Chapter CCV: Foreword: Fore"word`, n (26)

2. To use or do for the first time, esp. so as to make fortunate or unfortunate; to try experimentally. No contrivance of our body, but some good man in Scripture hath handseled it with prayer. Fuller.

HANDSOME Hand"some, a. [Compar. Handsomer; superl. Handsomest.] Etym: [Hand + -some. It at first meant, dexterous; cf. D. handzaam dexterous, ready, limber, manageable, and E. handy.]

1. Dexterous; skillful; handy; ready; convenient; -- applied to things as persons. [Obs.] That they [engines of war] be both easy to be carried and handsome to be moved and turned about. Robynson (Utopia). For a thief it is so handsome as it may seem it was first invented for him. Spenser.

2. Agreeable to the eye or to correct taste; having a pleasing appearance or expression; attractive; having symmetry and dignity; comely; -- expressing more than pretty, and less than beautiful; as, a handsome man or woman; a handsome garment, house, tree, horse.

3. Suitable or fit in action; marked with propriety and ease; graceful; becoming; appropriate; as, a handsome style, etc. Easiness and handsome address in writing. Felton.

4. Evincing a becoming generosity or nobleness of character; liberal; generous. Handsome is as handsome does. Old Proverb.

5. Ample; moderately large. He . . . accumulated a handsome sum of money. V. Knox. To do the handsome thing, to act liberally. [Colloq.]

Syn. -- Handsome, Pretty. Pretty applies to things comparatively small, which please by their delicacy and grace; as, a pretty girl, a pretty flower, a pretty cottage. Handsome rises higher, and is applied to objects on a larger scale. We admire what is handsome, we are pleased with what is pretty. The word is connected with hand, and has thus acquired the idea of training, cultivation, symmetry, and proportion, which enters so largely into our conception of handsome. Thus Drayton makes mention of handsome players, meaning those, who are well trained; and hence we speak of a man's having a handsome address, which is the result of culture; of a handsome horse or dog, which implies well proportioned limbs; of a handsome face, to which, among other qualities, the idea of proportion and a graceful contour are essential; of a handsome tree, and a handsome house or villa. So, from this idea of proportion or suitableness, we have, with a different application, the expressions, a handsome fortune, a handsome offer.

HANDSOME Hand"some, v. t.

Defn: To render handsome. [Obs.] Donne

HANDSOMELY Hand"some*ly, adv.

1. In a handsome manner.

2. (Naut.)

Defn: Carefully; in shipshape style.

HANDSOMENESS Hand"some*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being handsome. Handsomeness is the mere animal excellence, beauty the mere imaginative. Hare.

HANDSPIKE Hand"spike`, n.

Defn: A bar or lever, generally of wood, used in a windlass or capstan, for heaving anchor, and, in modified forms, for various purposes.

HANDSPRING Hand"spring`, n.

Defn: A somersault made with the assistance of the hands placed upon the ground.

HAND-TIGHT Hand"-tight`, a. (Naut.)

Defn: As tight as can be made by the hand. Totten.

HANDWHEEL Hand"wheel`, n. (Mach.)

Defn: Any wheel worked by hand; esp., one the rim of which serves as the handle by which a valve, car brake, or other part is adjusted.

HAND-WINGED Hand"-winged`, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having wings that are like hands in the structure and arrangement of their bones; -- said of bats. See Cheiroptera.

HANDWRITING Hand"writ`ing, n.

1. The cast or form of writing peculiar to each hand or person; chirography.

2. That which is written by hand; manuscript. The handwriting on the wall, a doom pronounced; an omen of disaster. Dan. v. 5.

HANDY Hand"y, a. [Compar. Handier; superl. Handiest.] Etym: [OE. hendi, AS. hendig (in comp.), fr. hand hand; akin to D. handig, Goth. handugs clever, wise.]

1. Performed by the hand. [Obs.] To draw up and come to handy strokes. Milton.

2. Skillful in using the hand; dexterous; ready; adroit. "Each is handy in his way." Dryden.

3. Ready to the hand; near; also, suited to the use of the hand; convenient; valuable for reference or use; as, my tools are handy; a handy volume.

4. (Naut.)

Defn: Easily managed; obedient to the helm; -- said of a vessel.

HANDY-DANDY Hand"y-dan`dy, n.

Defn: A child's play, one child guessing in which closed hand the other holds some small object, winning the object if right and forfeiting an equivalent if wrong; hence, forfeit. Piers Plowman.

HANDYFIGHT Hand"y*fight`, n.

Defn: A fight with the hands; boxing. "Pollux loves handyfights." B. Jonson.

HANDYGRIPE Hand"y*gripe`, n.

Defn: Seizure by, or grasp of, the hand; also, close quarters in fighting. Hudibras.

HANDYSTROKE Hand"y*stroke`, n.

Defn: A blow with the hand.

HANDYWORK Hand"y`work`, n.

Defn: See Handiwork.

HANG Hang, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hanged (hngd) or Hung (; p. pr. & vb. n. Hanging. The use of hanged is preferable to that of hung, when reference is had to death or execution by suspension, and it is also more common.] Etym: [OE. hangen, hangien, v. t. & i., AS. hangian, v. i., fr. h, v. t. (imp. heng, p. p. hongen); akin to OS. hang, v. i. D. hangen, v. t. & i., G. hangen, v. i, hängen, v. t, Isel hanga, v. i., Goth. hahan, v. t. (imp. haíhah), hahan, v. i. (imp. hahaida), and perh. to L. cunctari to delay. sq. root37. ]

1. To suspend; to fasten to some elevated point without support from below; -- often used with up or out; as, to hang a coat on a hook; to hang up a sign; to hang out a banner.

2. To fasten in a manner which will allow of free motion upon the point or points of suspension; -- said of a pendulum, a swing, a door, gate, etc.

3. To fit properly, as at a proper angle (a part of an implement that is swung in using), as a scythe to its snath, or an ax to its helve. [U. S.]

4. To put to death by suspending by the neck; -- a form of capital punishment; as, to hang a murderer.

5. To cover, decorate, or furnish by hanging pictures trophies, drapery, and the like, or by covering with paper hangings; -- said of a wall, a room, etc. Hung be the heavens with black. Shak. And hung thy holy roofs with savage spoils. Dryden.

6. To paste, as paper hangings, on the walls of a room.

7. To hold or bear in a suspended or inclined manner or position instead of erect; to droop; as, he hung his head in shame. Cowslips wan that hang the pensive head. Milton. To hang down, to let fall below the proper position; to bend down; to decline; as, to hang down the head, or, elliptically, to hang the head. -- To hang fire (Mil.), to be slow in communicating fire through the vent to the charge; as, the gun hangs fire; hence, to hesitate, to hold back as if in suspense.

HANG Hang, v. i.

1. To be suspended or fastened to some elevated point without support from below; to dangle; to float; to rest; to remain; to stay.

2. To be fastened in such a manner as to allow of free motion on the point or points of suspension.

3. To die or be put to death by suspension from the neck. [R.] "Sir Balaam hangs." Pope.

4. To hold for support; to depend; to cling; -- usually with on or upon; as, this question hangs on a single point. "Two infants hanging on her neck." Peacham.

