Heliotrope He"li·o·trope noun [ French héliotrope , Latin heliotropium , Greek ...; ... the sun + ... to turn, ... turn. See Heliacal , Trope .] 1. (Anc. Astron.) An instrument or machine for showing when the sun arrived at the tropics and equinoctial line. 2. (Botany) A plant of the genus Heliotropium ; -- called also turnsole and girasole . H. Peruvianum is the commonly cultivated species with fragrant flowers. 3. (Geodesy & Signal Service) An instrument for making signals to an observer at a distance, by means of the sun's rays thrown from a mirror. 4. (Min.) See Bloodstone (a) . Heliotrope purple , a grayish purple color.

Heliotroper He"li·o·tro`per noun The person at a geodetic station who has charge of the heliotrope.

Heliotropic He`li·o·trop"ic adjective (Botany) Manifesting heliotropism; turning toward the sun.

Heliotropism He`li·ot"ro·pism noun [ Helio- + Greek ... to turn.] (Botany) The phenomenon of turning toward the light, seen in many leaves and flowers.

Heliotype He"li·o·type noun [ Helio- + -type .] A picture obtained by the process of heliotypy.

Heliotypic He`li·o·typ"ic adjective Relating to, or obtained by, heliotypy.

Heliotypy He"li·o·ty`py noun A method of transferring pictures from photographic negatives to hardened gelatin plates from which impressions are produced on paper as by lithography.

Heliozoa He`li·o·zo"a noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... the sun + ... an animal.] (Zoology) An order of fresh-water rhizopods having a more or less globular form, with slender radiating pseudopodia; the sun animalcule.

Helispheric, Helispherical Hel`i·spher"ic, Hel`i·spher"ic·al adjective [ Helix + spheric , spherical .] Spiral. Helispherical line (Math.) . the rhomb line in navigation. [ R.]

Helium He"li·um noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... the sun.] (Chemistry) A gaseous element found in the atmospheres of the sun and earth and in some rare minerals.

Helium He"li·um (hē"lĭ*ŭm) noun [ New Latin , from Greek "h`lios the sun.] (Chemistry) An inert, monoatomic, gaseous element occurring in the atmosphere of the sun and stars, and in small quantities in the earth's atmosphere, in several minerals and in certain mineral waters. Symbol, He ; at. wt., 4. Helium was first detected spectroscopically in the sun by Lockyer in 1868; it was first prepared by Ramsay in 1895. Helium has a density of 1.98 compared with hydrogen, and is more difficult to liquefy than the latter. Chemically, it belongs to the argon group and cannot be made to form compounds. It is a decomposition product of the radium emanation.

Helix He"lix noun ; plural Latin Helices , English Helixes . [ Latin helix , Greek ..., ..., from ... to turn round; confer Latin volvere , and English volute , voluble .] 1. (Geom.) A nonplane curve whose tangents are all equally inclined to a given plane. The common helix is the curve formed by the thread of the ordinary screw. It is distinguished from the spiral , all the convolutions of which are in the plane. 2. (Architecture) A caulicule or little volute under the abacus of the Corinthian capital. 3. (Anat.) The incurved margin or rim of the external ear. See Illust. of Ear . 4. (Zoology) A genus of land snails, including a large number of species. » The genus originally included nearly all shells, but is now greatly restricted. See Snail , Pulmonifera .

Hell Hell noun [ Anglo-Saxon hell ; akin to Dutch hel , Old High German hella , German hölle , Icelandic hal , Swedish helfvete , Danish helvede , Goth. halja , and to Anglo-Saxon helan to conceal. .......... Confer Hele , transitive verb , Conceal , Cell , Helmet , Hole , Occult .] 1. The place of the dead, or of souls after death; the grave; -- called in Hebrew sheol , and by the Greeks hades .

He descended into hell .

Book of Common Prayer.

Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell .

Ps. xvi. 10. 2. The place or state of punishment for the wicked after death; the abode of evil spirits. Hence, any mental torment; anguish. "Within him hell ." Milton.

It is a knell
That summons thee to heaven or to hell .

Shak. 3. A place where outcast persons or things are gathered ; as: (a) A dungeon or prison; also, in certain running games, a place to which those who are caught are carried for detention. (b) A gambling house. "A convenient little gambling hell for those who had grown reckless." W. Black. (c) A place into which a tailor throws his shreds, or a printer his broken type. Hudibras. Gates of hell . (Script.) See Gate , noun , 4.

Hell Hell transitive verb To overwhelm. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Hell-cat Hell"-cat ` noun A witch; a hag. Middleton.

Hell-diver Hell"-div`er noun (Zoology) The dabchick.

Hell-haunted Hell"-haunt`ed adjective Haunted by devils; hellish. Dryden.

Hellanodic Hel`la·nod"ic noun [ Greek ...; ..., ..., a Greek + ... right, judgment.] (Gr. Antiq.) A judge or umpire in games or combats.

Hellbender Hell"bend`er noun (Zoology) A large North American aquatic salamander ( Protonopsis horrida or Menopoma Alleghaniensis ). It is very voracious and very tenacious of life. Also called alligator , and water dog .

Hellborn Hell"born` adjective Born in or of hell. Shak.

