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 Talk Talk - Communication terms
Category: General technical and industrial
Date & country: 28/05/2010, UK
Words: 18630


halophyte
Plant adapted to live where there is a high concentration of salt in the soil, for example in salt marshes and mud flats

Hare Krishna
Popular name for a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, derived from their chant

hair
Fine filament growing from mammalian skin. Each hair grows from a pit-shaped follicle embedded in the second layer of the skin, the dermis. It consists of dead cells impregnated with the protein keratin. The average number of hairs on a human head varies from 98,000 (red-heads) to 120,000 (blondes). Each grows at the rate of 5–10 mm...

haemolymph
Circulatory fluid of those molluscs and insects that have an `open` circulatory system. Haemolymph contains water, amino acids, sugars, salts, and white cells like those of blood. Circulated by a pulsating heart, its main functions are to transport digestive and excretory products around the body. In molluscs, it also transports oxygen an...

haemoglobin
Protein used by all vertebrates and some invertebrates for oxygen transport because the two substances combine reversibly. In vertebrates it occurs in red blood cells (erythrocytes), giving them their colour. In the lungs or gills where the concentration of oxygen is high, oxygen attaches to haemoglobin to form oxyhaemoglobin. This process effectiv...

hail
Precipitation in the form of pellets of ice (hailstones). Water droplets freeze as they are carried upwards. As the circulation continues, layers of ice are deposited around the droplets until they become too heavy to be supported by the air current and they fall as a hailstorm. It is caused by the circulation of moisture in strong convection curre...

hardware
Mechanical, electrical, and electronic components of a computer system, as opposed to the various programs, which constitute software

Hale, George Ellery
US astronomer. He made pioneer studies of the Sun and founded three major observatories. In 1889 he invented the spectroheliograph, a device for photographing the Sun at particular wavelengths. In 1917 he established on Mount Wilson, California, a 2.5-m/100-in reflector, the world's largest telescope until superseded in 1948 by the ...

Hawkins, Coleman
(Randolph) US virtuoso tenor saxophonist. He was, until 1934, a soloist in the swing band led by Fletcher Henderson (1898–1952), and was an influential figure in bringing the jazz saxophone to prominence as a solo instrument

Harold
(II) Last Anglo-Saxon king of England, January to October 1066. He was defeated and killed by William of Normandy (William (I) the Conqueror) at the Battle of Hastings. He succeeded his father Earl Godwin in 1053 as Earl of Wessex. Harold was Edward the Confessor's military commander, ...

Harold I
King of England from 1035. The illegitimate son of Canute, known as Harefoot, he claimed the crown on the death of his father, when the rightful heir, his half-brother Hardicanute, was in Denmark and unable to ascend the throne. He was elected king in 1037, but died three years later, as Hardicanute was preparing to invade England

Hardy, Oliver
US film comedian, member of the duo Laurel and Hardy

hay fever
Allergic reaction to pollen, causing sneezing, with inflammation of the nasal membranes and conjunctiva of the eyes. Symptoms are due to the release of histamine. Treatment is by antihistamine drugs. An estimated 25% of Britons, 33% of Americans, and 40% of Australians suffer from hayfever

Hawksmoor, Nicholas
English architect. He was assistant to Christopher Wren in designing various London churches and St Paul's Cathedral, and joint architect of Castle Howard and Blenheim Palace with John Vanbrugh. His genius is displayed in a quirky and uncompromising style incorporating elements from both Gothic and classical sources. After 1712 Hawksmoor comple...

Haussmann, Georges Eugène
French administrator, financier, and civil servant. In 1853 he was made prefect of the Seine by Louis Napoleon who had vast schemes for the embellishment of Paris. Haussmann replanned medieval Paris 1853–70 to achieve the current city plan, with long wide boulevards and parks. The improvements transformed Paris, but their cost (which amounted ...

Hathor
Click images to enlargeIn ancient Egyptian mythology, a sky goddess; wife or mother of the sky god Horus; goddess of dance, music, and love, (equivalent to Greek Aphrodite); also, goddess of desert cemeteries. She may appear as the great celestial cow, creator of the world; or as a human with cow's hor...

Hare, David
English dramatist and screenwriter. He co-founded the theatre company Joint Stock in 1974. His plays satirize the decadence of post-war Britain, and include Slag (1970), Teeth 'n' Smiles (1975), Fanshen (1975) on revolutionary Chinese communism, Plenty (1978...

Hardicanute
King of Denmark from 1028, and of England from 1040; son of Canute. In England he was considered a harsh ruler

Habsburg
European royal family, former imperial house of Austria-Hungary. A Habsburg, Rudolf I, became king of Germany in 1273 and began the family's control of Austria and Styria. They acquired a series of lands and titles, including that of Holy Roman Emperor which they held during 1273–91, 1298–1308, 1438–1740, and 1745–1806. ...

Hannover
(city) Industrial city and capital of Lower Saxony, Germany, on the rivers Leine and Ihme; population (2003 est) 516,300, urban agglomeration 1,104,200. Industries include mechanical engineering, telecommunications, and the manufacture of iron and steel, electrical goods, rubber, motor veh...

hanging
Execution by suspension, usually with a drop of 0.6–2 m/2–6 ft, so that the powerful jerk of the tightened rope breaks the neck. This was once a common form of capital punishment in Europe and is still practised in some states in the USA

Hangzhou
Port and capital of Zhejiang province, China, on the mouth of the Qiantang River, at the southern terminus of the Grand Canal, 175 km/109 mi southwest of Shanghai; population (2000) 3,240,900. Products include jute, steel, machine tools, chemicals, electronics, processed foods, tea, silk and ...

Hampshire
County of south England (since April 1997 Portsmouth and Southampton have been separate unitary authorities). Area 3,679 sq km/1,420 sq mi Towns and cities Winchester (administrative headquarters), Aldershot, Andover, Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Gosport, Romsey, and Lymington Physical New Forest (are...

hammer
Throwing event in track and field athletics. The hammer is a spherical weight attached to a wire with a handle. The competitors grip the handle with both hands, spin the hammer in a circular motion about them several times, and throw it as far as they can. The senior men's hammer weighs 7.26 kg/16 lb and may originally have been a blacksmit...

Hamilton, James
Scottish adviser to Charles I. He led an army against the Covenanters (supporters of the National Covenant of 1638 to establish Presbyterianism) in 1639 and subsequently took part in the negotiations between Charles and the Scots. In the second English Civil War he led the Scottish invasion of England, but was captured at Preston and executed. He s...

Hamilton
(Bermuda) Capital (since 1815) of Bermuda, on Bermuda Island; population (2001 est) 1,000. It is the main centre of employment in Bermuda, and is the site of the central government. It has a deep-sea harbour, and is a major port of call for cruise ships, contributing to Bermuda's d...

Hamilton
(Canada) City and port in southwestern Ontario, Canada, at the head of Lake Ontario, 65 km/40 mi southwest of Toronto and 90 km/56 mi northwest of the Niagara Falls; population (2001 est) 490,300; metropolitan area 662,400. Hamilton Harbour, one of the largest landlocked harbou...

Hamburg
(region) Administrative region (German Land) in northern Germany, situated between Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony; area 755 sq km/292 sq mi; population (2003 est) 1,686,100. The capital is Hamburg. The boundaries of the region coincide with those laid do...

Hamburg
(Germany) Largest inland port of Europe, in Germany, on the Elbe and Alster rivers, 103 km/64 mi from the mouth of the Elbe; population (2003 est) 1,686,100, urban agglomeration 3,262,700. Hamburg is Germany's economic cen...

hallucinogen
Any substance that acts on the central nervous system to produce changes in perception and mood and often hallucinations. Hallucinogens include LSD, peyote, and mescaline. Their effects are unpredictable and they are illegal in most countries. In some circumstances hallucinogens may produce panic or even suicidal feelings, which can recur without w...

Hallstatt
Archaeological site in Upper Austria, southwest of Salzburg. The salt workings date from prehistoric times. In 1846 over 3,000 graves were discovered belonging to a 9th–5th century BC Celtic civilization transitional between the Bronze and Iron ages

hallmark
Official mark stamped on British gold, silver, and (from 1913) platinum, instituted in 1327 (royal charter of London Goldsmiths) in order to prevent fraud. After 1363 personal marks of identification were added. Now tests of metal content are carried out at authorized assay offices in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Edinburgh; each assay off...

Halifax
(Canada) Capital of Nova Scotia, Canada, on the eastern shore of the province; population (2001 est) 359,100. It is the largest and most important city of the Canadian Maritime Provinces (consisting of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward I...

Halifax
(UK) Town in West Yorkshire, northern England, on the River Calder, 13 km/8 mi northwest of Huddersfield; population (2001) 83,600. Important in the woollen cloth trade since medieval times, the town produces textiles, carpets, and clothing; other industries include engineering and...