5. To be, or be like, a suspended weight. Life hangs upon me, and becomes a burden. Addison.

6. To hover; to impend; to appear threateningly; -- usually with over; as, evils hang over the country.

7. To lean or incline; to incline downward. To decide which way hung the victory. Milton. His neck obliquely o'er his shoulder hung. Pope.

8. To slope down; as, hanging grounds.

9. To be undetermined or uncertain; to be in suspense; to linger; to be delayed. A noble stroke he lifted high, Which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell On the proud crest of Satan. Milton. To hang around, to loiter idly about. -- To hang back, to hesitate; to falter; to be reluctant. "If any one among you hangs back." Jowett (Thucyd.). -- To hang by the eyelids. (a) To hang by a very slight hold or tenure. (b) To be in an unfinished condition; to be left incomplete. -- To hang in doubt, to be in suspense. -- To hang on (with the emphasis on the preposition), to keep hold; to hold fast; to stick; to be persistent, as a disease. -- To hang on the lips, words, etc., to be charmed by eloquence. -- To hang out. (a) To be hung out so as to be displayed; to project. (b) To be unyielding; as, the juryman hangs out against an agreement. [Colloq.] (c) to lounge around a particular place; as, teenageers tend to hang out at the mall these days -- To hang over. (a) To project at the top. (b) To impend over. -- To hang to, to cling. -- To hang together. (a) To remain united; to stand by one another. "We are all of a piece; we hang together." Dryden. (b) To be self- consistent; as, the story does not hang together. [Colloq.] -- To hang upon. (a) To regard with passionate affection. (b) (Mil.) To hover around; as, to hang upon the flanks of a retreating enemy.

HANG Hang, n.

1. The manner in which one part or thing hangs upon, or is connected with, another; as, the hang of a scythe.

2. Connection; arrangement; plan; as, the hang of a discourse. [Colloq.]

3. A sharp or steep declivity or slope. [Colloq.] To get the hang of, to learn the method or arrangement of; hence, to become accustomed to. [Colloq.]

HANGBIRD Hang"bird`, n. (Zoöl)

Defn: The Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula); -- so called because its nest is suspended from the limb of a tree. See Baltimore oriole.

HANG-BY Hang"-by`, n.; pl. Hang-bies (.

Defn: A dependent; a hanger-on; -- so called in contempt. B. Jonson.

HANGDOG Hang"dog`, n.

Defn: A base, degraded person; a sneak; a gallows bird.

HANGDOG Hang"dog`

Defn: , Low; sneaking; ashamed. The poor colonel went out of the room with a hangdog look. Thackeray.

HANGER Hang"er, n.

1. One who hangs, or causes to be hanged; a hangman.

2. That by which a thing is suspended. Especially: (a) A strap hung to the girdle, by which a dagger or sword is suspended. (b) (Mach.) A part that suspends a journal box in which shafting runs. See Illust. of Countershaft. (c) A bridle iron.

3. That which hangs or is suspended, as a sword worn at the side; especially, in the 18th century, a short, curved sword.

4. A steep, wooded declivity. [Eng.] Gilbert White.

HANGER-ON Hang"er-on`, n.; pl. Hangers-on (.

Defn: One who hangs on, or sticks to, a person, place, or service; a dependent; one who adheres to others' society longer than he is wanted. Goldsmith.

HANGING Hang"ing, a.

1. Requiring, deserving, or foreboding death by the halter. "What a hanging face!" Dryden.

2. Suspended from above; pendent; as, hanging shelves.

3. Adapted for sustaining a hanging object; as, the hanging post of a gate, the post which holds the hinges. Hanging compass, a compass suspended so that the card may be read from beneath. -- Hanging garden, a garden sustained at an artificial elevation by any means, as by the terraces at Babylon. -- Hanging indentation. See under Indentation. -- Hanging rail (Arch.), that rail of a door or casement to which hinges are attached. -- Hanging side (Mining), the overhanging side of an inclined or hading vein. -- Hanging sleeves. (a) Strips of the same stuff as the gown, hanging down the back from the shoulders. (b) Loose, flowing sleeves. -- Hanging stile. (Arch.) (a) That stile of a door to which hinges are secured. (b) That upright of a window frame to which casements are hinged, or in which the pulleys for sash windows are fastened. -- Hanging wall (Mining), the upper wall of inclined vein, or that which hangs over the miner's head when working in the vein.

HANGING Hang"ing, n.

1. The act of suspending anything; the state of being suspended.

2. Death by suspension; execution by a halter.

3. That which is hung as lining or drapery for the walls of a room, as tapestry, paper, etc., or to cover or drape a door or window; -- used chiefly in the plural. Nor purple hangings clothe the palace walls. Dryden.

HANGMAN Hang"man, n.; pl. Hangmen(

Defn: One who hangs another; esp., one who makes a business of hanging; a public executioner; -- sometimes used as a term of reproach, without reference to office. Shak.

HANGMANSHIP Hang"man*ship, n..

Defn: The office or character of a hangman.

HANGNAIL Hang"nail`, n. Etym: [A corruption of agnail.]

Defn: A small piece or silver of skin which hangs loose, near the root of finger nail. Holloway.

HANGNEST Hang"nest`, n.

1. A nest that hangs like a bag or pocket.

2. A bird which builds such a nest; a hangbird.

HANK Hank, n. Etym: [Cf. Dan. hank handle, Sw. hank a band or tie, Icel. hanki hasp, clasp, hönk, hangr, hank, coil, skein, G. henkel, henk, handle; ar prob. akin to E. hang. See Hang.]

1. A parcel consisting of two or more skeins of yarn or thread tied together.

2. A rope or withe for fastening a gate. [Prov. Eng.]

3. Hold; influence. When the devil hath got such a hank over him. Bp. Sanderson.

4. (Naut.)

Defn: A ring or eye of rope, wood, or iron, attached to the edge of a sail and running on a stay.

HANK Hank, v. t.

1. Etym: [OE. hanken.]

Defn: To fasten with a rope, as a gate. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.

2. To form into hanks.

HANKER Han"ker, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Hankered; p. pr. & vb. n. Hankering.] Etym: [Prob. fr. hang; cf. D. hunkeren, hengelen.]

1. To long (for) with a keen appetite and uneasiness; to have a vehement desire; -- usually with for or after; as, to hanker after fruit; to hanker after the diversions of the town. Addison. He was hankering to join his friend. J. A. Symonds.

2. To linger in expectation or with desire. Thackeray.

HANKERINGLY Han"ker*ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a hankering manner.

HANKEY-PANKEY Han"key-pan"key, n. Etym: [Cf. Hocus-pocus.]

Defn: Professional cant; the chatter of conjurers to divert attention from their tricks; hence, jugglery. [Colloq.]

HANOVERIAN Han`o*ve"ri*an, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Hanover or its people, or to the House of Hanover in England.

HANOVERIAN Han`o*ve"ri*an, n.

Defn: A native or naturalized inhabitant of Hanover; one of the House of Hanover.

HANSA Han" sa, n.

Defn: See 2d Hanse.

HANSARD Han"sard, n.

Defn: An official report of proceedings in the British Parliament; -- so called from the name of the publishers.

HANSARD Han"sard, n.

Defn: A merchant of one of the Hanse towns. See the Note under 2d Hanse.

