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

Heroicness noun Heroism. [ R.] W. Montagu.

Heroicomic, Heroicomical adjective [ Confer French héroïcomigue . See Heroic , and Comic .] Combining the heroic and the ludicrous; denoting high burlesque; as, a heroicomic poem.

Heroine 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 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 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 noun A hawk used in hunting the heron. " Heroner and falcon." Chaucer.

Heronry noun A place where herons breed.

Heronsew noun A heronshaw. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

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

Heroship noun The character or personality of a hero. "Three years of heroship ." Cowper.

Heroölogist noun [ Greek ... + ... discourse.] One who treats of heroes. [ R.] T. Warton.

Herpes 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 adjective [ Confer French herpétique .] Pertaining to, or resembling, the herpes; partaking of the nature of herpes; as, herpetic eruptions.

Herpetism noun [ See Herpes .] (Medicine) See Dartrous diathesis , under Dartrous .

Herpetologic, Herpetological adjective Pertaining to herpetology.

Herpetologist noun One versed in herpetology, or the natural history of reptiles.

Herpetology 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 noun One who dissects, or studies the anatomy of, reptiles.

Herpetotomy noun [ Greek ... a reptile + ... to cut.] The anatomy or dissection of reptiles.

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

Herrenhaus noun [ G., House of Lords.] See Legislature , Austria , Prussia .

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

Hersal noun Rehearsal. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Herschel noun (Astron.) See Uranus .

Herschelian adjective Of or relating to Sir William Herschel; as, the Herschelian telescope.

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 transitive verb Same as Hearse , transitive verb Chapman.

Herself 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 noun [ French, from herse a harrow. See Herse , noun ] (Fort.) A beam with projecting spikes, used to make a breach impassable.

Hert noun A hart. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Herte noun A heart. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Hertely adjective & adverb Hearty; heartily. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Hertzian adjective Of or pert. to the German physicist Heinrich Hertz.

Hertzian telegraphy , telegraphy by means of the Hertzian waves; wireless telegraphy. -- H. waves , electric waves; -- so called because Hertz was the first to investigate them systematically. His apparatus consisted essentially in an oscillator for producing the waves, and a resonator for detecting them. The waves were found to have the same velocity as light, and to undergo reflection, refraction, and polarization.

Hery transitive verb [ Anglo-Saxon herian .] To worship; to glorify; to praise. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. Spenser.

Herzog noun [ G., akin to Anglo-Saxon heretoga , lit., army leader. See Harry , and Duke .] A member of the highest rank of nobility in Germany and Austria, corresponding to the British duke.

Hesitancy noun [ Latin haesitantia a stammering.]
1. The act of hesitating, or pausing to consider; slowness in deciding; vacillation; also, the manner of one who hesitates.

2. A stammering; a faltering in speech.

Hesitant adjective [ Latin haesitans , present participle of haesitare : confer French hésitant . See Hesitate .]
1. Not prompt in deciding or acting; hesitating.

2. Unready in speech. Baxter.

Hesitantly adverb With hesitancy or doubt.

Hesitate intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Hesitated ; present participle & verbal noun Hesitating .] [ Latin haesitatus , past participle of haesitare , intens. from haerere to hesitate, stick fast; to hang or hold fast. Confer Aghast , Gaze , Adhere .]

1. To stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination; as, he hesitated whether to accept the offer or not; men often hesitate in forming a judgment. Pope.

2. To stammer; to falter in speaking.

Syn. -- To doubt; waver; scruple; deliberate; demur; falter; stammer.

Hesitate transitive verb To utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner. [ Poetic & R.]

Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike.

Pope.

Hesitatingly adverb With hesitation or doubt.

Hesitation noun [ Latin haesitatio : confer French hésitation .]
1. The act of hesitating; suspension of opinion or action; doubt; vacillation.

2. A faltering in speech; stammering. Swift.

Hesitative adjective Showing, or characterized by, hesitation.

[ He said] in his mild, hesitative way.

R. D. Blackmore.

Hesitatory adjective Hesitating. R. North.

Hesp noun [ Confer Icelandic hespa a hasp, a wisp or skein. See Hasp .] A measure of two hanks of linen thread. [ Scot.] [ Written also hasp .] Knight.

Hesper noun [ See Hesperian .] The evening; Hesperus.