7 [Archaic] to go no further; stop oneself; halt: usually in the imperative •n. 1 the act or manner of grasping or seizing; grip; specif., a way of gripping an opponent in wrestling 2 a thing to hold or hold on by 3 a thing for holding or containing something else 4 a) a controlling or dominating force; restraining authority {to have a firm hold over someone} b) a being aware or in control {to lose one's hold on life} 5 a means of confinement; prison 6 a temporary halt or delay, as to make repairs, or an order to make such a halt 7 an order reserving something 8 [Obs.] a stronghold 9 [Obs.] the act or fact of guarding, possessing, etc. 10 Music PAUSE (sense 4) SYN. CONTAIN catch hold of to take; seize; grasp get hold of 1 to take; seize; grasp 2 to acquire hold back 1 to restrain 2 to refrain 3 to retain hold down 1 to keep down or under control; restrain Æ 2 [Colloq.] to have and keep (a job) 3 to limit; restrict {the rain held down attendance at the game} hold forth [cf. Phil. 2:16] 1 to speak at some length; preach; lecture 2 [Now Rare] to offer; propose hold in 1 to keep in or back 2 to control oneself or one's impulses hold off 1 to keep away or at a distance 2 to keep from attacking or doing something 3 to delay action on a matter, as in awaiting additional information hold on 1 to retain one's hold 2 to continue; persist 3 [Colloq.] stop! wait! hold one's own to maintain one's place or condition in spite of obstacles or reverses hold out 1 to last; endure; continue 2 to continue resistance; stand firm; not yield 3 to offer Æ 4 [Colloq.] to fail or refuse to give (what is to be given) hold out for [Colloq.] to stand firm in demanding hold over 1 to postpone consideration of or action on 2 to keep or stay for an additional period or term Æ 3 to keep as a threat or advantage over hold up 1 to keep from falling; prop up 2 to show; exhibit 3 to last; endure; continue 4 to stop; delay; impede Æ 5 to stop forcibly and rob Æ 6 [Colloq.] to overcharge hold with 1 to agree or side with 2 to approve of lay (or take) hold of 1 to take; seize; grasp 2 to get control or possession of no holds barred [Colloq.] with no set rules or limits on hold 1 in a period or state of interruption or delay {the countdown was on hold} 2 in a state of interruption in a telephone call, as during a transfer to another line {I was on hold for five minutes} [ME holden < Anglian OE haldan (WS healdan), akin to Ger halten, Goth haldan, to tend sheep < IE base *kel-, to drive, incite to action > Gr kelēs, swift horse, L celer, swift: prob. sense development: drive (cattle, etc.) tend possess]

hold² (hould) •n. 1 the interior of a ship below decks, esp. below the lower deck, in which the cargo is carried 2 the compartment for cargo in an aircraft [altered (after prec.) < HOLE or < MDu hol, a hole, cave, ship's hold]

holdall (hould´öl') •n. [Chiefly Brit.] a large traveling case for carrying clothes, equipment, etc.

holdback (-bæk') •n. 1 a thing that holds back; curb; check; hindrance Æ 2 a strap or iron attached to the shaft of a wagon, carriage, etc. and to the harness, to enable a horse to stop or back the vehicle

holden (houl´dэn) •vt., vi. archaic pp. of HOLD¹

holder (houl´dэr) •n. 1 a person who holds or possesses; specif., a) one who is legally entitled to payment of a bill, note, or check b) a tenant c) a possessor 2 a device for holding something [ME holdere]

holdfast (hould´fæst') •n. 1 the act of holding fast 2 any of various devices that hold something else in place; hook, nail, clamp, etc. 3 Bot. a part of certain rootless plants, as some algae, used to attach the plant to a surface 4 Zool. an organ of a parasitic or sessile organism, specialized for attachment to a host or other object

holding (houl´diŋ) •n. 1 land, esp. a farm, rented from another 2 [usually pl.] property owned, esp. stocks or bonds 3 in certain sports, the illegal use of the hands and arms to hinder the movements of an opponent [ME holdinge: see HOLD¹]

holding company a corporation organized to hold bonds or stocks of other corporations, which it usually controls

holding pattern a pattern of movement in which something is held, as an airplane waiting its turn to land at an airport

holdout (hould´aut') •n. 1 the act of holding out Æ 2 a) a professional athlete who refuses to play or perform until certain contract demands are met b) any person who resists joining in a certain action, coming to an agreement, etc.

holdover (-ou'vэr) •n. Æ [Colloq.] a person or thing staying on from a previous period; specif., an officeholder who continues in office or an entertainer whose engagement is extended

holdup (hould´ûp') •n. 1 a stoppage; delay or hindrance 2 the act of stopping forcibly and robbing 3 [Colloq.] the act of overcharging 4 Chem. a) the amount of liquid retained or delayed during fractional distillation and certain types of solvent extractions b) the free volume between the resin particles in an ion exchange column 5 Physics the amount of fissionable material being processed or in storage for irradiation in a reactor cycle

hole (houl) •n. 1 a hollow or hollowed-out place; cavity; specif., a) an excavation or pit Æ b) a small bay or inlet; cave (often in place names) c) a pool or deep, relatively wide place in a stream {a swimming hole} d) an animal's burrow or lair; den 2 a small, dingy, squalid place; any dirty, badly lighted room, house, etc. 3 a) an opening in or through anything; break; gap {a hole in the wall} b) a tear or rent, or a place where fabric is worn away, as in a garment 4 a flaw; fault; blemish; defect {holes in an argument} Æ 5 the card or cards dealt face down in stud poker 6 [Colloq.] an embarrassing situation or position; predicament 7 Golf a) a small, cylindrical cup sunk into a green, into which a ball is to be hit b) any of the distinct sections of a course, including the tee, the fairway, and the green {played the fifth hole in par} 8 Physics a nuclear or atomic energy state, as in a semiconductor, nuclear shell structure, etc., in which one particle (nucleon or electron) is missing, whereas adjacent states above and below are frequently occupied •vt. holed, hol´ing 1 to make a hole or holes in 2 to put, hit, or drive into a hole 3 to create by making a hole {to hole a tunnel through a mountain} burn a hole in someone's pocket to make someone eager to spend it Said of money hole high Golf at a spot on or near the green that is as far as the hole is from where the ball was hit hole in one Golf the act of getting the ball into the hole on the shot from the tee hole out Golf to hit the ball into the hole hole up [Colloq.] 1 to hibernate, usually in a hole 2 to shut oneself in 3 to hide out Æ in the hole [Colloq.] financially embarrassed or behind {fifty dollars in the hole} make a hole in to use up a sizable amount of pick holes in to pick out errors or flaws in the hole 1 [Colloq.] SOLITARY CONFINEMENT; also, a cell used for solitary confinement Æ 2 Baseball the area of the infield between the third baseman and the shortstop Æ 3 Football a momentary opening in the line of scrimmage, through which offensive backs run while carrying the ball SYN.—hole is the general word for an open space in a thing and may suggest a depression in a surface or an opening from surface to surface [a hole in the ground, a hole in a sock]; hollow basically suggests an empty space within a solid body, whether or not it extends to the surface, but it may also be applied to a depressed place in a surface [a wooded hollow]; cavity, the Latin-derived equivalent of hollow, has special application in formal and scientific usage [the thoracic cavity]; an excavation is a hollow made in or through ground by digging [the excavations at Pompeii] [ME < OE hol, orig. neut. of adj. holh, hollow, akin to Ger hohl < IE base *kaul-, *kul-, hollow, hollow stalk > L caulis, Gr kaulos, stalk]

hole in the wall a small, dingy room, shop, etc., esp. one in a remote or unfrequented place

hole saw a hollow cylinder with teeth on the bottom edge attached by means of a bit, as to a portable electric drill, and used for cutting circles

hole-and-corner (houl´эn kör'nэr) •adj. 1 unimportant, humdrum, etc. 2 kept secret, esp. to avoid blame or punishment

holey (houl´i:) •adj. having a hole or holes [ME]

Holguín (ôl gi:n´) city in E Cuba: pop. 235,000

-holic (häl´ik) combining form -AHOLIC {chocoholic}

Holiday (häl´э dei'), Billie (born Eleonora Fagan Holiday) 1915-59; U.S. jazz singer: called Lady Day holiday (häl´э dei') •n. 1 HOLY DAY 2 a day of freedom from labor; day set aside for leisure and recreation 3 [often pl.] [Chiefly Brit.] a period of leisure or recreation; vacation 4 a day set aside by law or custom for the suspension of business, usually in commemoration of some event •adj. of or suited to a holiday; joyous; gay {the holiday spirit} •vi. [Chiefly Brit.] to take a vacation or vacation trip [< ME holidei, with shortened first vowel < OE hāligdæg: see HOLY & DAY]

holidays (-deiz') •adv. during every holiday or most holidays

holier-than-thou (hou'li: эr ðэn ðau´) •adj. sanctimonious or self-righteous to an annoying degree; priggish

holily (hou´lэ li:) •adv. in a holy manner; piously, devoutly, or sacredly [ME holiliche < OE haliglice]

holiness (hou´li: nis) •n. 1 the quality or state of being holy 2 [H-] a title of the pope (with His or Your) [ME holinesse < OE halignesse]

Holinshed (häl´inz hed', -in shed'), Raphael died c. 1580; Eng. chronicler: also Hol·lings·head (häl´iŋz hed')

holism (hou´liz'эm) •n. the view that an organic or integrated whole has an independent reality which cannot be understood simply through an understanding of its parts ho´list •n. [HOL(O)- + -ISM]

holistic (hou lis´tik) •adj. 1 of or relating to holism 2 of, concerned with, or dealing with wholes or integrated systems rather than with their parts {holistic health care} ho·lis´ti·cal·ly •adv.

holla (häl´э, hэ lä´) •interj., n., vt., vi. HOLLO [< Fr holà < ho, ho + là, there < L illac, there]

Holland (häl´эnd) 1 former county of the Holy Roman Empire on the North Sea, now divided into two provinces (NORTH HOLLAND & SOUTH HOLLAND) of the Netherlands 2 NETHERLANDS Hol´land·er •n. holland (häl´эnd) •n. a linen or cotton cloth used for clothing, window shades, etc. [after HOLLAND, where first made] Holland (häl´эnd), John Philip 1840-1914; U.S. inventor, born in Ireland: developed U.S. Navy's 1st submarine

hollandaise sauce (häl´эn deiz', häl'эn deiz´) a creamy sauce for fish or vegetables, made of butter, egg yolks, lemon juice, etc. [Fr hollandaise, fem. of hollandais, of HOLLAND]

Hollandia (hä læn´di: э) old name of KOTABARU

Hollands (häl´эndz) •n. a strongly flavored gin made in the Netherlands, with the flavorings distilled in rather than added after distillation Also Hollands (or Holland) gin [Du hollandsch (genever)]

holler¹ (häl´эr) •vi., vt. [Colloq.] to shout or yell •n. [Colloq.] 1 a shout or yell Æ 2 a working song sung by U.S. black field workers [altered < HOLLO, HOLLA]

holler² (häl´эr) •adj., adv., n. dial. var. of HOLLOW

hollo (häl´ou', hэ lou´) pl. -los' •interj., n. 1 a shout or call, as to attract a person's attention or to urge on hounds in hunting 2 a shout of greeting or surprise •vi., vt. -loed, -lo·ing 1 to shout (at) in order to attract attention 2 to urge on (hounds) by calling out hollo 3 to shout or call, as in greeting Cf. HELLO [var. of HOLLA, HALLO]