Halicarnassus
Ancient city in Asia Minor (now Bodrum in Turkey), where the tomb of Mausolus, built about 350 BC by widowed Queen Artemisia, was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Greek historian Herodotus was born there

Hainaut
Industrial province of southwest Belgium, part of the French-speaking community and Walloon region, bounded to the south by France and the Belgian provinces of East and West Flanders, Flemish and Walloon Brabant, and Namur; area 3,800 sq km/1,467 sq mi; population (2003 est) 1,284,700. The capital is Mons, and other major towns incl...

Hainan
Island province of south China, in the South China Sea, off the southwest coast of Guangdong province; area 34,000 sq km/13,000 sq mi; population (2000 est) 7,870,000. The capital is Haikou; major towns are Wenchang, Xincun, Tongzha, and Sanya. Hainan is China's second-largest island. Tourism and food-processing are the ...

haiku
17-syllable Japanese verse genre, usually divided into three lines of five, seven, and five syllables. Japanese poet Basho popularized the form in the 17th century. It evolved from the 31-syllable tanka form dominant from the 8th century

Haig, Alexander Meigs
US general and Republican politician. He became President Nixon's White House chief of staff at the height of the Watergate scandal, was NATO commander 1974–79, and secretary of state to President Reagan 1981–82

Hague, The
Legislative and judicial capital of the Netherlands, and capital of South Holland province, 3 km/2 mi from the North Sea; population (2003 est) 465,900. It is linked by canal to Rotterdam and Amsterdam (which is the official capital of the country). Although it has some industries (including ...

haemorrhoids
Distended blood vessels (varicose veins) in the area of the anus, popularly called piles

Hadrian's Wall
Click images to enlargeLine of fortifications built by the Roman emperor Hadrian across northern Britain from the Cumbrian coast on the west to the North Sea on the east. The wall itself ran from Bowness-on-Windermere on the Solway Firth to Wallsend on the River Tyne, a distance of 110 km/68 mi. It was defende...

Hades
In Greek mythology, the underworld where spirits (shades) went after death, usually depicted as a cavern or pit underneath the Earth, the entrance of which was guarded by the three-headed dog Cerberus. It was presided over by the god Pluto, originally also known as Hades (Roman Dis). Pluto was the brother of Zeus and married Persephone, daughte...

Haber, Fritz
German chemist whose conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia opened the way for the synthetic fertilizer industry. His study of the combustion of hydrocarbons led to the commercial `cracking` or fractional distillation of natural oil (petroleum) into its components (for example, diesel fuel, petrol, and paraffin). In electrochemistr...

Haarlem
Industrial city and capital of the province of North Holland, the Netherlands, 20 km/12 mi west of Amsterdam; population (2003 est) 148,000. At Velsea, to the north, a road and rail tunnel runs under the North Sea Canal, linking North and South Holland. Industries include chemicals, machinery, pharmaceuticals, textiles, paper products, and ...

Hazlitt, William
English essayist and critic. His work is characterized by invective, scathing irony, an intuitive critical sense, and a gift for epigram. His essays include `Characters of Shakespeare's Plays` (1817), `Lectures on the English Poets` (1818–19), `English Comic Writers` (1819), and `Dramatic Literature of th...

Hayes, Rutherford
(Birchard) 19th president of the USA 1877–81, a Republican. He was a major general on the Union side in the Civil War. During his presidency federal troops were withdrawn from the Southern states (after Reconstruction) and the civil service was reformed

Hayek, Friedrich August von
Austrian economist and author of Road to Serfdom (1944), an indictment of government intervention in modern economies representing `creeping socialism`. He shared the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1974 with Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal, for his analysis of the interdependence of economic, social, and institutional phe...

Haydn,
(Franz) Austrian composer. He was instrumental in establishing and perfecting the classical sonata form, and wrote numerous chamber and orchestral works (he produced more than a hundred symphonies). He also composed choral music, incl...

Harijan
Member of the Indian caste of untouchables. The term was introduced by Mahatma Gandhi during the independence movement

Hargreaves, James
English inventor who co-invented a carding machine for cotton in 1760. In c. 1764 he invented his `spinning jenny` (patented in 1770), which enabled a number of threads to be spun simultaneously by one person

Hardy, Thomas
(novelist) English novelist and poet. His novels, set in rural `Wessex` (his native West Country), portray intense human relationships played out in a harshly indifferent natural world. They include Far From the Mad...

