Hermodactyl Her`mo·dac"tyl noun [ New Latin hermodactylus , lit., Hermes' finger; from Greek ... Hermes + ... finger.] (med.) A heart-shaped bulbous root, about the size of a finger, brought from Turkey, formerly used as a cathartic.

Hermogenian Her`mo·ge"ni·an noun (Eccl. Hist.) A disciple of Hermogenes , an heretical teacher who lived in Africa near the close of the second century. He held matter to be the fountain of all evil, and that souls and spirits are formed of corrupt matter.

Hern Hern noun (Zoology) A heron; esp., the common European heron. "A stately hern ." Trench.

Hernani Her·na"ni noun A thin silk or woolen goods, for women's dresses, woven in various styles and colors.

Herne Herne noun [ Anglo-Saxon hyrne .] A corner. [ Obsolete]

Lurking in hernes and in lanes blind.

Chaucer.

Hernia Her"ni·a noun ; plural English Hernias , Latin Herniæ . [ Latin ] (Medicine) A protrusion, consisting of an organ or part which has escaped from its natural cavity, and projects through some natural or accidental opening in the walls of the latter; as, hernia of the brain, of the lung, or of the bowels. Hernia of the abdominal viscera in most common. Called also rupture .

Strangulated hernia , a hernia so tightly compressed in some part of the channel through which it has been protruded as to arrest its circulation, and produce swelling of the protruded part. It may occur in recent or chronic hernia, but is more common in the latter.

Hernial Her"ni·al adjective Of, or connected with, hernia.

Herniotomy Her`ni·ot"o·my noun [ Hernia + Greek ... to cut.] (Medicine) A cutting for the cure or relief of hernia; celotomy.

Hernshaw Hern"shaw noun Heronshaw. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Hero He"ro noun ; plural Heroes . [ French héros , Latin heros , Greek ....] 1. (Myth.) An illustrious man, supposed to be exalted, after death, to a place among the gods; a demigod, as Hercules.

2. A man of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event; hence, a great or illustrious person.

Each man is a hero and oracle to somebody.

Emerson.

3. The principal personage in a poem, story, and the like, or the person who has the principal share in the transactions related; as Achilles in the Iliad, Ulysses in the Odyssey, and Æneas in the Æneid.

The shining quality of an epic hero .

Dryden.

Hero worship , extravagant admiration for great men, likened to the ancient worship of heroes.

Hero worship exists, has existed, and will forever exist, universally among mankind.

Carlyle.

Herodian He·ro"di·an noun (Jewish Hist.) One of a party among the Jews, composed of partisans of Herod of Galilee. They joined with the Pharisees against Christ.

Herodiones He·ro`di·o"nes noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... a heron.] (Zoology) A division of wading birds, including the herons, storks, and allied forms. Called also Herodii . -- He*ro`di*o"nine adjective

Heroess He"ro·ess noun A heroine. [ Obsolete] Dryden.

Heroic He·ro"ic adjective [ French héroïque , Latin heroïcus , Greek ....] 1. Of or pertaining to, or like, a hero; of the nature of heroes; distinguished by the existence of heroes; as, the heroic age; an heroic people; heroic valor.

2. Worthy of a hero; bold; daring; brave; illustrious; as, heroic action; heroic enterprises.

3. (Sculpture & Painting) Larger than life size, but smaller than colossal; -- said of the representation of a human figure.

Heroic Age , the age when the heroes, or those called the children of the gods, are supposed to have lived. -- Heroic poetry , that which celebrates the deeds of a hero; epic poetry. -- Heroic treatment or remedies (Medicine) , treatment or remedies of a severe character, suited to a desperate case. -- Heroic verse (Pros.) , the verse of heroic or epic poetry, being in English, German, and Italian the iambic of ten syllables; in French the iambic of twelve syllables; and in classic poetry the hexameter.

Syn. -- Brave; intrepid; courageous; daring; valiant; bold; gallant; fearless; enterprising; noble; magnanimous; illustrious.

Heroical He·ro"ic·al adjective Heroic. [ R.] Spectator. -- He*ro"ic*al*ly , adverb -- He*ro"ic*al*ness , noun

Heroicness He·ro"ic·ness noun Heroism. [ R.] W. Montagu.