hollow (häl´ou) •adj. 1 having an empty space, or only air, within it; having a cavity inside; not solid 2 depressed below the surrounding surface; shaped like a cup or bowl; concave 3 deeply set; sunken {hollow cheeks} 4 empty or worthless; not real or meaningful {hollow praise} 5 hungry 6 deep-toned, dull, and muffled, as though resounding from something hollow •adv. in a hollow manner •n. 1 a hollow formation or place; cavity; hole 2 a small, sheltered valley •vt., vi. to make or become hollow SYN. HOLE, VAIN beat all hollow [Colloq.] to outdo or surpass by far hollow out to make by hollowing hol´low·ly •adv. hol´low·ness •n. [ME holwe < OE holh: see HOLE]

holloware (häl´ou wer') •n. serving dishes and table accessories, esp. of silver, that are relatively hollow or concave: cf. FLATWARE Also hol´low-ware'

hollow-eyed (häl´ou aid') •adj. having deep-set eyes or dark areas under the eyes, as from sickness or fatigue

Holly (häl´i:) a feminine name holly (häl´i:) pl. -lies •n. 1 any of a genus (Ilex) of small trees and shrubs of the holly family, with stiff, glossy, sharp-pointed leaves and clusters of bright-red berries 2 the leaves and berries, used as Christmas ornaments •adj. designating a family (Aquifoliaceae, order Celastrales) of dicotyledonous trees and shrubs, including the dahoon and black alder [ME holi, holin < OE holegn < IE base *kel-, to prick > Welsh celyn, holly, Sans katambá-, arrow]

hollyhock (häl´i: häk') •n. 1 a tall, usually biennial plant (Alcea rosea) of the mallow family, with palmately lobed leaves, a hairy stem, and large, showy flowers of various colors in elongated spikes 2 its flower [ME holihoc, lit., holy hock < OE halig, holy + hoc, mallow]

Hollywood (häl´i: wud') 1 section of Los Angeles, Calif., once the site of many U.S. film studios; hence, the U.S. film industry or its life, world, etc. 2 city on the SE coast of Fla.: pop. 122,000: see FORT LAUDERDALE [HOLLY + WOOD¹]

Hollywood bed a bed consisting typically of a mattress on a box spring that rests on a metal frame or has attached legs: it sometimes has a headboard

holm oak (houm´) 1 a S European evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) of the beech family, with hollylike leaves 2 its wood [see HOLM²]

holm¹ (houm) •n. [Brit.] 1 a small island in a river or lake, near the mainland or a larger island: used chiefly in place names 2 low, flat land by a river or stream; bottoms [ME < OE, sea: sense infl. by ON holmr, island < IE base *kel-, to project > HILL]

holm² (houm) •n. 1 HOLM OAK 2 [Dial.] HOLLY [altered < holn, form of ME holin: see HOLLY]

Holmes (houmz, houlmz) 1 John Haynes (heinz) 1879-1964; U.S. clergyman & reformer 2 Oliver Wen·dell (wen´dэl) 1809-94; U.S. writer & physician 3 Oliver Wendell 1841-1935; associate justice, U.S. Supreme Court (1902-32): son of the writer 4 Sherlock see SHERLOCK HOLMES

holmium (houl´mi: эm) •n. a trivalent, silvery chemical element of the rare-earth metals: symbol, Ho; at. wt., 164.930; at. no., 67; sp. gr., 8.795; melt. pt., 1,474°C; boil. pt., 2,700°C [ModL < earlier holmia, so named (1879) by P. T. Cleve (see CLEVEITE), its second discoverer (first was L. Soret, Fr chemist, in 1878), after Holmia, Latinized name of STOCKHOLM, his native city + -IUM]

holo- (häl´ou, -э; hou´lou, -lэ) combining form whole, entire {holomorphic} [Fr < L < Gr holos, whole < IE base *solo-, whole > L salvus, sound, safe]

holoblastic (häl'ou blæs´tik, hou'lou-) •adj. Embryology undergoing complete cleavage into daughter cells: said of certain ova with little yolk (blastomeres): cf. MEROBLASTIC [prec. + -BLAST + -IC]

Holocaine (häl´э kein', hou´lэ-) trademark for PHENACAINE [HOLO- + (CO)CAINE]

holocaust (häl´э köst', hou´lэ-; also hö´lэ-, hûl´э-) •n. 1 an offering the whole of which is burned; burnt offering 2 great or total destruction of life, esp. by fire {nuclear holocaust} Æ the Holocaust [also the h-] the systematic destruction of over six million European Jews by the Nazis before and during World War II [ME < OFr holocauste < LL(Ec) holocaustum, a whole burnt offering < Gr holokauston (neut. of holokaustos), burnt whole < holos, whole (see HOLO-) + kaustos, burnt: see CAUSTIC]

Holocene (häl´ou si:n', hou´lэ-) •adj. designating or of the present epoch of the Quaternary Period, extending from the close of the Pleistocene the Holocene the Holocene Epoch or its rocks: see GEOLOGY, chart [HOLO- + -CENE]

holocrine (häl´ou krin', -krain', -kri:n'; hou´lэ-) •adj. designating or of a gland whose secretion results from the disintegration of the gland's cells [HOLO- + Gr krinein, to separate: see HARVEST]

holoenzyme (häl'ou en´zaim', hou'lou-) •n. a complete enzyme, formed from an apoenzyme and a coenzyme