Haridwar
City in Uttarakhand, India, 170 km/106 mi northeast of Delhi, on the right bank of the River Ganges at the foot of the Shiwalik Hills; population (1991) 147,300. The name means `door of Hari` (or Vishnu). In Hindu legend Vishnu's footprint was found on the river bank; it is one of the seven holy cities of the Hindu religio...

Harding, Warren G(amaliel)
29th president of the USA 1921–23, a Republican. As president he concluded the peace treaties of 1921 with Germany, Austria, and Hungary, and in the same year called the Washington Naval Conference to resolve conflicting British, Japanese, and US ambitions in the Pacific. He opposed US membership of the League of Nations. There were charges of...

Hardie,
(James) Scottish socialist, the first British Labour politician, member of Parliament 1892–95 and 1900–15. He worked in the mines as a boy and in 1886 became secretary of the Scottish Miners' Federation. In 1888 he was t...

Hanuman
In the Sanskrit epic Ramayana, the Hindu monkey god and monkey king of Hindustan (northern India). He helped Rama (an incarnation of the god Vishnu) to retrieve his wife Sita, who had been abducted by the wicked demon Ravana of Lanka (now Sri Lanka). Hanuman's agility, strength, valour, and loyalty in supporting Rama is seen ...

Hanseatic League
Confederation of northern European trading cities from the 12th century to 1669. At its height in the late 14th century the Hanseatic League included over 160 cities and towns, among them Lübeck, Hamburg, Cologne, Breslau, and Kraków. The basis of the league's power was its monopoly of the Baltic trade and its relations with Flanders ...

Hansard
Official report of the proceedings of the British Houses of Parliament, named after Luke Hansard (1752–1828), printer of the House of Commons Journal from 1774. It is published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office. The name Hansard was officially adopted in 1943. Hansard can now be consulted on the Inter...

Hanoi
Capital of Vietnam, on the Red River, 88 km/55 mi upstream from Haiphong; population (2000 est) 1,326,800. The Red River can be navigated by smaller ocean-going vessels, and Hanoi is also linked by rail to the port of Haiphong, to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and to Kunming in the Yunnan province of China. The city is served by Gia Lam in...

Handel, George Frideric
Click images to enlargeGerman composer, a British subject from 1726. His first opera, Almira, was performed in Hamburg in 1705. In 1710 he was appointed Kapellmeister (director) to the Elector of Hanover (the future George I of England). In 1712 he settled in England, where he established his popularity...

Hancock, John
US politician and a leader of the American Revolution. As president of the Continental Congress 1775–77, he was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence of 1776. Because he signed it in a large, bold hand, his name became a colloquial term for a signature in the USA. He was governor of Massachusetts 1780–85 and 1787–93

Hammarskjöld, Dag
(Hjalmar Agne Carl) Swedish secretary general of the United Nations (UN) 1953–61. His role as a mediator and negotiator, particularly in areas of political conflict, helped to increase the prestige and influence of the UN signifi...

Hampden, John
English politician. His refusal in 1636 to pay ship money, a compulsory tax levied to support the navy, made him a national figure. In the Short and Long Parliaments he proved himself a skilful debater and parliamentary strategist. King Charles I's attempt to arrest him and four other leading MPs made the Civil War inevitable. He raised his own...

Hamilton, Emma, Lady
English courtesan. In 1782 she became the mistress of Charles Greville and in 1786 of his uncle Sir William Hamilton (1730–1803), the British envoy to the court of Naples, who married her in 1791. After Admiral Nelson's return from the Nile in 1798 during the Napoleonic Wars, she became his mistress and their daughter, Horatia, was born in...

Hamilton, Alexander
US politician who influenced the adoption of a constitution with a strong central government and was the first secretary of the Treasury 1789–95. He led the Federalist Party, and incurred the bitter hatred of Aaron Burr when he supported Thomas Jefferson for the presidency in the disputed election of 1800. With his backing, Jefferson was elect...

Hamilcar Barca
Carthaginian general, the father of Hannibal the Great. Hamilcar rose to prominence in 249 BC at the first Battle of Eryx, during the later stages of the First Punic War. He negotiated the peace treaty with the Carthaginians at the end of the war in 241 BC, and suppressed the revolt of Carthage's foreign troops, the Mercenary War (241–237 ...

Hals, Frans
Flemish-born painter. The pioneer in the Dutch school of free, broad brushwork, he painted directly on to the canvas to create portraits that are spontaneous and full of life. His work includes the famous Laughing Cavalier (1624; Wallace Collection, London), and group portraits of military companies, governors of charitie...