Heroicomic, Heroicomical He`ro·i·com"ic, He`ro·i·com"ic·al adjective [ Confer French héroïcomigue . See Heroic , and Comic .] Combining the heroic and the ludicrous; denoting high burlesque; as, a heroicomic poem.

Heroine Her"o·ine noun [ French héroïne , Latin heroina , Greek ..., fem. of .... See Hero .] 1. A woman of an heroic spirit.

The heroine assumed the woman's place.

Dryden.

2. The principal female person who figures in a remarkable action, or as the subject of a poem or story.

Heroism Her"o·ism noun [ French héroïsme .] The qualities characteristic of a hero, as courage, bravery, fortitude, unselfishness, etc.; the display of such qualities.

Heroism is the self-devotion of genius manifesting itself in action.

Hare.

Syn. -- Heroism , Courage , Fortitude , Bravery , Valor , Intrepidity , Gallantry . Courage is generic, denoting fearlessness or defiance of danger; fortitude is passive courage, the habit of bearing up nobly under trials, danger, and sufferings; bravery is courage displayed in daring acts; valor is courage in battle or other conflicts with living opponents; intrepidity is firm courage, which shrinks not amid the most appalling dangers; gallantry is adventurous courage, dashing into the thickest of the fight. Heroism may call into exercise all these modifications of courage. It is a contempt of danger, not from ignorance or inconsiderate levity, but from a noble devotion to some great cause, and a just confidence of being able to meet danger in the spirit of such a cause. Confer Courage .

Heron Her"on noun [ Middle English heiroun , heroun , heron , hern , Old French hairon , French héron , Old High German heigir ; confer Icelandic hegri , Danish heire , Swedish häger , and also German häher jay, jackdaw, Old High German hehara , higere , woodpecker, magpie, Dutch reiger heron, German reiher , Anglo-Saxon hrāgra . Confer Aigret , Egret .] (Zoology) Any wading bird of the genus Ardea and allied genera, of the family Ardeidæ . The herons have a long, sharp bill, and long legs and toes, with the claw of the middle toe toothed. The common European heron ( Ardea cinerea ) is remarkable for its directly ascending flight, and was formerly hunted with the larger falcons.

» There are several common American species; as, the great blue heron ( Ardea herodias ); the little blue ( A. cœrulea ); the green ( A. virescens ); the snowy ( A. candidissima ); the night heron or qua-bird ( Nycticorax nycticorax ). The plumed herons are called egrets .

Heron's bill (Botany) , a plant of the genus Erodium ; -- so called from the fancied resemblance of the fruit to the head and beak of the heron.

Heroner Her"on·er noun A hawk used in hunting the heron. " Heroner and falcon." Chaucer.

Heronry Her"on·ry noun A place where herons breed.

Heronsew Her"on·sew noun A heronshaw. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Heronshaw Her"on·shaw noun [ Old French heroncel , dim. of héron . See Heron .] (Zoology) A heron. [ Written variously hernshaw , harnsey , etc.]

Heroship He"ro·ship noun The character or personality of a hero. "Three years of heroship ." Cowper.

Heroölogist He`ro·öl"o·gist noun [ Greek ... + ... discourse.] One who treats of heroes. [ R.] T. Warton.

Herpes Her"pes noun [ Latin , from Greek "e`rphs , from "e`rpein to creep.] (Medicine) An eruption of the skin, taking various names, according to its form, or the part affected; especially, an eruption of vesicles in small distinct clusters, accompanied with itching or tingling, including shingles, ringworm, and the like; -- so called from its tendency to creep or spread from one part of the skin to another.

Herpetic Her·pet"ic adjective [ Confer French herpétique .] Pertaining to, or resembling, the herpes; partaking of the nature of herpes; as, herpetic eruptions.

Herpetism Her"pe·tism noun [ See Herpes .] (Medicine) See Dartrous diathesis , under Dartrous .

Herpetologic, Herpetological Her·pet`o·log"ic, Her·pet`o·log"ic·al adjective Pertaining to herpetology.

Herpetologist Her`pe·tol"o·gist noun One versed in herpetology, or the natural history of reptiles.