Holofernes (häl'э før´ni:z') Apocrypha a general of Nebuchadnezzar's army, killed by Judith: see JUDITH

hologamous (hou läg´э mэs) •adj. having gametes essentially the same in size and form as other cells ho·log´a·my (-mi:) •n. [HOLO- + -GAMOUS]

hologram (häl´э græm', hou´lэ-) •n. a photographic plate containing the record of the interference pattern produced by means of holography

holograph (-græf') •adj. written entirely in the handwriting of the person under whose name it appears •n. a holograph document, letter, etc. [Fr holographe < LL holographus < LGr holographos < Gr holos, whole (see HOLO-) + graphein, to write: see GRAPHIC]

holographic (häl'э græf´ik, hou'lэ-) •adj. 1 HOLOGRAPH 2 of or having to do with holography

holography (hou läg´rэ fi:) •n. a method of making three-dimensional photographs without a camera, by splitting a laser beam into two beams and recording on a photographic plate the minute interference patterns made by one beam going from the laser to the plate and the other beam going from the laser to the object to the plate: the virtual image can be reconstructed by shining laser light, white light, etc. through the developed film [HOLO- + -GRAPHY]

holohedral (häl'ou hi:´drэl, hou'lэ-) •adj. having the full number of planes required for complete symmetry: said of a crystal [HOLO- + -HEDRAL]

holometabolism (-mэ tæb´э liz'эm) •n. COMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS hol'o·me·tab´o·lous •adj.

holomorphic (-mör´fik) •adj. having the two ends symmetrical in form: said of a crystal [HOLO- + -MORPHIC]

holoparasite (-pær´э sait') •n. a parasite that is parasitic during its entire life cycle hol'o·par'a·sit´ic (-sit´ik) •adj.

holophrastic (-fræs´tik) •adj. expressing an entire sentence or phrase in one word [< HOLO- + Gr phrastikos, suited for expressing < phrazein, to speak]

holophytic (-fit´ik) •adj. obtaining nutrition by photosynthesis, as do green plants and some bacteria [HOLO- + -PHYT(E) + -IC]

holoplankton (-plæŋk´tэn) •n. an organism which spends all stages of its life cycle as a member of the plankton community: cf. MEROPLANKTON

holothurian (-θur´i: эn, -θyur´-) •n. any of a class (Holothuroidea) of echinoderms with an elongated, flexible, wormlike body and a mouth surrounded by tentacles; sea cucumber [< L holothuria, pl. < Gr holothouria, pl. of holothourion, kind of water polyp]

holotype (häl´ou taip', hou´lэ-) •n. Taxonomy the single specimen chosen as the type of a new species or subspecies in the original description hol'o·typ´ic (-tip´ik) •adj. [HOLO- + TYPE]

holozoic (häl'э zou´ik, hou'lэ-) •adj. ingesting and using complex organic material as food, as most animals [HOLO- + ZO- + -IC]

holp (houlp, houp) •vt., vi. archaic or dial. pt. & obs. pp. of HELP [ME holpe, S Eng dial. form of fol.]

holpen (houl´pэn, hou´-) •vt., vi. archaic or dial. pp. of HELP [ME]

hols (hälz) •n.pl. [Brit. Colloq.] HOLIDAY (sense 3)

Holst (houlst), Gus·tav (Theodore) (gus´täv) 1874-1934; Eng. composer

Holstein (houl´stain'; Ger hôl´shtain'; for n., usually houl´sti:n') region of NW Germany, in the state of Schleswig-Holstein: formerly a duchy of Denmark •n. Æ any of a breed of large, black-and-white dairy cattle Also Hol´stein-Frie´sian (-fri:´zhэn)

holster (houl´stэr) •n. a pistol case, usually of leather and attached to a belt, saddle, or shoulder strap •vt. to place in a holster [Du, akin to Goth hulistr, a cover, ON hulstr, a sheath, OE heolstor, darkness, cover < IE base *el-, to conceal (> HALL, HULL¹) + Gmc noun suffix -stra-]

holt (hoult) •n. [Archaic] a small woods [ME < OE, akin to Ger holz, wood < IE *kldos (< base *kel-, to strike) > Gr klados, young sprout]

holus-bolus (hou´lэs bou´lэs) •adv. all at once; in one lump [mock-Latin < WHOLE + BOLUS]

holy (hou´li:) -li·er or -li·est •adj. [often H-] 1 dedicated to religious use; belonging to or coming from God; consecrated; sacred 2 spiritually perfect or pure; untainted by evil or sin; sinless; saintly 3 regarded with or deserving deep respect, awe, reverence, or adoration Æ 4 [Slang] very much of a: a generalized intensive {a holy terror} Often used in interjectional compounds to express astonishment, emphasis, etc. [holy cow! holy smoke!] •n. pl. -lies a holy thing or place SYN.—holy suggests that which is held in deepest religious reverence or is basically associated with a religion and, in extended use, connotes spiritual purity [the Holy Ghost, a holy love]; sacred refers to that which is set apart as holy or is dedicated to some exalted purpose and, therefore, connotes inviolability [Parnassus was sacred to Apollo, a sacred trust]; consecrated and hallowed describe that which has been made sacred or holy, consecrated in addition connoting solemn devotion or dedication [a life consecrated to art], and hallowed, inherent or intrinsic holiness [hallowed ground]; divine suggests that which is of the nature of, is associated with, or is derived from God or a god [the divine right of kings], and, in extended use, connotes supreme greatness [the Divine Duse] or, colloquially, great attractiveness —ANT. profane, unholy [ME holie < OE halig (akin to Ger heilig) < base of OE hal, sound, happy, WHOLE: first used in OE as transl. of L sacer, sanctus, in the Vulg.]

