Heptarchy Hep"tarch·y noun [ Hepta- + -archy : confer French heptarchie .] A government by seven persons; also, a country under seven rulers.

» The word is most commonly applied to England, when it was divided into seven kingdoms; as, the Saxon heptachy , which consisted of Kent, the South Saxons (Sussex), West Saxons (Wessex), East Saxons (Essex), the East Angles, Mercia, and Northumberland.

Heptaspermous Hep`ta·sper"mous adjective [ Hepta- + Greek ... a seed.] (Botany) Having seven seeds.

Heptastich Hep"ta·stich noun [ Hepta- + Greek sti`chos line, verse.] (Pros.) A composition consisting of seven lines or verses.

Heptateuch Hep"ta·teuch noun [ Latin heptateuchos , Greek "epta` seven + ... tool, book; ... to prepare, make, work: confer French heptateuque .] The first seven books of the Testament.

Heptavalent Hep·tav"a·lent adjective [ Hepta- + Latin valens , present participle See Valence .] (Chemistry) Having seven units of attractive force or affinity; -- said of heptad elements or radicals.

Heptene Hep"tene noun [ Greek "epta` seven.] (Chemistry) Same as Heptylene .

Heptine Hep"tine noun [ Hept ane + - ine .] (Chemistry) Any one of a series of unsaturated metameric hydrocarbons, C ₇ H ₁₂ , of the acetylene series.

Heptoic Hep·to"ic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or derived from, heptane; as, heptoic acid.

Heptone Hep"tone noun [ Greek "epta` seven.] (Chemistry) A liquid hydrocarbon, C ₇ H ₁₀ , of the valylene series.

Heptyl Hep"tyl noun [ Hepta- + - yl .] (Chemistry) A compound radical, C ₇ H ₁₅ , regarded as the essential radical of heptane and a related series of compounds.

Heptylene Hep"tyl·ene noun (Chemistry) A colorless liquid hydrocarbon, C ₇ H ₁₄ , of the ethylene series; also, any one of its isomers. Called also heptene .

Heptylic Hep·tyl"ic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or derived from, heptyl or heptane; as, heptylic alcohol. Confer Œnanthylic .

Her Her pron. & adjective [ Middle English hire , here , hir , hure , gen. and dat. sing., Anglo-Saxon hire , gen. and dat. sing. of héo she. from the same root as English he . See He .] The form of the objective and the possessive case of the personal pronoun she ; as, I saw her with her purse out.

» The possessive her takes the form hers when the noun with which in agrees is not given, but implied. "And what his fortune wanted, hers could mend." Dryden.

Her, Here Her, Here pron. plural [ Middle English here , hire , Anglo-Saxon heora , hyra , gen. plural of hē . See He .] Of them; their. [ Obsolete] Piers Plowman.

On here bare knees adown they fall.

Chaucer.

Heracleonite He·rac"le·on·ite noun (Eccl. Hist.) A follower of Heracleon of Alexandria, a Judaizing Gnostic, in the early history of the Christian church.

Herakline He·rak"line noun [ Greek ... Hercules.] A picrate compound, used as an explosive in blasting.

Herald Her"ald noun [ Middle English herald , heraud , Old French heralt , heraut , herault , French héraut , Late Latin heraldus , haraldus , from (assumed) Old High German heriwalto , hariwaldo , a (civil) officer who serves the army; hari , heri , army + waltan to manage, govern, German walten ; akin to English wield . See Harry , Wield .] 1. (Antiq.) An officer whose business was to denounce or proclaim war, to challenge to battle, to proclaim peace, and to bear messages from the commander of an army. He was invested with a sacred and inviolable character.

2. In the Middle Ages, the officer charged with the above duties, and also with the care of genealogies, of the rights and privileges of noble families, and especially of armorial bearings. In modern times, some vestiges of this office remain, especially in England. See Heralds' College (below), and King-at-Arms .

3. A proclaimer; one who, or that which, publishes or announces; as, the herald of another's fame. Shak.

4. A forerunner; a a precursor; a harbinger.

It was the lark, the herald of the morn.

Shak.

5. Any messenger. "My herald is returned." Shak.

Heralds' College , in England, an ancient corporation, dependent upon the crown, instituted or perhaps recognized by Richard III. in 1483, consisting of the three Kings-at- Arms and the Chester, Lancaster, Richmond, Somerset, Windsor, and York Heralds, together with the Earl Marshal. This retains from the Middle Ages the charge of the armorial bearings of persons privileged to bear them, as well as of genealogies and kindred subjects; -- called also College of Arms .

Herald Her"ald transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Heralded ; present participle & verbal noun Heralding .] [ Confer Old French herauder , heraulder .] To introduce, or give tidings of, as by a herald; to proclaim; to announce; to foretell; to usher in. Shak.

Heraldic He·ral"dic adjective [ Confer French héraldique .] Of or pertaining to heralds or heraldry; as, heraldic blazoning; heraldic language. T. Warton.

Heraldically He·ral"dic·al·ly adverb In an heraldic manner; according to the rules of heraldry.