Halloween
Evening of 31 October, immediately preceding the Christian feast of All Hallows or All Saints' Day. Customs associated with Halloween in the USA and the UK include children wearing masks or costumes, and `trick or treating` – going from house to house collecting sweets, fruit, or money

Halley, Edmond
English astronomer. He not only identified the comet that was later to be known by his name, but also compiled a star catalogue, detected the proper motion of stars using historical records, and began a line of research that, after his death, resulted in a reasonably accurate calculation of the astro...

Hall, Peter
(Reginald Frederick) English theatre, opera, and film director. He was director of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon 1960–68 and developed the Royal Shakespeare Company 1968–73 until appointed director of the National Theatre 1973–88, succeeding Lauren...

Haile Selassie, Ras
(Prince) Emperor of Ethiopia 1930–74. He pleaded unsuccessfully to the League of Nations against the Italian conquest of his country 1935–36, and was then deposed and fled to the UK. He went to Egypt in 1940 and raised an ar...

Hakluyt, Richard
English geographer whose chief work is The Principal Navigations, Voyages and Discoveries of the English Nation (1598–1600). He was assisted by Sir Walter Raleigh. He lectured on cartography at Oxford, became geographical adviser to the East India Company, and was an original member of the Virginia Company

Haifa
Chief seaport and industrial centre of Israel, situated in the northeast of the country at the foot of Mount Carmel, about 85 km/53 mi north of Tel Aviv-Yafo; population (2007 est) 267,000. The deepwater port dates from 1933, and has been considerably expanded since the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948 as a result of the rise o...

Haggard, H(enry) Rider
English novelist. He used his experience in the South African colonial service in his romantic adventure tales, including King Solomon's Mines (1885) and She (1887), the best of which also illuminate African traditions and mythology. He also published Rural England (1902). His first book,...

Haggadah
Narrative tradition of Judaism, including history, science, folk-history, and legend; also, a prayerbook containing the story of the Exodus from Egypt, used during the Pesach Seder (ceremonial meal of Passover). The Haggadah forms part of the Talmud, a compilation of Jewish law and tradition. The stories usually have an inspirational, ethic...

haemorrhage
Loss of blood from the circulatory system. It is `manifest` when the blood can be seen, as when it flows from a wound, and `occult` when the bleeding is internal, as from an ulcer or internal injury. Rapid, profuse haemorrhage causes shock and may prove fatal if the circulating volume cannot be replaced in time. Slow, sustained ...

haemophilia
Any of several inherited diseases in which normal blood clotting is impaired. The sufferer experiences prolonged bleeding from the slightest wound, as well as painful internal bleeding without apparent cause. Haemophilias are nearly always sex-linked, transmitted through the female line only to male infants; they have afflicted a number of ...

Hadrian, Publius Aelius Hadrianus
Roman emperor 117–138. He was adopted by the emperor Trajan, whom he succeeded. He pursued a policy of non-expansion and consolidation after the vast conquests of Trajan's reign. His defensive policy aimed at fixing the boundaries of the empire, which included the building of Hadrian's Wall in Britain. He travelled more widely than...

habeas corpus
In law, a writ directed to someone who has custody of a person, ordering him or her to bring the person before the court issuing the writ and to justify why the person is detained in custody

Hapsburg
Alternative form of Habsburg, former imperial house of Austria-Hungary

Haakon VII
King of Norway from 1905. Born Prince Charles, the second son of Frederick VIII of Denmark, he was elected king of Norway on the country's separation from Sweden, and in 1906 he took the name Haakon. On the German invasion in 1940 he refused to accept Vidkun Quisling's collaborationist government, and instead escaped to London and acted as ...

harpsichord
Largest and grandest of the 18th-century keyboard instruments, used in orchestras and as a solo instrument. The strings are plucked by `jacks`, made of leather or quill, when the keys are pressed. However, unlike the piano, the volume and tone cannot be varied by the player's touch. In the 18th century double-manual (two keybo...

Harris
Part of the Outer Hebrides, Western Isles, Scotland; area 500 sq km/193 sq mi; population (2001) 3,600. It is joined to Lewis by a narrow isthmus. Harris tweed cloths are produced here. Harris is mountainous in the north. The east coast of Harris is rocky, unlike the western coast with its fine shell sand beaches. Tarbert is the main se...

Harris, Joel Chandler
US author. He wrote tales narrated by the former slave `Uncle Remus`, based on black folklore and involving the characters Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, and Brer Bear

Harrison, Benjamin
23rd president of the USA 1889–93, a Republican. He called the first Pan-American Conference, which led to the establishment of the Pan-American Union, to improve inter-American cooperation and develop commercial ties. In 1948 this became the Organization of American States. Events of his presidency included the settlement with Bri...

