Thunder mixed with hail, Hail mixed with fire, must rend the Egyptian sky. Milton.

Hail

Hail, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Halled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Halting.] [OE. hailen, AS. haqalian.] To pour down particles of ice, or frozen vapors.

Hail

Hail, v. t. To pour forcibly down, as hail. Shak.

Hail

Hail, a. Healthy. See Hale (the preferable spelling).

Hail

Hail, v. t. [OE. hailen, heilen, Icel. heil hale, sound, used in greeting. See Hale sound.]

1. To call loudly to, or after; to accost; to salute; to address.

2. To name; to designate; to call.

And such a son as all men hailed me happy. Milton.

Hail

Hail, v. i.

1. To declare, by hailing, the port from which a vessel sails or where she is registered; hence, to sail; to come; -- used with from; as, the steamer hails from New York.

2. To report as one's home or the place from whence one comes; to come; -- with from. [Colloq.] G. G. Halpine.

Hail

Hail, interj. [See Hail, v. t.] An exclamation of respectful or reverent salutation, or, occasionally, of familiar greeting. Hail, brave friend." Shak. All hail. See in the Vocabulary. -- Hail Mary, a form of prayer made use of in the Roman Catholic Church in invocation of the Virgin. See Ave Maria.

Hail

Hail, n. A wish of health; a salutation; a loud call. Their puissant hail." M. Arnold.

The angel hail bestowed. Milton.

Hail-fellow

Hail"-fel`low (?), n. An intimate companion.

Hail-fellow well met. Lyly.

Hailse

Hailse (?), v. t. [OE. hailsen, Icel. heilsa. Cf. Hall to call to.] To greet; to salute. [Obs.] P. Plowman.

Hailshot

Hail"shot` (?), n. pl. Small shot which scatter like hailstones. [Obs.] