Harem Ha"rem (hā"rĕm; 277) noun [ Arabic haram , orig., anything forbidden or sacred, from harama to forbid, prohibit.] [ Written also haram and hareem .] 1. The apartments or portion of the house allotted to females in Mohammedan families.

2. The family of wives and concubines belonging to one man, in Mohammedan countries; a seraglio.

Harengiform Ha·ren"gi·form (hȧ*rĕn"jĭ*fôrm) adjective [ French hareng herring (LL. harengus ) + -form .] Herring-shaped.

Harfang Har"fang (här"făng) noun [ See Hare , noun , and Fang .] (Zoology) The snowy owl.

Hariali grass Ha`ri·a"li grass` (hä`rĭ*ä"lĭ grȧs`). (Botany) The East Indian name of the Cynodon Dactylon ; dog's-grass.

Haricot Har"i·cot (hăr"e*ko; F. ȧ`re`ko") noun [ French] 1. A ragout or stew of meat with beans and other vegetables.

2. The ripe seeds, or the unripe pod, of the common string bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris ), used as a vegetable. Other species of the same genus furnish different kinds of haricots.

Harier Har"i·er (hăr"ĭ*ẽr) noun (Zoology) See Harrier .

Harikari Ha"ri·ka`ri (hä"rĭ*kä`rĭ) noun See Hara-kiri .

Hariolation Har`i·o·la"tion (hăr`ĭ*o*lā"shŭn) noun [ See Ariolation .] Prognostication; soothsaying. [ Obsolete] Cockeram.

Harish Har"ish (hâr"ĭsh) adjective Like a hare. [ R.] Huloet.

Hark Hark (härk) intransitive verb [ Middle English herken . See Hearken .] To listen; to hearken. [ Now rare, except in the imperative form used as an interjection, Hark! listen.] Hudibras.

Hark away! Hark back! Hark forward! (Sporting) , cries used to incite and guide hounds in hunting. -- To hark back , to go back for a fresh start, as when one has wandered from his direct course, or made a digression.

He must have overshot the mark, and must hark back .

Haggard .

He harked back to the subject.

W. E. Norris.

Harken Hark"en (-'n) transitive verb & i. To hearken. Tennyson.

Harl Harl (härl) noun [ Confer Old High German harluf noose, rope; English hards refuse of flax.] 1. A filamentous substance; especially, the filaments of flax or hemp.

2. A barb, or barbs, of a fine large feather, as of a peacock or ostrich, -- used in dressing artificial flies. [ Written also herl .]

Harle Harle (härl) noun (Zoology) The red-breasted merganser.

Harlech group Har"lech group` (här"lĕk grōp`). [ So called from Harlech in Wales.] (Geol.) A minor subdivision at the base of the Cambrian system in Wales.

Harlequin Har"le·quin (här"le*kĭn or -kwĭn) noun [ French arlequin , formerly written also harlequin (cf. It, arlecchino ), probably from Old French hierlekin , hellequin , goblin, elf, which is probably of German or Dutch origin; confer Dutch hel hell. Confer Hell , Kin .] A buffoon, dressed in party-colored clothes, who plays tricks, often without speaking, to divert the bystanders or an audience; a merry-andrew; originally, a droll rogue of Italian comedy. Percy Smith.

As dumb harlequin is exhibited in our theaters.

Johnson.

Harlequin bat (Zoology) , an Indian bat ( Scotophilus ornatus ), curiously variegated with white spots. -- Harlequin beetle (Zoology) , a very large South American beetle ( Acrocinus longimanus ) having very long legs and antennæ. The elytra are curiously marked with red, black, and gray. -- Harlequin cabbage bug . (Zoology) See Calicoback . -- Harlequin caterpillar . (Zoology) , the larva of an American bombycid moth (Euchætes egle) which is covered with black, white, yellow, and orange tufts of hair. -- Harlequin duck (Zoology) , a North American duck ( Histrionicus histrionicus ). The male is dark ash, curiously streaked with white. -- Harlequin moth . (Zoology) See Magpie Moth . -- Harlequin opal . See Opal . -- Harlequin snake (Zoology) , a small, poisonous snake ( Elaps fulvius ), ringed with red and black, found in the Southern United States.

Harlequin Har"le·quin (här"le*kĭn or -kwĭn) intransitive verb To play the droll; to make sport by playing ludicrous tricks.

Harlequin Har"le·quin transitive verb To remove or conjure away, as by a harlequin's trick.

And kitten, if the humor hit
Has harlequined away the fit.

M. Green.

Harlequinade Har"le·quin·ade` (-ād`) noun [ French arlequinade .] A play or part of a play in which the harlequin is conspicuous; the part of a harlequin. Macaulay.

Harlock Har"lock (här"lŏk) noun Probably a corruption either of charlock or hardock . Drayton.

Harlot Har"lot (-lŏt) noun [ Middle English harlot , herlot , a vagabond, Old French harlot , herlot , arlot ; confer Pr. arlot , Spanish arlote , Italian arlotto ; of uncertain origin.] 1. A churl; a common man; a person, male or female, of low birth. [ Obsolete]

He was a gentle harlot and a kind.

Chaucer.

2. A person given to low conduct; a rogue; a cheat; a rascal. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

3. A woman who prostitutes her body for hire; a prostitute; a common woman; a strumpet.

Harlot Har"lot adjective Wanton; lewd; low; base. Shak.

Harlot Har"lot intransitive verb To play the harlot; to practice lewdness. Milton.

Harlotize Har"lot·ize (-īz) intransitive verb To harlot. [ Obsolete] Warner.

Harlotry Har"lot·ry (-rȳ) noun 1. Ribaldry; buffoonery; a ribald story. [ Obsolete] Piers Plowman. Chaucer.

2. The trade or practice of prostitution; habitual or customary lewdness. Dryden.

3. Anything meretricious; as, harlotry in art.

4. A harlot; a strumpet; a baggage. [ Obsolete]

He sups to-night with a harlotry .

Shak.

Harm Harm (härm) noun [ Middle English harm , hearm , Anglo-Saxon hearm ; akin to Old Saxon harm , German harm grief, Icelandic harmr , Danish harme , Swedish harm ; confer OSlav. & Russian sram' shame, Sanskrit çrama toil, fatigue.] 1. Injury; hurt; damage; detriment; misfortune.

2. That which causes injury, damage, or loss.

We, ignorant of ourselves,
Beg often our own harms .

Shak.

Syn. -- Mischief; evil; loss; injury. See Mischief .

Harm Harm transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Harmed (härmd); present participle & verbal noun Harming .] [ Middle English harmen , Anglo-Saxon hearmian . See Harm , noun ] To hurt; to injure; to damage; to wrong.

Though yet he never harmed me.

Shak.

No ground of enmity between us known
Why he should mean me ill or seek to harm .

Milton.

Harmaline Har"ma·line (här"mȧ*lĭn or -lēn) noun [ Confer French harmaline See Harmel .] (Chemistry) An alkaloid found in the plant Peganum harmala . It forms bitter, yellow salts.

Harmattan Har·mat"tan (här*măt"t a n) noun [ French harmattan , probably of Arabic origin.] A dry, hot wind, prevailing on the Atlantic coast of Africa, in December, January, and February, blowing from the interior or Sahara. It is usually accompanied by a haze which obscures the sun.

Harmel Har"mel (här"mĕl) noun [ Arabic harmal .] (Botany) A kind of rue ( Ruta sylvestris ) growing in India. At Lahore the seeds are used medicinally and for fumigation.

Harmful Harm"ful (härm"ful) adjective Full of harm; injurious; hurtful; mischievous. " Most harmful hazards." Strype.

-- Harm"ful*ly , adverb -- Harm"ful*ness , noun

Harmine Har"mine (här"mĭn or -mēn) noun [ See Harmaline .] (Chemistry) An alkaloid accompanying harmaline (in the Peganum harmala ), and obtained from it by oxidation. It is a white crystalline substance.

Harmless Harm"less (härm"lĕs) adjective 1. Free from harm; unhurt; as, to give bond to save another harmless .

2. Free from power or disposition to harm; innocent; inoffensive. " The harmless deer." Drayton

Syn. -- Innocent; innoxious; innocuous; inoffensive; unoffending; unhurt; uninjured; unharmed.

-- Harm"less*ly , adverb - Harm"less*ness , noun

Harmonic Har·mon"ic (här*mŏn"ĭk), Har*mon"ic*al (-ĭ*k a l) adjective [ Latin harmonicus , Greek "armoniko`s ; confer French harmonique . See Harmony .] 1. Concordant; musical; consonant; as, harmonic sounds.

Harmonic twang! of leather, horn, and brass.

Pope.

2. (Mus.) Relating to harmony, -- as melodic relates to melody; harmonious; esp., relating to the accessory sounds or overtones which accompany the predominant and apparent single tone of any string or sonorous body.

3. (Math.) Having relations or properties bearing some resemblance to those of musical consonances; -- said of certain numbers, ratios, proportions, points, lines, motions, and the like.

Harmonic interval (Mus.) , the distance between two notes of a chord, or two consonant notes. - - Harmonical mean (Arith. & Alg.) , certain relations of numbers and quantities, which bear an analogy to musical consonances. -- Harmonic motion , the motion of the point A, of the foot of the perpendicular PA, when P moves uniformly in the circumference of a circle, and PA is drawn perpendicularly upon a fixed diameter of the circle. This is simple harmonic motion . The combinations, in any way, of two or more simple harmonic motions, make other kinds of harmonic motion. The motion of the pendulum bob of a clock is approximately simple harmonic motion . -- Harmonic proportion . See under Proportion . -- Harmonic series or progression . See under Progression . -- Spherical harmonic analysis , a mathematical method, sometimes referred to as that of Laplace's Coefficients , which has for its object the expression of an arbitrary, periodic function of two independent variables, in the proper form for a large class of physical problems, involving arbitrary data, over a spherical surface, and the deduction of solutions for every point of space. The functions employed in this method are called spherical harmonic functions . Thomson & Tait. -- Harmonic suture (Anat.) , an articulation by simple apposition of comparatively smooth surfaces or edges, as between the two superior maxillary bones in man; -- called also harmonia , and harmony . -- Harmonic triad (Mus.) , the chord of a note with its third and fifth; the common chord.

Harmonic Har·mon"ic (här*mŏn"ĭk) noun (Mus.) A musical note produced by a number of vibrations which is a multiple of the number producing some other; an overtone. See Harmonics .

Harmonica Har·mon"i·ca (-ĭ*kȧ) noun [ Fem. from Latin harmonicus harmonic. See Harmonic , noun ] 1. A musical instrument, consisting of a series of hemispherical glasses which, by touching the edges with the dampened finger, give forth the tones.

2. A toy instrument of strips of glass or metal hung on two tapes, and struck with hammers.

Harmonically Har·mon"ic·al·ly (-ĭ*k a l*lȳ) adverb 1. In an harmonical manner; harmoniously.

2. In respect to harmony, as distinguished from melody ; as, a passage harmonically correct.

3. (Math.) In harmonical progression.

Harmonicon Har·mon"i·con (-ĭ*kŏn) noun A small, flat, wind instrument of music, in which the notes are produced by the vibration of free metallic reeds.

Harmonics Har·mon"ics (-ĭks) noun 1. The doctrine or science of musical sounds.

2. plural (Mus.) Secondary and less distinct tones which accompany any principal, and apparently simple, tone, as the octave, the twelfth, the fifteenth, and the seventeenth. The name is also applied to the artificial tones produced by a string or column of air, when the impulse given to it suffices only to make a part of the string or column vibrate; overtones.

Harmonious Har·mo"ni·ous (här*mō"nĭ*ŭs) adjective [ Confer French harmonieux . See Harmony .] 1. Adapted to each other; having parts proportioned to each other; symmetrical.

God hath made the intellectual world harmonious and beautiful without us.

Locke.

2. Acting together to a common end; agreeing in action or feeling; living in peace and friendship; as, an harmonious family.