Heraldry Her"ald·ry noun The art or office of a herald; the art, practice, or science of recording genealogies, and blazoning arms or ensigns armorial; also, of marshaling cavalcades, processions, and public ceremonies.

Heraldship Her"ald·ship noun The office of a herald. Selden.

Herapathite Her"a·path·ite noun [ Named after Dr. Herapath , the discoverer.] (Chemistry) The sulphate of iodoquinine, a substance crystallizing in thin plates remarkable for their effects in polarizing light.

Heraud Her"aud noun A herald. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Herb Herb noun [ Middle English herbe , erbe , Old French herbe , erbe , French herbe , Latin herba ; perhaps akin to Greek forbh` food, pasture, fe`rbein to feed.] 1. A plant whose stem does not become woody and permanent, but dies, at least down to the ground, after flowering.

» Annual herbs live but one season; biennial herbs flower the second season, and then die; perennial herbs produce new stems year after year.

2. Grass; herbage.

And flocks
Grazing the tender herb .

Milton.

Herb bennet . (Botany) See Bennet . -- Herb Christopher (Botany) , an herb ( Actæa spicata ), whose root is used in nervous diseases; the baneberry. The name is occasionally given to other plants, as the royal fern, the wood betony, etc. -- Herb Gerard (Botany) , the goutweed; -- so called in honor of St. Gerard , who used to be invoked against the gout. Dr. Prior. -- Herb grace , or Herb of grace . (Botany) See Rue . -- Herb Margaret (Botany) , the daisy. See Marguerite . -- Herb Paris (Botany) , an Old World plant related to the trillium ( Paris quadrifolia ), commonly reputed poisonous. -- Herb Robert (Botany) , a species of Geranium ( G. Robertianum .)

Herb-woman Herb"-wom`an noun ; plural Herb-women A woman that sells herbs.

Herbaceous Her·ba"ceous adjective [ Latin herbaceus grassy. See Herb .] Of or pertaining to herbs; having the nature, texture, or characteristics, of an herb; as, herbaceous plants; an herbaceous stem.

Herbage Herb"age noun [ French See Herb .]

1. Herbs collectively; green food beasts; grass; pasture. "Thin herbage in the plaims." Dryden.

2. (Law.) The liberty or right of pasture in the forest or in the grounds of another man. Blount.

Herbaged Herb"aged adjective Covered with grass. Thomson.

Herbal Herb"al adjective Of or pertaining to herbs. Quarles.

Herbal Herb"al noun 1. A book containing the names and descriptions of plants. Bacon.

2. A collection of specimens of plants, dried and preserved; a hortus siccus; an herbarium. Steele.

Herbalism Herb"al·ism noun The knowledge of herbs.

Herbalist Herb"al·ist noun One skilled in the knowledge of plants; a collector of, or dealer in, herbs, especially medicinal herbs.

Herbar Herb"ar noun An herb. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Herbarian Her·ba"ri·an noun A herbalist.

Herbarist Herb"a·rist noun A herbalist. [ Obsolete]

Herbarium Her·ba"ri·um noun ; plural English Herbariums , Latin Herbaria . [ Late Latin , from Latin herba . See Herb , and confer Arbor , Herbary .] 1. A collection of dried specimens of plants, systematically arranged. Gray.

2. A book or case for preserving dried plants.

Herbarize Herb"a·rize transitive verb See Herborize .

Herbary Herb"a·ry noun [ See Herbarium .] A garden of herbs; a cottage garden. T. Warton.

Herber Herb"er noun [ Old French herbier , Late Latin herbarium . See Herbarium .] A garden; a pleasure garden. [ Obsolete] "Into an herber green." Chaucer.

Herbergage Her"berg·age noun [ See Harborage .] Harborage; lodging; shelter; harbor. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Herbergeour Her"ber·geour noun [ See Harbinger .] A harbinger. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Herbergh, Herberwe Her"bergh, Her"ber·we noun [ See Harbor .] A harbor. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Herbescent Her·bes"cent adjective [ Latin herbescens , present participle of herbescere .] Growing into herbs.

Herbid Herb"id adjective [ Latin herbidus .] Covered with herbs. [ Obsolete] Bailey.

Herbiferous Her·bif"er·ous adjective [ Herb + -ferous : confer French herbifére .] Bearing herbs or vegetation.

Herbist Herb"ist noun A herbalist.

Herbivora Her·biv"o·ra noun plural [ New Latin , from Latin herba herb + vorare to devour.] (Zoology) An extensive division of Mammalia. It formerly included the Proboscidea, Hyracoidea, Perissodactyla, and Artiodactyla, but by later writers it is generally restricted to the two latter groups (Ungulata). They feed almost exclusively upon vegetation.

Herbivore Her"bi·vore noun [ Confer French herbivore .] (Zoology) One of the Herbivora. P. H. Gosse.

Herbivorous Her·biv"o·rous adjective (Zoology) Eating plants; of or pertaining to the Herbivora.

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 33 of 85.
« Previous ¦25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 ¦ Next »