Harrogate
Resort and spa town in North Yorkshire, northern England, about 24 km/15 mi north of Leeds; population (2001) town, with Knaresborough 85,100; Harrogate Non-Metropolitan District 151,300. Employment is mainly in the service sector, particularly related to conference business, tourism, and finance. A US communications station is loca...

Hattersley, Roy Sydney George
British Labour politician and author. A moderate, pro-European, who stood on the right wing of the Labour Party in the 1970s and 1980s, he was prices and consumer protection secretary 1976–79, and deputy leader of the party 1983–1992. In 1994 he retired from the House of Commons and became a life peer, as Baron Hattersley of Sparkbroo...

Hausa
Member of a people living along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, especially in northwestern Nigeria, southern Niger, and Dahomey, and numbering 9 million. The Hausa are Muslim farmers and skilled artisans, weavers, leatherworkers, potters, and metalworkers. Their language belongs to the Chadic subfamily of the Hamito-Semitic (Afro-As...

Hawthorne, Nathaniel
US writer. He was the author of American literature's first great classic novel, The Scarlet Letter (1850). Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, it tells the powerful allegorical story of a `fallen woman` and her daughter who are judged guilty according to men's, not nature's, laws. He wrote three other n...

hardness
The resistance of a material to indentation by various means, such as scratching, abrasion, wear, and drilling. Methods of heat treatment can increase the hardness of metals. A scale of hardness was devised by German–Austrian mineralogist Friedrich Mohs in the 1800s, based upon the hardness of certain minerals from soft talc (Mohs hardness 1) ...

Harrier
(aircraft) The only truly successful vertical takeoff and landing fixed-wing aircraft, often called the jump jet. It was built in Britain and made its first flight in 1966. It has a single jet engine and a set of swivelling nozzles. These deflect the jet exhaust vertically downwards for ta...

harrow
Agricultural implement used to break up the furrows left by the plough and reduce the soil to a fine consistency or tilth, and to cover the seeds after sowing. The traditional harrow consists of spikes set in a frame; modern harrows use sets of discs

Harare
Capital of Zimbabwe, in Mashonaland East Province, about 1,525 m/5,000 ft above sea level; population (2002 est) 1,444,500. It is the centre of a rich farming area producing tobacco and maize. The city's industries include flour-milling, textiles, electrical and mechanical engineering, motor assembly, railway rolling stock, chemical...

Havel, Václav
Czech dramatist, civil rights activist, and politician, president of Czechoslovakia 1989–92 and of the Czech Republic 1993–2003. A noted playwright, he participated in the `Prague spring` liberal reforms in 1968, but his plays were banned after the Soviet clampdown later in the year. In 1977 he formed the human rights organizati...

Hawks, Howard
(Winchester) US director, screenwriter, and producer. He made a wide range of classic films in virtually every American genre. Swift-moving and immensely accomplished, his films include the gangster movie Scarface (1932), the screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby<...

harmonics
In music, a series (the `harmonic series`) of partial vibrations that combine to form a musical tone. When a stretched string or a column of air in a tube is made to vibrate, it does so as a whole, in two halves, three thirds, four quarters, etc., all at the same time. The easiest vibration to hear is that of the whole. It is the lowest n...

Hammett,
(Samuel) US crime novelist. He introduced the `hard-boiled` detective character into fiction and attracted a host of imitators, with works including The Maltese Falcon (1930, filmed 1941), The Glass Key (1931, filmed 1942), and his most succe...

Hamsun, Knut
Norwegian novelist. His first novel Sult/Hunger (1890) was largely autobiographical. Other works include Pan (1894) and Markens grøde/The Growth of the Soil (1917). He was the first of many European and American writers to attempt to capture `the unconscious life of the soul...

Hartley, L(eslie) P(oles)
English novelist and short-story writer. His early works explored the sinister. His chief works are the trilogy The Shrimp and the Anemone (1944), The Sixth Heaven (1946), and Eustace and Hilda (1947; Tait Black Memorial Prize), on the intertwined lives of a brother and sister. Later ...

Hanover, House of
(dynasty) German royal dynasty that ruled Great Britain and Ireland from 1714 to 1901. Under the Act of Settlement of 1701, the succession passed to the ruling family of Hannover, Germany, on the death of Queen Anne. On the death of Q...