HANSE Hanse, n. Etym: [Cf. F. anse handle, anse de panier surbased arch, flat arch, vault, and E. haunch hip.] (Arch.)

Defn: That part of an elliptical or many-centered arch which has the shorter radius and immediately adjoins the impost.

HANSE Hanse, n. Etym: [G. hanse, or F. hanse (from German), OHG. & Goth. hansa; akin to AS. h band, troop.]

Defn: An association; a league or confederacy. Hanse towns (Hist.), certain commercial cities in Germany which associated themselves for the protection and enlarging of their commerce. The confederacy, called also Hansa and Hanseatic league, held its first diet in 1260, and was maintained for nearly four hundred years. At one time the league comprised eighty-five cities. Its remnants, Lübeck, Hamburg, and Bremen, are free cities, and are still frequently called Hanse towns.

HANSEATIC Han`se*at"ic, a.

Defn: Pertaining to the Hanse towns, or to their confederacy. Hanseatic league. See under 2d Hanse.

HANSEL Han"sel, n. & v.

Defn: See Handsel.

HANSELINES Han"sel*ines, n.

Defn: A sort of breeches. [Obs..] Chaucer.

HANSOM; HANSOM CAB Han"som, n., Han"som cab` (. Etym: [From the name of the inventor.]

Defn: A light, low, two-wheeled covered carriage with the driver's seat elevated behind, the reins being passed over the top. He hailed a cruising hansom . . . " 'Tis the gondola of London," said Lothair. Beaconsfield.

HAN'T; HAIN'T Han't.

Defn: A contraction of have not, or has not, used in illiterate speech. In the United States the commoner spelling is hain't.

HANUKKA; HANUKKAH Ha"nuk*ka, or Ha"nuk*kah, n. [Heb. khanukkah.]

Defn: The Jewish Feast of the Dedication, instituted by Judas Maccabæus, his brothers, and the whole congregation of Israel, in 165 b. c., to commemorate the dedication of the new altar set up at the purification of the temple of Jerusalem to replace the altar which had been polluted by Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Maccabees i. 58, iv. 59). The feast, which is mentioned in John x. 22, is held for eight days (beginning with the 25th day of Kislev, corresponding to December), and is celebrated everywhere, chiefly as a festival of lights, by the Jews.

HANUMAN Han"u*man, n.

Defn: See Hoonoomaun.

HAP Hap, v. t. Etym: [OE.happen.]

Defn: To clothe; to wrap. The surgeon happed her up carefully. Dr. J. Brown.

HAP Hap, n. Etym: [Cf. Hap to clothe.]

Defn: A cloak or plaid. [O. Eng. & Scot.]

HAP Hap, n. Etym: [Icel. happ unexpected good luck.

Defn: That which happens or comes suddenly or unexpectedly; also, the manner of occurrence or taking place; chance; fortune; accident; casual event; fate; luck; lot. Chaucer. Whether art it was or heedless hap. Spenser. Cursed be good haps, and cursed be they that build Their hopes on haps. Sir P. Sidney. Loving goes by haps: Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps. Shak.

HAP Hap, v. i. Etym: [OE. happen. See Hap chance, and cf. Happen.]

Defn: To happen; to befall; to chance. Chaucer. Sends word of all that haps in Tyre. Shak.

HA'PENNY; HAP'PENNY Hap'"pen*ny, n.

Defn: A half-penny.

HAPHAZARD Hap"haz`ard, n. Etym: [Hap + hazard.]

Defn: Extra hazard; chance; accident; random. We take our principles at haphazard, upon trust. Locke.

HAPHTARAH Haph*ta"rah, n.; pl. -taroth (#). [Heb. haphtarah, prop., valedictory, fr. patar to depart.]

Defn: One of the lessons from the Nebiim (or Prophets) read in the Jewish synagogue on Sabbaths, feast days, fasts, and the ninth of Ab, at the end of the service, after the parashoth, or lessons from the Law. Such a practice is evidenced in Luke iv.17 and Acts xiii.15.

HAPLESS Hap"less, a.

Defn: Without hap or luck; luckless; unfortunate; unlucky; unhappy; as, hapless youth; hapless maid. Dryden.

HAPLESSLY Hap"less*ly, adv.

Defn: In a hapless, unlucky manner.

HAPLOMI Ha*plo"mi, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An order of freshwater fishes, including the true pikes, cyprinodonts, and blindfishes.

HAPLOSTEMONOUS Hap`lo*stem"o*nous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: Having but one series of stamens, and that equal in number to the proper number of petals; isostemonous.

HAPLY Hap"ly, adv.

Defn: By hap, chance, luck, or accident; perhaps; it may be. Lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. Acts v. 39.

HAPPED Happed, p. a. Etym: [From 1st Hap.]

Defn: Wrapped; covered; cloaked. [Scot.] All happed with flowers in the green wood were. Hogg.

HAPPEN Hap"pen, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Happened; p. pr. & vb. n. Happening.] Etym: [OE. happenen, hapnen. See Hap to happen.]

1. To come by chance; to come without previous expectation; to fall out. There shall no evil happen to the just. Prov. xii. 21.

2. To take place; to occur. All these things which had happened. Luke xxiv. 14. To happen on, to meet with; to fall or light upon. "I have happened on some other accounts." Graunt. -- To happen in, to make a casual call. [Colloq.]

HAPPILY Hap"pi*ly, adv. Etym: [From Happy.]

1. By chance; peradventure; haply. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

2. By good fortune; fortunately; luckily. Preferred by conquest, happily o'erthrown. Waller.

3. In a happy manner or state; in happy circumstances; as, he lived happily with his wife.

4. With address or dexterity; gracefully; felicitously; in a manner to success; with success. Formed by thy converse, happily to steer From grave to gay, from lively to severe. Pope.

Syn. -- Fortunately; luckily; successfully; prosperously; contentedly; dexterously; felicitously.

HAPPINESS Hap"pi*ness, n. Etym: [From Happy.]

1. Good luck; good fortune; prosperity. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan! Shak.

2. An agreeable feeling or condition of the soul arising from good fortune or propitious happening of any kind; the possession of those circumstances or that state of being which is attended enjoyment; the state of being happy; contentment; joyful satisfaction; felicity; blessedness.

3. Fortuitous elegance; unstudied grace; -- used especially of language. Some beauties yet no precepts can declare, For there's a happiness, as well as care. Pope.

Syn. -- Happiness, Felicity, Blessedness, Bliss. Happiness is generic, and is applied to almost every kind of enjoyment except that of the animal appetites; felicity is a more formal word, and is used more sparingly in the same general sense, but with elevated associations; blessedness is applied to the most refined enjoyment arising from the purest social, benevolent, and religious affections; bliss denotes still more exalted delight, and is applied more appropriately to the joy anticipated in heaven. O happiness! our being's end and aim! Pope. Others in virtue place felicity, But virtue joined with riches and long life; In corporal pleasures he, and careless ease. Milton. His overthrow heaped happiness upon him; For then, and not till then, he felt himself, And found the blessedness of being little. Shak.

HAPPY Hap"py, a. [Compar. Happier; superl. Happiest.] Etym: [From Hap chance.]

1. Favored by hap, luck, or fortune; lucky; fortunate; successful; prosperous; satisfying desire; as, a happy expedient; a happy effort; a happy venture; a happy omen. Chymists have been more happy in finding experiments than the causes of them. Boyle.