Holy Alliance an alliance formed in 1815 by the rulers of Russia, Austria, and Prussia to suppress the democratic revolutionary movement in Europe

Holy Bible BIBLE (senses 1, 2, & n. 1)

Holy Communion 1 any of various Christian rites in which bread and wine are consecrated and received as the body and blood of Jesus or as symbols of them 2 the consecrated bread and wine, or either of these; Eucharist

Holy Cross , Mount of the peak in WC Colo.: snow-filled crevices on it form a large cross: 13,996 ft. (4,265 m)

holy day 1 a day, as a major religious festival, viewed as especially holy 2 any of certain major religious feast days (as Christmas) on which Roman Catholics are required, as on Sundays, to attend Mass and refrain from unnecessary physical work, commercial activity, etc.: in full, holy day of obligation

Holy Father a title of the pope

Holy Ghost HOLY SPIRIT [ME haligast, transl. of LL(Ec) Spiritus sanctus]

Holy Grail see GRAIL

Holy Innocents' Day a religious feast day (Dec. 28) honoring the children slain at Herod's command: Matt. 2:16

Holy Land PALESTINE (the region)

holy of holies 1 the innermost part of the Jewish tabernacle and Temple, where the ark of the covenant was kept 2 any most sacred place [transl. of Heb qōdesh haqadōshim]

Holy Office old name of The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a department of the Curia established to investigate and correct unorthodox doctrine

holy orders 1 a) the sacrament or rite of Christian ordination b) the state of having received Christian ordination 2 the ranks or grades of Christian ordination; specif., in the Rom. Catholic Church, those of bishop, priest, or deacon take holy orders to receive Christian ordination

Holy Roller a member of a minor religious sect that expresses religious emotion by shouting and moving about during services of worship: generally an offensive term

Holy Roman Empire empire of WC Europe, comprising the German-speaking peoples & N Italy: begun in A.D. 800 with the papal crowning of Charlemagne or, in an alternate view, with the crowning of Otto I in 962, it lasted until Francis II (who was Francis I of Austria) resigned the title in 1806

Holy Saturday the Saturday before Easter

Holy Scripture (or Scriptures) the Bible: among Jews, the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa; among Christians, the Old and New Testaments

Holy See R.C.Ch. the papal see; Apostolic See

Holy Spirit 1 the spirit of God 2 Christian Theol. the third person of the Trinity

Holy Synod a governing body in the Eastern Orthodox Church

Holy Thursday 1 the Thursday before Easter 2 [Now Rare] ASCENSION DAY

holy water R.C.Ch. water blessed by a priest and used (as in the Asperges) as a sacramental

Holy Week the week before Easter

Holy Writ the Bible

Holyoke (houl´youk) city in SW Mass., on the Connecticut River: pop. 44,000 [after Rev. E. Holyoke (1689-1769), president of Harvard]

holystone (hou´li: stoun') •n. a large, flat piece of sandstone used for scouring a ship's wooden decks •vt. -stoned', -ston'ing to scour with a holystone [prob. so named because user is on his knees]

holytide (hou´li: taid') •n. [Obs.] a holy season; day or period of religious observance [HOLY + TIDE¹]

hom- (houm, häm) combining form HOMO- Used before a vowel

homage (häm´ij; also äm´-) •n. 1 orig., a) a public avowal of allegiance by a vassal to his lord b) an act done or thing given to show the relationship between lord and vassal 2 anything given or done to show reverence, honor, or respect: usually with do or pay {to pay homage to a hero} SYN. HONOR, ALLEGIANCE [ME < OFr hommage < ML hominaticum, vassal's service, homage < L homo, a man: see HOMO¹]

homager (häm´i jэr) •n. a person who does homage, esp. as a vassal

hombre¹ (häm´bri:', äm´-; -brei') •n. [Colloq.] a man; fellow [Sp < L homo, man: see HOMO¹]

hombre² (äm´bэr) •n. OMBER

homburg (häm´børg') •n. a man's felt hat with a crown dented front to back and a stiffened brim turned up slightly at the sides [after Homburg, Prussia, where first made]

home (houm) •n. 1 the place where a person (or family) lives; one's dwelling place; specif., a) the house, apartment, etc. where one lives or is living temporarily; living quarters b) the region, city, state, etc. where one lives 2 the place where one was born or reared; one's own city, state, or country 3 a place thought of as home; specif., a) a place where one likes to be; restful or congenial place b) the grave 4 the members of a family as a unit; a household and its affairs {homes broken up by divorce} 5 an institution for the care of orphans, people who are old and helpless, etc. 6 a) the place that is the natural environment of an animal, plant, etc. b) the place where something is or has been originated, developed, etc. {Paris is the home of fashion} 7 a) in many games, the base or goal Æ b) the home plate in baseball •adj. 1 of home or a home; specif., a) of the family, household, etc.; domestic b) of one's country, government, etc.; domestic (opposed to FOREIGN) c) of or at the center of activity or operations {home office} 2 reaching its goal; effective; forceful; to the point {a home truth} 3 of or having to do with games played in the city, at the school, etc. where the team originates {a home game} •adv. [orig. the n. as acc. of direction] 1 at, to, or in the direction of home or a home 2 to the place where it must ultimately go; to the point aimed at {to drive a nail home} 3 to the center or heart of a matter; closely; directly; deeply •vi. homed, hom´ing 1 to go or return to one's home 2 to have a home •vt. to send to, put into, or provide with a home at home 1 in one's own house, neighborhood, city, or country 2 as if in one's own home; comfortable; at ease; familiar 3 willing to receive visitors bring something home to 1 to impress something upon or make something clear to 2 to fasten the blame for something on someone come home to return, as to one's home Æ home free [Slang] beyond the point of doubt in approaching success or victory home (in) on to guide, or be guided as by radar, heat, etc., to (a destination or target) [ME < OE hām, akin to Ger heim < Gmc *haim < IE base *kei-, to lie, homestead > HIDE³, Gr keisthai, to lie down, rest, L civis, townsman, ON heimr, home, Goth haima, OHG heim: basic sense place where one lies; dwelling]

home economics the science and art of homemaking, including nutrition, clothing, budgeting, and child care

home fries raw or boiled potatoes, sliced and fried in a frying pan Also home fried potatoes

Home Office the department of government in Great Britain which supervises various domestic affairs, including immigration, law and order, and civil defense

home plate Baseball the five-sided slab that the batter stands beside, across which the pitcher must throw the ball for a strike: a base runner must reach it safely after reaching the three bases safely to score a run

home port 1 the port where a military, commercial, or cruise vessel is docked between trips or for seasonal stopovers or repairs 2 the port where a retired ship is permanently stationed

home range Ecol. the area within which an animal normally ranges in the course of a day or a season

home rule the administration of the internal affairs of a country, colony, district, city, etc., granted to the citizens who live in it by a superior governing authority or state; local self-government

home run Baseball a safe hit that allows the batter to touch all bases and score a run

home video 1 the apparatus for recording and playing videocassettes or videodiscs on a TV set in the home 2 prerecorded videocassettes or videodiscs, esp. of films, as seen on a TV set in the home

homebody (houm´bäd'i:) pl. -bod'ies •n. a person mainly concerned with affairs of the home, or one who prefers to stay at home

homebound (houm´baund') •adj. 1 going home 2 confined to the home

homeboy (-boi') •n. [Slang, Chiefly Black] 1 a boy or man from the same town, neighborhood, etc. as oneself 2 a close male friend 3 a fellow male member of a youth gang home´girl' •n.fem.

homebred (-bred') •adj. 1 bred or reared at home; domestic; native 2 not cultivated, polished, or sophisticated; crude

home-brew (houm´bru:') •n. an alcoholic beverage, esp. beer, made at home

homecoming (houm´kûm'iŋ) •n. 1 a coming or returning to one's home Æ 2 in many schools, colleges, and universities, an annual celebration attended by alumni

home-grown (houm´groun´) •adj. grown at home or for local consumption: said of fruits and vegetables

homeland (houm´lænd', -lэnd) •n. 1 the country in which one was born or makes one's home 2 a country or region into which people of a specified group have relocated or may relocate, regarded as their ancestral land

homeless (houm´lis) •adj. having no home; without a permanent place of residence Æ the homeless those typically poor or sometimes mentally ill people who are unable to maintain a place to live and therefore often may sleep in the streets, parks, etc.

homelike (houm´laik') •adj. having qualities associated with home; comfortable, familiar, cozy, etc.

homely (houm´li:) -li·er, -li·est •adj. 1 orig., a) of the home; domestic b) HOMELIKE 2 a) characteristic of or suitable for home or home life; simple and unpretentious or plain and everyday {homely virtues} b) not elegant or polished; crude 3 not good-looking or handsome; plain or unattractive home´li·ness •n. [ME homli]

homemade (houm´meid´) •adj. 1 made at home or on the premises 2 as if made at home; esp., plain, simple, or crude

homemaker (houm´mei'kэr) •n. a person who manages a home; esp., a housewife home´mak'ing •n.

homeo- (hou´mi: ou', -mi: э; also häm´i: ou', -i: э) combining form like, the same, similar {homeomorphism} [Gr homoio- < homos, SAME]

homeomorphism (hou'mi: ou'mör´fiz'эm) •n. similarity in structure and form; esp., a close similarity of crystalline forms between substances of different chemical composition ho'me·o'mor´phous (-fэs) •adj. [HOMEO- + -MORPH + -ISM]

homeopath (hou´mi: ou pæθ') •n. a person who practices or accepts the principles of homeopathy Also ho'me·op´a·thist (-äp´э θist)

homeopathy (hou'mi: äp´э θi:) •n. a system of medical treatment based on the theory that certain diseases can be cured by giving very small doses of drugs which in a healthy person would produce symptoms like those of the disease: opposed to ALLOPATHY ho'me·o'path´ic (-ou'pæθ´ik) •adj. [Ger homöopathie, lit., likeness of feeling (see HOMEO- & -PATHY): coined (c. 1800) by (Christian Friedrich) Samuel HAHNEMANN]

homeostasis (hou'mi: ou'stei´sis; also, -stæs´is) •n. 1 Physiol. the tendency to maintain, or the maintenance of, normal, internal stability in an organism by coordinated responses of the organ systems that automatically compensate for environmental changes 2 any analogous maintenance of stability or equilibrium, as within a social group ho'me·o'stat´ic •adj. [ModL: see HOMEO- & STASIS]

homeothermal (hou'mi: ou'θør´mэl) •adj. HOMOIOTHERMAL

homeotypic (-tip´ik) •adj. designating the second division of the nuclei of germ cells in meiosis [HOMEO- + TYPIC(AL)]

homeowner (houm´oun'эr) •n. a person who owns the house he or she lives in home´own'er·ship •n.

Homer (hou´mэr) 1 a masculine name 2 semilegendary Gr. epic poet of c. 8th cent. B.C.: the Iliad & the Odyssey are both attributed to him 3 Winslow 1836-1910; U.S. painter [L Homerus < Gr Homēros < homēros, a pledge, hostage, one led, hence blind]

homer¹ (hou´mэr) •n. 1 an ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure, equal to about 6¼ bushels 2 an ancient Hebrew unit of liquid measure equal to about 58 gallons [Heb hōmer, homer, mound < hāmar, to surge up, swell up]

homer² (houm´эr) •n. [Colloq.] Æ 1 HOME RUN 2 HOMING PIGEON Æ vi. [Colloq.] to hit a home run

Homeric (hou mэr´ik) •adj. 1 of, like, or characteristic of the poet Homer, his poems, or the Greek civilization that they describe (c. 1200-800 B.C.) 2 [often h-] large-scale; massive; enormous {homeric effects}