Herpetology Her`pe·tol"o·gy noun [ Written also, but less properly, erpetology .] [ Greek ... a creeping thing, reptile (fr. ... to creep) + -logy : confer French herpétologie .] The natural history of reptiles; that branch of zoölogy which relates to reptiles, including their structure, classification, and habits.

Herpetotomist Her`pe·tot"o·mist noun One who dissects, or studies the anatomy of, reptiles.

Herpetotomy Her`pe·tot"o·my noun [ Greek ... a reptile + ... to cut.] The anatomy or dissection of reptiles.

Herr Herr noun A title of respect given to gentlemen in Germany, equivalent to the English Mister .

Herrenhaus Her"ren·haus` noun [ G., House of Lords.] See Legislature , Austria , Prussia .

Herring Her"ring noun [ Middle English hering , Anglo-Saxon hæring ; akin to Dutch haring , German häring , hering , Old High German haring , hering , and probably to Anglo-Saxon here army, and so called because they commonly move in large numbers. Confer Harry .] (Zoology) One of various species of fishes of the genus Clupea , and allied genera, esp. the common round or English herring ( C. harengus ) of the North Atlantic. Herrings move in vast schools, coming in spring to the shores of Europe and America, where they are salted and smoked in great quantities.

Herring gull (Zoology) , a large gull which feeds in part upon herrings; esp., Larus argentatus in America, and Latin cachinnans in England. See Gull . -- Herring hog (Zoology) , the common porpoise. -- King of the herrings . (Zoology) (a) The chimæra ( C. monstrosa ) which follows the schools of herring. See Chimæra . (b) The opah.

Herringbone Her"ring·bone` (hĕr"rĭng*bōn`) adjective Pertaining to, or like, the spine of a herring; especially, characterized by an arrangement of work in rows of parallel lines, which in the alternate rows slope in different directions.

Herringbone stitch , a kind of cross-stitch in needlework, chiefly used in flannel. Simmonds.

Herrnhuter Herrn"hut·er (hẽrn"hŭ*ẽr; G. hĕrn"hō*ẽr) noun (Eccl. Hist.) One of the Moravians; -- so called from the settlement of Herrnhut (the Lord's watch) made, about 1722, by the Moravians at the invitation of Nicholas Lewis, count of Zinzendorf, upon his estate in the circle of Bautzen.

Hers Hers (hẽrz) pron. See the Note under Her , pron.

Hersal Her"sal noun Rehearsal. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Herschel Her"schel noun (Astron.) See Uranus .

Herschelian Her·sche"li·an adjective Of or relating to Sir William Herschel; as, the Herschelian telescope.

Herse Herse (hẽrs) noun [ French herse harrow, portcullis, Old French herce , Late Latin hercia , Latin hirpex , gen. hirpicis , and irpex , gen. irpicis , harrow. The Late Latin hercia signifies also a kind of candlestick in the form of a harrow, having branches filled with lights, and placed at the head of graves or cenotaphs; whence herse came to be used for the grave, coffin, or chest containing the dead. Confer Hearse .] 1. (Fort.) A kind of gate or portcullis, having iron bars, like a harrow, studded with iron spikes. It is hung above gateways so that it may be quickly lowered, to impede the advance of an enemy. Farrow.

2. See Hearse , a carriage for the dead.

3. A funeral ceremonial. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Herse Herse transitive verb Same as Hearse , transitive verb Chapman.

Herself Her·self" pron. 1. An emphasized form of the third person feminine pronoun; -- used as a subject with she ; as, she herself will bear the blame; also used alone in the predicate, either in the nominative or objective case; as, it is herself ; she blames herself .

2. Her own proper, true, or real character; hence, her right, or sane, mind; as, the woman was deranged, but she is now herself again; she has come to herself .

By herself , alone; apart; unaccompanied.

Hersillon Her"sil·lon noun [ French, from herse a harrow. See Herse , noun ] (Fort.) A beam with projecting spikes, used to make a breach impassable.

Hert Hert noun A hart. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Herte Her"te noun A heart. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Hertely Her"te·ly adjective & adverb Hearty; heartily. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

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 36 of 85.
« Previous ¦28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 ¦ Next »