Hellbred Hell"bred` adjective Produced in hell. Spenser.

Hellbrewed Hell"brewed` adjective Prepared in hell. Milton.

Hellbroth Hell"broth` noun A composition for infernal purposes; a magical preparation. Shak.

Helldoomed Hell"doomed` adjective Doomed to hell. Milton.

Hellebore Hel"le·bore noun [ Latin helleborus , elleborus , Greek ..., ...; confer French hellébore , ellébore .] 1. (Botany) A genus of perennial herbs ( Helleborus ) of the Crowfoot family, mostly having powerfully cathartic and even poisonous qualities. H. niger is the European black hellebore, or Christmas rose, blossoming in winter or earliest spring. H. officinalis was the officinal hellebore of the ancients. 2. (Botany) Any plant of several species of the poisonous liliaceous genus Veratrum , especially V. album and V. viride , both called white hellebore .

Helleborein Hel`le·bo"re·in noun (Chemistry) A poisonous glucoside accompanying helleborin in several species of hellebore, and extracted as a white crystalline substance with a bittersweet taste. It has a strong action on the heart, resembling digitalin.

Helleborin Hel·leb"o·rin noun (Chemistry) A poisonous glucoside found in several species of hellebore, and extracted as a white crystalline substance with a sharp tingling taste. It possesses the essential virtues of the plant; -- called also elleborin .

Helleborism Hel"le·bo·rism noun The practice or theory of using hellebore as a medicine.

Hellene Hel"lene noun [ Greek ....] A native of either ancient or modern Greece; a Greek. Brewer.

Hellenian Hel·le"ni·an adjective Of or pertaining to the Hellenes, or Greeks.

Hellenic Hel·len"ic adjective [ Greek ..., ..., from ... the Greeks.] Of or pertaining to the Hellenes, or inhabitants of Greece; Greek; Grecian. "The Hellenic forces." Jowett (Thucyd. ).

Hellenic Hel·len"ic noun The dialect, formed with slight variations from the Attic, which prevailed among Greek writers after the time of Alexander.

Hellenism Hel"len·ism noun [ Greek ...: confer French Hellénisme .] 1. A phrase or form of speech in accordance with genius and construction or idioms of the Greek language; a Grecism. Addison. 2. The type of character of the ancient Greeks, who aimed at culture, grace, and amenity, as the chief elements in human well-being and perfection.

Hellenist Hel"len·ist noun [ Greek ...: confer French Helléniste .] 1. One who affiliates with Greeks, or imitates Greek manners; esp., a person of Jewish extraction who used the Greek language as his mother tongue, as did the Jews of Asia Minor, Greece, Syria, and Egypt; distinguished from the Hebraists, or native Jews ( Acts vi. 1 ). 2. One skilled in the Greek language and literature; as, the critical Hellenist .

Hellenistic, Hellenistical Hel`le·nis"tic, Hel`le·nis"tic·al adjective [ Confer French Hellénistique .] Pertaining to the Hellenists. Hellenistic language, dialect, or idiom , the Greek spoken or used by the Jews who lived in countries where the Greek language prevailed; the Jewish-Greek dialect or idiom of the Septuagint.

Hellenistically Hel`le·nis"tic·al·ly adverb According to the Hellenistic manner or dialect. J. Gregory.

Hellenize Hel"len·ize intransitive verb [ Greek ....] To use the Greek language; to play the Greek; to Grecize.

Hellenize Hel"len·ize transitive verb [ Greek ....] To give a Greek form or character to; to Grecize; as, to Hellenize a word.

Hellenotype Hel·len"o·type noun See Ivorytype .

Hellespont Hel"les·pont noun [ Latin Hellespontus , Greek ...; ... the mythological Helle, daughter of Athamas + ... sea.] A narrow strait between Europe and Asia, now called the Daradanelles . It connects the Ægean Sea and the sea of Marmora.

Hellespontine Hel`les·pon"tine adjective Of or pertaining to the Hellespont. Mitford.

Hellgamite, Hellgramite Hell"ga·mite, Hell"gra·mite noun (Zoology) The aquatic larva of a large American winged insect ( Corydalus cornutus ), much used a fish bait by anglers; the dobson. It belongs to the Neuroptera.

Hellhag Hell"hag` noun A hag of or fit for hell. Bp. Richardson.

Hellhound Hell"hound` noun [ Anglo-Saxon hellehund .] A dog of hell; an agent of hell.

A hellhound , that doth hunt us all to death.

Shak.

Hellier Hel"li·er noun [ See Hele , transitive verb ] One who heles or covers; hence, a tiler, slater, or thatcher. [ Obsolete] [ Written also heler .] Usher.

Hellish Hell"ish adjective Of or pertaining to hell; like hell; infernal; malignant; wicked; detestable; diabolical. " Hellish hate." Milton. -- Hell"ish*ly , adverb -- Hell"ish*ness , noun

Hellkite Hell"kite` noun A kite of infernal breed. Shak.

Hello Hel·lo" interj. & noun See Halloo .

Hellward Hell"ward adverb Toward hell. Pope.

Helly Hell"y adjective [ Anglo-Saxon hellīc .] Hellish. Anderson (1573).