2. Experiencing the effect of favorable fortune; having the feeling arising from the consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, as peace, tranquillity, comfort; contented; joyous; as, happy hours, happy thoughts. Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord. Ps. cxliv. 15. The learned is happy Nature to explore, The fool is happy that he knows no more. Pope.

3. Dexterous; ready; apt; felicitous. One gentleman is happy at a reply, another excels in a in a rejoinder. Swift. Happy family, a collection of animals of different and hostile propensities living peaceably together in one cage. Used ironically of conventional alliances of persons who are in fact mutually repugnant. -- Happy-go-lucky, trusting to hap or luck; improvident; easy-going. "Happy-go-lucky carelessness." W. Black.

HAPUKU Ha*pu"ku, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large and valuable food fish (Polyprion prognathus) of New Zealand. It sometimes weighs one hundred pounds or more.

HAQUEBUT Haque"but, n.

Defn: See Hagbut.

HARA-KIRI Ha"ra-ki`ri, n. Etym: [Jap., stomach cutting.]

Defn: Suicide, by slashing the abdomen, formerly practiced in Japan, and commanded by the government in the cases of disgraced officials; disembowelment; -- also written, but incorrectly, hari-kari. W. E. Griffis.

HARANGUE Ha*rangue", n. Etym: [F. harangue: cf. Sp. arenda, It. aringa; lit., a speech before a multitude or on the hustings, It. aringo arena, hustings, pulpit; all fr. OHG. hring ring, anything round, ring of people, G. ring. See Ring.]

Defn: A speech addressed to a large public assembly; a popular oration; a loud address a multitude; in a bad sense, a noisy or pompous speech; declamation; ranting. Gray-headed men and grave, with warriors mixed, Assemble, and harangues are heard. Milton.

Syn. -- Harangue, Speech, Oration. Speech is generic; an oration is an elaborate and rhetorical speech; an harangue is a vehement appeal to the passions, or a noisy, disputatious address. A general makes an harangue to his troops on the eve of a battle; a demagogue harangues the populace on the subject of their wrongs.

HARANGUE Ha*rangue", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Harangued; p. pr. & vb. n. Haranguing.] Etym: [Cf. F. haranguer, It. aringare.]

Defn: To make an harangue; to declaim.

HARANGUE Ha*rangue", v. t.

Defn: To address by an harangue.

HARANGUEFUL Ha*rangue"ful, a.

Defn: Full of harangue.

HARANGUER Ha*rang"uer, n.

Defn: One who harangues, or is fond of haranguing; a declaimer. With them join'd all th' harangues of the throng, That thought to get preferment by the tongue. Dryden.

HARASS Har"ass (hâr"as), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Harassed; p. pr. & vb. n. Harassing.] Etym: [F. harasser; cf. OF. harace a basket made of cords, harace, harasse,a very heavy and large shield; or harer to set (a dog) on.]

Defn: To fatigue; to tire with repeated and exhausting efforts; esp., to weary by importunity, teasing, or fretting; to cause to endure excessive burdens or anxieties; -- sometimes followed by out. [Troops] harassed with a long and wearisome march. Bacon. Nature oppressed and harass'd out with care. Addison. Vext with lawyers and harass'd with debt. Tennyson.

Syn. -- To weary; jade; tire; perplex; distress; tease; worry; disquiet; chafe; gall; annoy; irritate; plague; vex; molest; trouble; disturb; torment.

HARASS Har"ass, n.

1. Devastation; waste. [Obs.] Milton.

2. Worry; harassment. [R.] Byron.

HARASSER Har"ass*er, n.

Defn: One who harasses.

HARASSMENT Har"ass*ment, n.

Defn: The act of harassing, or state of being harassed; worry; annoyance; anxiety. Little harassments which I am led to suspect do occasionally molest the most fortunate. Ld. Lytton.

HARBEROUS Har"ber*ous, a.

Defn: Harborous. [Obs.] A bishop must be faultless, the husband of one wife, honestly appareled, harberous. Tyndale (1 Tim. iii. 2)

HARBINGER Har"bin*ger, n. Etym: [OE. herbergeour, OF. herbergeor one who provides lodging, fr. herbergier to provide lodging, F. héberger, OF. herberge lodging, inn, F. auberge; of German origin. See Harbor.]

1. One who provides lodgings; especially, the officer of the English royal household who formerly preceded the court when traveling, to provide and prepare lodgings. Fuller.

2. A forerunner; a precursor; a messenger. I knew by these harbingers who were coming. Landor.

HARBINGER Har"bin*ger, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Harbingered; p. pr. & vb. n. Harbingering.]

Defn: To usher in; to be a harbinger of. "Thus did the star of religious freedom harbinger the day." Bancroft.

HARBOR Har"bor, n. [Written also harbour.] Etym: [OE herbor, herberwe, herberge, Icel. herbergi (cf. OHG. heriberga), orig., a shelter for soldiers; herr army + bjarga to save, help, defend; akin to AS. here army, G. heer, OHG. heri, Goth. harjis, and AS. beorgan to save, shelter, defend, G. bergen. See Harry, 2d Bury, and cf. Harbinger.]

1. A station for rest and entertainment; a place of security and comfort; a refuge; a shelter. [A grove] fair harbour that them seems. Spenser. For harbor at a thousand doors they knocked. Dryden.

2. Specif.: A lodging place; an inn. [Obs.] Chaucer.

3. (Astrol.)

Defn: The mansion of a heavenly body. [Obs.]

4. A portion of a sea, a lake, or other large body of water, either landlocked or artificially protected so as to be a place of safety for vessels in stormy weather; a port or haven.

5. (Glass Works)

Defn: A mixing box materials. Harbor dues (Naut.), fees paid for the use of a harbor. -- Harbor seal (Zoöl.), the common seal. -- Harbor watch, a watch set when a vessel is in port; an anchor watch.

HARBOR Har"bor, v. t. [Written also harbour.] [imp. & p. p. Harbored; p. pr. & vb. n. Harboring.] Etym: [OE. herberen, herberwen, herbergen; cf. Icel. herbergja. See Harbor, n.]

Defn: To afford lodging to; to enter as guest; to receive; to give a refuge to; indulge or cherish (a thought or feeling, esp. an ill thought). Any place that harbors men. Shak. The bare suspicion made it treason to harbor the person suspected. Bp. Burnet. Let not your gentle breast harbor one thought of outrage. Rowe.

HARBOR Har"bor, v. i.

Defn: To lodge, or abide for a time; to take shelter, as in a harbor. For this night let's harbor here in York. Shak.

HARBORAGE Har"bor*age, n.

Defn: Shelter; entertainment.[R.] Where can I get me harborage for the night Tennyson.

HARBORER Har"bor*er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, harbors. Geneva was . . . a harborer of exiles for religion. Strype.

HARBORLESS Har"bor*less, a.

Defn: Without a harbor; shelterless.

HARBOR MASTER Har"bor mas`ter.

Defn: An officer charged with the duty of executing the regulations respecting the use of a harbor.

HARBOROUGH; HARBROUGH Har"bor*ough, Har"brough,Etym: [See Harbor.]

Defn: A shelter. [Obs]. Spenser.

HARBOROUS Har"bor*ous, a.

Defn: Hospitable. [Obs.]

HARD Hard, a. [Compar. Harder; superl. Hardest.] Etym: [OE. heard, AS. heard; akin to OS. & D. heard, G. hart, OHG. harti, Icel. har, Dan. haard, Sw. hård, Goth. hardus, Gr.,, strength, and also to E. -ard, as in coward, drunkard, -crat, -cracy in autocrat, democracy; cf. Skr. kratu strength, to do, make. Gf.Hardy.]

1. Not easily penetrated, cut, or separated into parts; not yielding to pressure; firm; solid; compact; -- applied to material bodies, and opposed to soft; as, hard wood; hard flesh; a hard apple.

2. Difficult, mentally or judicially; not easily apprehended, decided, or resolved; as a hard problem. The hard causes they brought unto Moses. Ex. xviii. 26. In which are some things hard to be understood. 2 Peter iii. 16.

3. Difficult to accomplish; full of obstacles; laborious; fatiguing; arduous; as, a hard task; a disease hard to cure.

4. Difficult to resist or control; powerful. The stag was too hard for the horse. L'Estrange. A power which will be always too hard for them. Addison.

5. Difficult to bear or endure; not easy to put up with or consent to; hence, severe; rigorous; oppressive; distressing; unjust; grasping; as, a hard lot; hard times; hard fare; a hard winter; hard conditions or terms. I never could drive a hard bargain. Burke.

6. Difficult to please or influence; stern; unyielding; obdurate; unsympathetic; unfeeling; cruel; as, a hard master; a hard heart; hard words; a hard character.

7. Not easy or agreeable to the taste; stiff; rigid; ungraceful; repelling; as, a hard style. Figures harder than even the marble itself. Dryden.

8. Rough; acid; sour, as liquors; as, hard cider.

9. (Pron.) Abrupt or explosive in utterance; not aspirated, sibilated, or pronounced with a gradual change of the organs from one position to another;- said of certain consonants, as c in came, and g in go, as distinguished from the same letters in center, general, etc.

10. Wanting softness or smoothness of utterance; harsh; as, a hard tone.

11. (Painting) (a) Rigid in the drawing or distribution of the figures; formal; lacking grace of composition. (b) Having disagreeable and abrupt contrasts in the coloring or light and shade. Hard cancer, Hard case, etc. See under Cancer, Case, etc. -- Hard clam, or Hard-shelled clam (Zoöl.), the guahog. -- Hard coal, anthracite, as distinguished from bituminous or soft coal. -- Hard and fast. (Naut.) See under Fast. -- Hard finish (Arch.), a smooth finishing coat of hard fine plaster applied to the surface of rough plastering. -- Hard lines, hardship; difficult conditions. -- Hard money, coin or specie, as distinguished from paper money. -- Hard oyster (Zoöl.), the northern native oyster. [Local, U. S.] - - Hard pan, the hard stratum of earth lying beneath the soil; hence, figuratively, the firm, substantial, fundamental part or quality of anything; as, the hard pan of character, of a matter in dispute, etc. See Pan. -- Hard rubber. See under Rubber. -- Hard solder. See under Solder. -- Hard water, water, which contains lime or some mineral substance rendering it unfit for washing. See Hardness, 3.- Hard wood, wood of a solid or hard texture; as walnut, oak, ash, box, and the like, in distinction from pine, poplar, hemlock, etc.- In hard condition, in excellent condition for racing; having firm muscles;-said of race horses.

Syn. -- Solid; arduous; powerful; trying; unyielding; stubborn; stern; flinty; unfeeling; harsh; difficult; severe; obdurate; rigid. See Solid, and Arduous.

HARD Hard, adv. Etym: [OE. harde, AS. hearde.]

1. With pressure; with urgency; hence, diligently; earnestly. And prayed so hard for mercy from the prince. Dryden. My father Is hard at study; pray now, rest yourself. Shak.

2. With difficulty; as, the vehicle moves hard.

3. Uneasily; vexatiously; slowly. Shak.

4. So as to raise difficulties. " The guestion is hard set". Sir T. Browne.

5. With tension or strain of the powers; violently; with force; tempestuously; vehemently; vigorously; energetically; as, to press, to blow, to rain hard; hence, rapidly; as, to run hard.

6. Close or near. Whose house joined hard to the synagogue. Acts xviii.7. Hard by, near by; close at hand; not far off. "Hard by a cottage chimney smokes." Milton. -- Hard pushed, Hard run, greatly pressed; as, he was hard pushed or hard run for time, money, etc. [Colloq.] -- Hard up, closely pressed by want or necessity; without money or resources; as, hard up for amusements. [Slang]

Note: Hard in nautical language is often joined to words of command to the helmsman, denoting that the order should be carried out with the utmost energy, or that the helm should be put, in the direction indicated, to the extreme limit, as, Hard aport! Hard astarboard! Hard alee! Hard aweather up! Hard is also often used in composition with a participle; as, hard-baked; hard-earned; hard-working; hard- won.

HARD Hard, v. t.

Defn: To harden; to make hard. [Obs.] Chaucer.

HARD Hard, n.

Defn: A ford or passage across a river or swamp.

HARDBAKE Hard"bake`, n.

Defn: A sweetmeat of boiled brown sugar or molasses made with almonds, and flavored with orange or lemon juice, etc. Thackeray.

HARDBEAM Hard"beam`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A tree of the genus Carpinus, of compact, horny texture; hornbeam.

HARDEN Hard"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hardened; p. pr. & vb. n. Hardening.] Etym: [OE. hardnen, hardenen.]

1. To make hard or harder; to make firm or compact; to indurate; as, to harden clay or iron.

2. To accustom by labor or suffering to endure with constancy; to strengthen; to stiffen; to inure; also, to confirm in wickedness or shame; to make unimpressionable. "Harden not your heart." Ps. xcv. 8. I would harden myself in sorrow. Job vi. 10.

HARDEN Hard"en, v. i.

1. To become hard or harder; to acquire solidity, or more compactness; as, mortar hardens by drying. The deliberate judgment of those who knew him [A. Lincoln] has hardened into tradition. The Century.

2. To become confirmed or strengthened, in either a good or a bad sense. They, hardened more by what might most reclaim. Milton.

HARDENED Hard"ened, a.

Defn: Made hard, or compact; made unfeeling or callous; made obstinate or obdurate; confirmed in error or vice.

Syn. -- Impenetrable; hard; obdurate; callous; unfeeling; unsusceptible; insensible. See Obdurate.

HARDENER Hard"en*er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, hardens; specif., one who tempers tools.

HARDENING Hard"en*ing, n.

1. Making hard or harder.

2. That which hardens, as a material used for converting the surface of iron into steel.

HARDER Har"der, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A South African mullet, salted for food.

HARDERIAN Har*de"ri*an, a. (Anat.)

Defn: A term applied to a lachrymal gland on the inner side of the orbit of many animals which have a third eyelid, or nictitating membrane. See Nictitating membrane, under Nictitate.

HARD-FAVORED Hard"-fa`vored, a.

Defn: Hard-featured; ill-looking; as, Vulcan was hard-favored. Dryden.

HARDFAVOREDNESS Hard"fa`vored*ness, n.

Defn: Coarseness of features.

HARD-FAVOREDNESS Hard"-fa`vored*ness, n.

Defn: Coarseness of features.

HARD-FEATURED Hard"-fea`tured, a

Defn: Having coarse, unattractive or stern features. Smollett.

HARDFERN Hard"fern`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A species of fern (Lomaria borealis), growing in Europe and Northwestern America.

HARD-FISTED Hard"-fist`ed, a.

1. Having hard or strong hands; as, a hard-fisted laborer.

2. Close-fisted; covetous; niggardly. Bp. Hall.

HARD-FOUGHT Hard"-fought`, a. Vigorously

Defn: contested; as, a hard-fought battle.

HARD GRASS Hard" grass` (. (Bot.)

Defn: A name given to several different grasses, especially to the Roltböllia incurvata, and to the species of Ægilops, from one of which it is contended that wheat has been derived.

HARDHACK Hard"hack` (, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A very astringent shrub (Spiræa tomentosa), common in pastures. The Potentilla fruticosa in also called by this name.

HARD-HANDED Hard"-hand`ed, a.

Defn: Having hard hands, as a manual laborer. Hard-handed men that work in Athens here. Shak.

HARDHEAD Hard"head`, n.

1. Clash or collision of heads in contest. Dryden.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) The menhaden. See Menhaden. [Local, U.S.] (b) Block's gurnard (Trigla gurnardus) of Europe. (c) A California salmon; the steelhead. (d) The gray whale. See Gray whale, under Gray. (e) A coarse American commercial sponge (Spongia dura).

HARD-HEADED Hard"-head`ed, a.

Defn: Having sound judgment; sagacious; shrewd. -- Hard"-head`ed*ness, n.

HARD-HEARTED Hard"-heart`ed, a.

Defn: Unsympathetic; inexorable; cruel; pitiless. -- Hard"-heart`ed*ness, n.

HARDIHEAD Hard"i*head, n.

Defn: Hardihood. [Obs.]

HARDIHOOD Hard"i*hood, n. Etym: [Hardy + -hood.]

Defn: Boldness, united with firmness and constancy of mind; bravery; intrepidity; also, audaciousness; impudence. A bound of graceful hardihood. Wordsworth. It is the society of numbers which gives hardihood to iniquity. Buckminster.

Syn. -- Intrepidity; courage; pluck; resolution; stoutness; audacity; effrontery; impudence.

HARDILY Har"di*ly, adv.

1. Same as Hardly. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. Boldly; stoutly; resolutely. Wyclif.

HARDIMENT Har"di*ment, n. Etym: [OF. hardement. See Hardy.]

Defn: Hardihood; boldness; courage; energetic action. [Obs.] Changing hardiment with great Glendower. Shak.

HARDINESS Har"di*ness, n.

1. Capability of endurance.

2. Hardihood; boldness; firmness; assurance. Spenser. Plenty and peace breeds cowards; Hardness ever Of hardiness is mother. Shak. They who were not yet grown to the hardiness of avowing the contempt of the king. Clarendon.

3. Hardship; fatigue. [Obs.] Spenser.

HARDISH Hard"ish, a.

Defn: Somewhat hard.

HARD-LABORED Hard"-la`bored, a.

Defn: Wrought with severe labor; elaborate; studied. Swift.

HARDLY Hard"ly, adv. Etym: [AS.heardlice. See Hand.]

1. In a hard or difficult manner; with difficulty. Recovering hardly what he lost before. Dryden.

2. Unwillingly; grudgingly. The House of Peers gave so hardly theiMilton.

3. Scarcely; barely; not guite; not wholly. Hardly shall you one so bad, but he desires the credit of being thought good. South.

4. Severely; harshly; roughly. He has in many things been hardly used. Swift.

5. Confidently; hardily. [Obs.] Holland.

6. Certainly; surely; indeed. [Obs.] Chaucer.

HARD-MOUTHED Hard"-mouthed`, a.

Defn: Not sensible to the bit; not easily governed; as, a hard- mouthed horse.

HARDNESS Hard"ness, n. Etym: [AS. heardness.]

1. The quality or state of being hard, literally or figuratively. The habit of authority also had given his manners some peremptory hardness. Sir W. Scott.

2. (Min.)

Defn: The cohesion of the particles on the surface of a body, determined by its capacity to scratch another, or be itself scratched;-measured among minerals on a scale of which diamond and talc form the extremes.

3. (Chem.)

Defn: The peculiar quality exhibited by water which has mineral salts dissolved in it. Such water forms an insoluble compound with soap, and is hence unfit for washing purposes.

Note: This quality is caused by the presence of calcium carbonate, causing temporary hardness which can be removed by boiling, or by calcium sulphate, causing permanent hardness which can not be so removed, but may be improved by the addition of sodium carbonate.

HARDOCK Har"dock, n. [Obs.]

Defn: See Hordock.

HARDPAN Hard"pan`, n.

Defn: The hard substratum. Same as Hard pan, under Hard, a.

HARDS Hards, n. pl. Etym: [OE. herdes, AS. heordan; akin to G. hede.]

Defn: The refuse or coarse part of fiax; tow.

HARD-SHELL Hard"-shell`, a.

Defn: Unyielding; insensible to argument; uncompromising; strict. [Collog., U.S.]

HARDSHIP Hard"ship, n.

Defn: That which is hard to hear, as toil, privation, injury, injustice, etc. Swift.

HARDSPUN Hard"spun`, a.

Defn: Firmly twisted in spinning.

HARD STEEL Hard steel.

Defn: Steel hardened by the addition of other elements, as manganese, phosphorus, or (usually) carbon.

HARD-TACK Hard"-tack`, n.

Defn: A name given by soldiers and sailors to a kind of hard biscuit or sea bread.

HARDTAIL Hard"tail`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Jurel.

HARD-VISAGED Hard"-vis`aged, a.

Defn: Of a harsh or stern countenance; hard-featured. Burke.

HARDWARE Hard"ware`, n.

Defn: Ware made of metal, as cutlery, kitchen utensils, and the like; ironmongery.

HARDWAREMAN Hard"ware`man, n.; pl. Hardwaremen (.

Defn: One who makes, or deals in, hardware.

HARDY Har"dy, a. [Compar. Hardier; superl. Hardiest.] Etym: [F.hardi, p. p. fr. OF. hardir to make bold; of German origin, cf. OHG. hertan to harden, G. härten. See Hard, a.]

1. Bold; brave; stout; daring; resolue; intrepid. Hap helpeth hardy man alway. Chaucer.

2. Confident; full of assurance; in a bad sense, morally hardened; shameless.

3. Strong; firm; compact. [A] blast may shake in pieces his hardy fabric. South.

4. Inured to fatigue or hardships; strong; capable of endurance; as, a hardy veteran; a hardy mariner.

5. Able to withstand the cold of winter.

Note: Plants which are hardy in Virginia may perish in New England. Half-hardy plants are those which are able to withstand mild winters or moderate frosts.

HARDY Har"dy, n.

Defn: A blacksmith's fuller or chisel, having a square shank for insertion into a square hole in an anvil, called the hardy hole.

HARE Hare, v. t. Etym: [Cf. Harry, Harass.]

Defn: To excite; to tease, or worry; to harry. [Obs.] Locke.