3. Vocally or musically concordant; agreeably consonant; symphonious.

-- Har*mo"ni*ous*ly , adverb -- Har*mo"ni*ous*ness , noun

Harmoniphon Har·mon"i·phon (här*mŏn"ĭ*fŏn) noun [ Greek "armoni`a harmony + fwnh` sound.] (Mus.) An obsolete wind instrument with a keyboard, in which the sound, which resembled the oboe, was produced by the vibration of thin metallic plates, acted upon by blowing through a tube.

Harmonist Har"mo·nist (här"mo*nĭst) noun [ Confer French harmoniste .] 1. One who shows the agreement or harmony of corresponding passages of different authors, as of the four evangelists.

2. (Mus.) One who understands the principles of harmony or is skillful in applying them in composition; a musical composer.

Harmonist, Harmonite Har"mo·nist, Har"mo·nite (-nīt) noun (Eccl. Hist.) One of a religious sect, founded in Würtemburg in the last century, composed of followers of George Rapp, a weaver. They had all their property in common. In 1803, a portion of this sect settled in Pennsylvania and called the village thus established, Harmony.

Harmonium Har·mo"ni·um (här*mō"nĭ*ŭm) noun [ New Latin See Harmony . ] A musical instrument, resembling a small organ and especially designed for church music, in which the tones are produced by forcing air by means of a bellows so as to cause the vibration of free metallic reeds. It is now made with one or two keyboards, and has pedals and stops.

Harmonization Har`mo·ni·za"tion (här`mo*nĭ*zā"shŭn) noun The act of harmonizing.

Harmonize Har"mo·nize (här"mo*nīz) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Harmonized (- nīzd); present participle & verbal noun Harmonizing (- nī"zĭng).] [ Confer French harmoniser . ] 1. To agree in action, adaptation, or effect on the mind; to agree in sense or purport; as, the parts of a mechanism harmonize .

2. To be in peace and friendship, as individuals, families, or public organizations.

3. To agree in vocal or musical effect; to form a concord; as, the tones harmonize perfectly.

Harmonize Har"mo·nize transitive verb 1. To adjust in fit proportions; to cause to agree; to show the agreement of; to reconcile the apparent contradiction of.

2. (Mus.) To accompany with harmony; to provide with parts, as an air, or melody.

Harmonizer Har"mo·ni`zer (-nī`zẽr) noun One who harmonizes.

Harmonometer Har`mo·nom"e·ter (-nŏm"e*tẽr) noun [ Greek "armoni`a harmony + meter : confer French harmonomètre .] An instrument for measuring the harmonic relations of sounds. It is often a monochord furnished with movable bridges.

Harmony Har"mo·ny (här"mo*nȳ) noun ; plural Harmonies (- nĭz). [ French harmonie , Latin harmonia , Greek "armoni`a joint, proportion, concord, from "armo`s a fitting or joining. See Article .] 1. The just adaptation of parts to each other, in any system or combination of things, or in things intended to form a connected whole; such an agreement between the different parts of a design or composition as to produce unity of effect; as, the harmony of the universe.

2. Concord or agreement in facts, opinions, manners, interests, etc.; good correspondence; peace and friendship; as, good citizens live in harmony .

3. A literary work which brings together or arranges systematically parallel passages of historians respecting the same events, and shows their agreement or consistency; as, a harmony of the Gospels.

4. (Mus.) (a) A succession of chords according to the rules of progression and modulation. (b) The science which treats of their construction and progression.

Ten thousand harps, that tuned
Angelic harmonies .

Milton.

5. (Anat.) See Harmonic suture , under Harmonic .

Close harmony , Dispersed harmony , etc. See under Close , Dispersed , etc. -- Harmony of the spheres . See Music of the spheres , under Music .

Syn. -- Harmony , Melody . Harmony results from the concord of two or more strains or sounds which differ in pitch and quality. Melody denotes the pleasing alternation and variety of musical and measured sounds, as they succeed each other in a single verse or strain.

Harmost Har"most (här"mŏst) noun [ Greek "armosth`s , from "armo`zein to join, arrange, command: confer French harmoste . See Harmony .] (Gr. Antiq.) A city governor or prefect appointed by the Spartans in the cities subjugated by them.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
You are here: Webster > Letter H > Page 13 of 85.
« Previous ¦5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 ¦ Next »