Homeric laughter loud, unrestrained laughter

homeroom (houm´ru:m') •n. 1 the room where a class in school meets every day to be checked for attendance, receive school bulletins, etc. 2 the students in a specific homeroom Also home room

homesick (houm´sik') •adj. unhappy or depressed at being away from home and family; longing for home home´sick'ness •n. [back-form. < homesickness, 18th-c. rendering of Ger heimweh]

homespun (houm´spûn') •n. 1 cloth made of yarn spun at home 2 coarse, loosely woven cloth like this •adj. 1 spun or made at home 2 made of homespun 3 plain; unpretentious; homely {homespun virtues}

homestand (houm´stænd') •n. Sports any number of consecutive games played at a team's home field

homestead (houm´sted') •n. Æ 1 a place where a family makes its home, including the land, house, and outbuildings 2 Law such a place occupied by the owner and his family and exempted from seizure or forced sale to meet general debts Æ 3 a tract of public land (160 acres by the Homestead Act of 1862) granted by the U.S. government to a settler to be developed as a farm Æ vi. to become a settler on a homestead Æ vt. to settle on as a homestead [OE hamstede: see HOME & STEAD]

homestead law 1 a law exempting a homestead from seizure or forced sale to meet general debts 2 any law granting to settlers tracts of public land to be developed as farms 3 in certain States, any of various laws granting specific privileges or tax exemptions to homesteaders

homesteader (-sted'эr) •n. 1 a person who has a homestead 2 a settler who holds a homestead granted by the U.S. government

homestretch (houm´strech') •n. 1 the part of a racetrack between the last turn and the finish line 2 the final part of any undertaking

hometown (houm´taun') •n. the town, city, etc. where a person was born or grew up or where one presently lives

homeward (houm´wэrd) •adv., adj. toward home Also home´wards •adv. [ME hamward < OE hamweard]

homework (houm´wørk') •n. 1 work, esp. piecework, done at home 2 lessons to be studied or schoolwork to be done outside the classroom Æ 3 study or research in preparation for some project, activity, etc.: usually in do one's homework

homey (houm´i:) hom´i·er, hom´i·est •adj. having qualities usually associated with home; comfortable, familiar, cozy, etc. home´y·ness •n.

homicidal (häm'э said´ªl; also hou'mэ-) •adj. 1 of, having the nature of, or characterized by homicide 2 having a tendency to homicide; murderous hom'i·ci´dal·ly •adv.

homicide (häm´э said'; also hou´mэ-) •n. 1 any killing of one human being by another: cf. MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER [ME < OFr < LL homicidium, manslaughter, murder < L homicida, murderer < homo, a man (see HOMO¹) + caedere, to cut, kill: see -CIDE] 2 a person who kills another [ME < OFr < L homicida]

homiletic (häm'э let´ik) •adj. of or like a homily or homiletics Also hom'i·let´i·cal hom'i·let´i·cal·ly •adv. [LL(Ec) homileticus < Gr homilētikos, of or for conversation < homilein, to be in company, converse < homilos: see HOMILY]

homiletics (-iks) •n.pl. the art of preparing and delivering sermons; art of preaching [< prec.]

homilist (häm´э list) •n. one who delivers a sermon

homily (häm´э li:) pl. -lies •n. 1 a sermon, esp. one centering on Scriptural texts 2 a solemn, moralizing talk or writing, esp. if long or dull [ME omelye < OFr omelie < LL(Ec) homilia, sermon < Gr, converse, instruction (in LGr(Ec), sermon) < homilos, assembly]

homing (houm´iŋ) •adj. 1 going home; homeward bound 2 having to do with guidance to a goal, target, etc.

homing pigeon any of a variety of pigeon trained to carry messages and to return to its home after traveling long distances: cf. RACING HOMER

hominid (häm´э nid) •n. any of a family (Hominidae) of two-legged primates including all forms of humans, extinct and living [< ModL Hominidae < L homo (gen. hominis): see HOMO¹ & -IDAE]

hominize (häm´э naiz') -nized', -niz'ing •vt. 1 to alter (the earth, environment, etc.) in conformity with evolving man 2 to further the evolutionary development of (man) hom'i·ni·za´tion •n. [< L homo (gen. hominis): see HOMO¹ & -IZE]

hominoid (häm´э noid') •n. the gibbons, great apes, and humans: in some systems of classification, any of a superfamily (Hominoidea) of such primates •adj. of or like a human [< ModL Hominoidea: see HOMO¹ & -OID]

hominy (häm´э ni:) •n. dry corn (maize) with the hull and germ removed and often coarsely ground (hominy grits): it is boiled for food [contr. < rockahominy < AmInd (Algonquian), as in Virginian rokahamen, meal from parched corn]

hommage (ô måzh´) •n. homage; specif., tribute paid to an artist, writer, composer, etc., as by incorporating some characteristic idiom or style of the person in one's own work [Fr]

homo- (hou´mou, -mэ; häm´ou, -э) combining form same, equal, like {homograph} [Gr homo- < homos, SAME]

Homo sapiens (hou´mou sei´pi: enz', -эnz'; also, -sæp´i:-) mankind; human being: the scientific name for the only living species of human [ModL: see HOMO¹ & SAPIENT]

homo¹ (hou´mou') pl. hom·in·es (häm´э ni:z') any of a genus (Homo) of hominids, consisting of existing humans (H. sapiens) and certain extinct species of humans (H. erectus and H. habilis) •n. [L, a man, human being < IE *Ghom- < base *Ghthem-, earth, ground > L humus, Gr chthōn, earth, OE guma, man]

homo² (hou´mou') pl. -mos •n. [Slang] short for HOMOSEXUAL: often a contemptuous term

homocercal (hou'mou sør´kэl, häm'ou-) •adj. designating, of, or having a tail fin in which the upper and lower lobes are symmetrical and in which the spine is shortened and ends at or near the center of the base, as in most bony fishes [< HOMO- + Gr kerkos, a tail + -AL]

homochromatic (-krou mæt´ik) •adj. of, having, or consisting of a single color Also ho'mo·chro´mous (-krou´mэs) [HOMO- + CHROMATIC]