HARE Hare, n. Etym: [AS. hara; akin to D. haas, G. hase, OHG. haso, Dan. æ Sw. hare, Icel. h, Skr. .

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A rodent of the genus Lepus, having long hind legs, a short tail, and a divided upper lip. It is a timid animal, moves swiftly by leaps, and is remarkable for its fecundity.

Note: The species of hares are numerous. The common European hare is Lepustimidus. The northern or varying hare of America (L. Americanus), and the prairie hare (L. campestris), turn white in winter. In America, the various species of hares are commonly called rabbits.

2. (Astron.)

Defn: A small constellation situated south of and under the foot of Orion; Lepus. Hare and hounds, a game played by men and boys, two, called hares, having a few minutes' start, and scattering bits of paper to indicate their course, being chased by the others, called the hounds, through a wide circuit. -- Hare kangaroo (Zoöl.)., a small Australian kangaroo (Lagorchestes Leporoides), resembling the hare in size and color, -- Hare's lettuce (Bot.), a plant of the genus Sonchus, or sow thistle; -- so called because hares are said to eat it when fainting with heat. Dr. Prior. -- Jumping hare. (Zoöl.) See under Jumping. -- Little chief hare, or Crying hare. (Zoöl.) See Chief hare. -- Sea hare. (Zoöl.) See Aplysia.

HAREBELL Hare"bell`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A small, slender, branching plant (Campanula rotundifolia), having blue bell-shaped flowers; also, Scilla nutans, which has similar flowers; -- called also bluebell. [Written also hairbell.] E'en the light harebell raised its head. Sir W. Scott .

HAREBRAINED; HARE BRAINED Hare"brained`', a.

Defn: Wild; giddy; volatile; heedless. "A mad hare-brained fellow." North (Plutarch). [Written also hairbrained.]

HAREFOOT Hare"foot`, n.

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A long, narrow foot, carried (that is, produced or extending) forward; -- said of dogs.

2. (Bot)

Defn: A tree (Ochroma Laqopus) of the West Indies, having the stamens united somewhat in the form of a hare's foot. Harefoot clover (Bot.), a species of clover (Trifolium arvense) with soft and silky heads.

HARE-HEARTED Hare"-heart`ed, a.

Defn: Timorous; timid; easily frightened. Ainsworth.

HAREHOUND Hare"hound`, n.

Defn: See Harrier. A. Chalmers.

HARELD Har"eld, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The long-tailed duck. See Old Squaw.

HARELIP Hare"lip`, n.

Defn: A lip, commonly the upper one, having a fissure of perpendicular division like that of a hare. -- Hare"lipped`, a.

HAREM Ha"rem, n.Etym: [Ar.haram, orig., anything forbidden of sacred, fr. harama to forbid, prohibit.] Etym: [Written also haram and hareem.]

1. The apartments or portion of the house allotted to females in Mohammedan families.

2. The family of wives and concubines belonging to one man, in Mohammedan countries; a seraglio.

HARENGIFORM Ha*ren"gi*form, a. Etym: [F. hareng herring (LL.harengus) + -form.]

Defn: Herring-shaped.

HARE'S-EAR Hare's"-ear`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: An umbelliferous plant (Bupleurum rotundifolium ); -- so named from the shape of its leaves. Dr. Prior.

HARE'S-FOOT FERN Hare's"-foot` fern`. (Bot.)

Defn: A species of fern (Davallia Canariensis) with a soft, gray, hairy rootstock; -- whence the name.

HARE'S-TAIL Hare's"-tail` (-tal`), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A kind of grass (Eriophorum vaginatum). See Cotton grass, under Cotton. Hare's-tail grass (Bot.), a species of grass (Lagurus ovatus) whose head resembles a hare's tail.

HARFANG Har"fang, n. Etym: [See Hare, n., and Fang.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The snowy owl.

HARIALI GRASS Ha`ri*a"li grass`. (Bot.)

Defn: The East Indian name of the Cynodon Dactylon; dog's-grass.

HARICOT Har"i*cot, n. Etym: [F.]

1. A ragout or stew of meat with beans and other vegetables.

2. The ripe seeds, or the unripe pod, of the common string bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), used as a vegetable. Other species of the same genus furnish different kinds of haricots.

HARIER Har"i*er, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Harrier.

HARIKARI Ha"ri*ka`ri, n.

Defn: See Hara-kiri.

HARIOLATION Har`i*o*la"tion, n. Etym: [See Ariolation.]

Defn: Prognostication; soothsaying. [Obs.] Cockeram.

HARISH Har"ish, a.

Defn: Like a hare. [R.] Huloet.

HARK Hark, v. i. Etym: [OE. herken. See Hearken.]

Defn: To listen; to hearken. [Now rare, except in the imperative form used as an interjection, Hark! listen.] Hudibras. Hark away! Hark back! Hark forward! (Sporting), cries used to incite and guide hounds in hunting. -- To hark back, to go back for a fresh start, as when one has wandered from his direct course, or made a digression. He must have overshot the mark, and must hark back. Haggard. He harked back to the subject. W. E. Norris.

HARKEN Hark"en, v. t. & i.

Defn: To hearken. Tennyson.

HARL Harl, n. Etym: [Cf. OHG. harluf noose, rope; E. hards refuse of flax.]

1. A filamentous substance; especially, the filaments of flax or hemp.

2. A barb, or barbs, of a fine large feather, as of a peacock or ostrich, -- used in dressing artificial flies. [Written also herl.]

HARLE Harle, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The red-breasted merganser.

HARLECH GROUP Har"lech group`. Etym: [ So called from Harlech in Wales.] (Geol.)

Defn: A minor subdivision at the base of the Cambrian system in Wales.

HARLEQUIN Har"le*quin, n. Etym: [F. arlequin,formerly written also harlequin (cf. It, arlecchino), prob. fr. OF. hierlekin, hellequin, goblin, elf, which is prob. of German or Dutch origin; cf. D. hel hell. Cf. Hell, Kin.]

Defn: A buffoon, dressed in party-colored clothes, who plays tricks, often without speaking, to divert the bystanders or an audience; a merry-andrew; originally, a droll rogue of Italian comedy. Percy Smith. As dumb harlequin is exhibited in our theaters. Johnson. Harlequin bat (Zoöl.), an Indian bat (Scotophilus ornatus), curiously variegated with white spots. -- Harlequin beetle (Zoöl.), a very large South American beetle (Acrocinus longimanus) having very long legs and antennæ. The elytra are curiously marked with red, black, and gray. -- Harlequin cabbage bug. (Zoöl.) See Calicoback. -- Harlequin caterpillar. (Zoöl.), the larva of an American bombycid moth (Euchætes egle) which is covered with black, white, yellow, and orange tufts of hair. -- Harlequin duck (Zoöl.), a North American duck (Histrionicus histrionicus). The male is dark ash, curiously streaked with white. -- Harlequin moth. (Zoöl.) See Magpie Moth. -- Harlequin opal. See Opal. -- Harlequin snake (Zoöl.), a small, poisonous snake (Elaps fulvius), ringed with red and black, found in the Southern United States.

HARLEQUIN Har"le*quin, n. i.

Defn: To play the droll; to make sport by playing ludicrous tricks.

HARLEQUIN Har"le*quin, v. t.

Defn: Toremove or conjure away, as by a harlequin's trick. And kitten,if the humor hit Has harlequined away the fit. M. Green.

HARLEQUINADE Har"le*quin*ade`, n. Etym: [F. arleguinade.]

Defn: A play or part of play in which the harlequin is conspicuous; the part of a harlequin. Macaulay.

HARLOCK Har"lock, n.

Defn: Probably a corruption either of charlock or hardock. Drayton.

HARLOT Har"lot, n. Etym: [OE.harlot, herlot, a vagabond, OF. harlot, herlot, arlot; cf. Pr. arlot, Sp. arlote, It. arlotto; of uncertain origin.]

1. A churl; a common man; a person, male or female, of low birth. [Obs.] He was a gentle harlot and a kind. Chaucer.

2. A person given to low conduct; a rogue; a cheat; a rascal. [Obs.] Chaucer.

3. A woman who prostitutes her body for hire; a prostitute; a common woman; a strumpet.

HARLOT Har"lot, a.

Defn: Wanton; lewd; low; base. Shak.

HARLOT Har"lot, v. i.

Defn: To play the harlot; to practice lewdness. Milton.

HARLOTIZE Har"lot*ize, v. i.

Defn: To harlot. [Obs.] Warner.

HARLOTRY Har"lot*ry, n.

1. Ribaldry; buffoonery; a ribald story. [Obs.] Piers Plowman. Chaucer.

2. The trade or practice of prostitution; habitual or customary lewdness. Dryden.

3. Anything meretricious; as, harlotry in art.

4. A harlot; a strumpet; a baggage. [Obs.] He sups to-night with a harlotry. Shak.

HARM Harm, n. Etym: [OE.harm, hearm, AS.hearm; akin to OS. harm, G. harm grief, Icel. harmr, Dan. harme, Sw. harm; cf. OSlav. & Russ. sram' shame, Skr. crama toil, fatigue.]

1. Injury; hurt; damage; detriment; misfortune.

2. That which causes injury, damage, or loss. We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms. Shak.

Syn. -- Mischief; evil; loss; injury. See Mischief.

HARM Harm, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Harmed; p. pr. & vb. n. Harming.] Etym: [OE. harmen, AS. hearmian. See Harm, n.]

Defn: To hurt; to injure; to damage; to wrong. Though yet he never harmed me. Shak. No ground of enmity between us known Why he should mean me ill or seek to harm. Milton.

HARMALINE Har"ma*line, n. Etym: [Cf. F. harmaline See Harmel.] (Chem.)

Defn: An alkaloid found in the plant Peganum harmala. It forms bitter, yellow salts.

HARMATTAN Har*mat"tan, n. Etym: [F. harmattan, prob. of Arabic origin.]

Defn: A dry, hot wind, prevailing on the Atlantic coast of Africa, in December, January, and February, blowing from the interior or Sahara. It is usually accompanied by a haze which obscures the sun.

HARMEL Har"mel, n. Etym: [Ar. harmal.] (Bot.)

Defn: A kind of rue (Ruta sylvestris) growing in India. At Lahore the seeds are used medicinally and for fumigation.

HARMFUL Harm"ful, a.

Defn: Full of harm; injurious; hurtful; mischievous. " Most harmful hazards." Strype. --Harm"ful*ly, adv. -- Harm"ful*ness, n.

HARMINE Har"mine, n.Etym: [See Harmaline.] (Chem.)

Defn: An alkaloid accompanying harmaline (in the Peganum harmala), and obtained from it by oxidation. It is a white crystalline substance.

HARMLESS Harm"less, a.

1. Free from harm; unhurt; as, to give bond to save another harmless.

2. Free from power or disposition to harm; innocent; inoffensive. " The harmless deer." Drayton

Syn. -- Innocent; innoxious; innocuous; inoffensive; unoffending; unhurt; uninjured; unharmed. --Harm"less*ly, adv.- Harm"less*ness, n.

HARMONIC; HARMONICAL Har*mon"ic, Har*mon"ic*al (, a. Etym: [L. harmonicus, Gr. harmonique. See Harmony.]

1. Concordant; musical; consonant; as, harmonic sounds. Harmonic twang! of leather, horn, and brass. Pope.

2. (Mus.)

Defn: Relating to harmony, -- as melodic relates to melody; harmonious; esp., relating to the accessory sounds or overtones which accompany the predominant and apparent single tone of any string or sonorous body.

3. (Math.)

Defn: Having relations or properties bearing some resemblance to those of musical consonances; -- said of certain numbers, ratios, proportions, points, lines. motions, and the like. Harmonic interval (Mus.), the distance between two notes of a chord, or two consonant notes. -- Harmonical mean (Arith. & Alg.), certain relations of numbers and quantities, which bear an analogy to musical consonances. -- Harmonic motion, the motion of the point A, of the foot of the perpendicular PA, when P moves uniformly in the circumference of a circle, and PA is drawn perpendicularly upon a fixed diameter of the circle. This is simple harmonic motion. The combinations, in any way, of two more simple harmonic motions, make other kinds of harmonic motion. The motion of the pendulum bob of a clock is approximately simple harmonic motion. -- Harmonic proportion. See under Proportion. -- Harmonic series or progression. See under Progression. -- Spherical harmonic analysis, a mathematical method, sometimes referred to as that of Laplace's Coefficients, which has for its object the expression of an arbitrary, periodic function of two independent variables, in the proper form for a large class of physical problems, involving arbitrary data, over a spherical surface, and the deduction of solutions for every point of space. The functions employed in this method are called spherical harmonic functions. Thomson & Tait. -- Harmonic suture (Anat.), an articulation by simple apposition of comparatively smooth surfaces or edges, as between the two superior maxillary bones in man; -- called also harmonic, and harmony. -- Harmonic triad (Mus.), the chord of a note with its third and fifth; the common chord.

HARMONIC Har*mon"ic, n. (Mus.)

Defn: A musical note produced by a number of vibrations which is a multiple of the number producing some other; an overtone. See Harmonics.

HARMONICA Har*mon"i*ca, n. Etym: [Fem. fr. L. harmonicus harmonic. See Harmonic, n. ]

1. A musical instrument, consisting of a series of hemispherical glasses which, by touching the edges with the dampened finger, give forth the tones.

2. A toy instrument of strips of glass or metal hung on two tapes, and struck with hammers.

HARMONICALLY Har* mon"ic*al*ly, adv.

1. In an harmonical manner; harmoniously.

2. In respect to harmony, as distinguished from melody; as, a passage harmonically correct.

3. (Math.)

Defn: In harmonical progression.

HARMONICON Har*mon"i*con, n.

Defn: A small, flat, wind instrument of music, in which the notes are produced by the vibration of free metallic reeds.

HARMONICS Har*mon"ics, n.

1. The doctrine or science of musical sounds.

2. pl. (Mus.)

Defn: Secondary and less distinct tones which accompany any principal, and apparently simple, tone, as the octave, the twelfth, the fifteenth, and the seventeenth. The name is also applied to the artificial tones produced by a string or column of air, when the impulse given to it suffices only to make a part of the string or column vibrate; overtones.

HARMONIOUS Har*mo"ni*ous, a. Etym: [Cf. F. harmonieux. See Harmony.]