homoecious (hou mi:´shэs) •adj. designating or of parasites that spend their entire life cycle on one species of host [< HOMO- + Gr oikos, house (see ECO-) + -OUS]

homoeo- (hou´mi: ou', -mi: э; also häm´i: ou', -i: э) combining form HOMEO-

homoeroticism (hou'mou'i: rät´э siz'эm) •n. HOMOSEXUALITY ho'mo'e·rot´ic •adj. [HOMO- + EROTICISM]

homogamy (hou mäg´э mi:) •n. 1 the condition of having all flowers sexually alike 2 the condition of having stamens and pistils mature at the same time 3 inbreeding in an isolated group of individuals of the same species ho·mog´a·mous (-mэs) •adj. [Ger homogamie: see HOMO- & -GAMY]

homogenate (hэ mäj´э neit') •n. a substance produced by homogenizing

homogeneous (hou'mou ji:´ni: эs, -mэ-; häm'ou-, -э-) •adj. 1 the same in structure, quality, etc.; similar or identical 2 composed of similar or identical elements or parts; uniform 3 HOMOGENOUS 4 Math. a) commensurable b) having all terms of the same dimensions or degree ho'mo·ge·ne´i·ty (-jэ ni:´э ti:; -nei´-) •n. ho'mo·ge´ne·ous·ly •adv. ho'mo·ge´ne·ous·ness •n. [ML homogeneus < Gr homogenēs, of the same race or kind: see HOMO- & GENUS]

homogenize (hэ mäj´э naiz') -nized', -niz'ing •vt. 1 to make homogeneous 2 a) to make more uniform throughout in texture, mixture, quality, etc. by breaking down and blending the particles Æ b) to process (milk) so that the fat particles are so finely divided and emulsified that the cream does not separate on standing ho·mog'e·ni·za´tion •n.

homogenous (hэ mäj´э nэs) •adj. having similarity in structure because of common descent ho·mog´e·ny (-ni:) •n. [HOMO- + -GENOUS]

homograft (hou´mou græft', -mэ-; häm´ou-, -э-) •n. ALLOGRAFT

homograph (häm´э græf'; also hou´mэ-) •n. a word with the same spelling as another or others but with a different meaning and origin, and, sometimes, a different pronunciation (Ex.: bow, the front part of a ship; bow, to bend; bow, a decorative knot) hom'o·graph´ic •adj. [HOMO- + -GRAPH]

homoio- (hou moi´ou, -э) combining form HOMEO-

homoiothermal (hou moi'ou θør´mэl) Zool. warmblooded Also ho·moi'o·ther´mic •n. [prec. + THERMAL]

homoiousian (hou'moi u:´si: эn) •adj. [also H-] Theol. of or holding the teaching that God the Father and God the Son are of a similar nature, not of the same nature •n. [also H-] an adherent of this teaching [LGr(Ec) homoiousios, of like substance < homoios, like (< homos, SAME) + ousia, essence < ōn, being: see ONTO-]

homolecithal (hou'mou les´i θэl) •adj. having the yolk small in amount and more or less evenly distributed, as in mammal eggs [HOMO- + LECITH(IN) + -AL]

homologate (hou mäl´э geit') -gat'ed, -gat'ing •vt. 1 to approve or countenance 2 Civil Law to confirm officially, as by a court of justice ho·mol'o·ga´tion •n. [< ML homologatus, pp. of homologare < Gr homologein, to agree, assent < homos, SAME + legein, say: see LOGIC]

homological (hou'mou läj´i kэl, häm'ou-) •adj. HOMOLOGOUS ho'mo·log´i·cal·ly •adv.

homologize (hou mäl´э jaiz', hэ-) -gized', -giz'ing •vt. 1 to make homologous 2 to demonstrate homology in •vi. to be homologous

homologous (hou mäl´э gэs) •adj. 1 corresponding in structure, position, character, etc.: opposed to HETEROLOGOUS 2 Biol. corresponding in basic type of structure and deriving from a common primitive origin {the wing of a bat and the foreleg of a mouse are homologous} 3 Chem. a) designating or of a series of compounds each member of which has a structure differing regularly by some increment (as a CH2 group) from that of the adjacent members b) having this relation with another or other compounds of such a series c) designating or of a series of elements in the same group or period of the periodic table, as the halogens, actinides, etc. 4 Immunology a) of a serum given to and derived from the same species b) of a serum given to another species but for fighting the same bacterium 5 Med. HOMOPLASTIC (sense 2) [Gr homologos, agreeing < homos, SAME + legein, say: see LOGIC]

homolographic (häm'э lou'græf´ik, hou'mэ lou'-) •adj. keeping the parts in proper relative size and form [altered (by assoc. with HOMO-) < homalographic < Gr homalos, even, level (akin to homos, SAME) + -GRAPHIC]

homolographic projection an equal-area map projection

homologue or homolog (häm´э lög´, hou´mэ-) •n. a homologous part, thing, organ, etc. [Fr < Gr homologos]

homology (hou mäl´э ji:, hэ-) pl. -gies •n. 1 the quality or state of being homologous 2 a homologous correspondence or relationship, as of animal organs, chemical compounds, etc. [LL homologia < Gr: see HOMO- & -LOGY]

homolosine projection (hou mäl´э sain', -si:n', -sin; hэ-) a map of the earth's surface combining certain features of homolographic and sinusoidal projections so as to allow a minimum of distortion for the continents [< Gr homalos (akin to homos, SAME) + SINE]

homomorphism (hou'mou mör´fiz'эm, häm'ou-) •n. 1 similarity in form 2 Biol. resemblance or similarity, without actual relationship, in structure or origin: said of organs or organisms 3 Bot. uniformity in shape or size, as of pistils and stamens 4 Zool. similarity between an insect's larva and its matured form Also ho´mo·mor'phy ho'mo·mor´phic or ho'mo·mor´phous •adj. [HOMO- + -MORPH + -ISM]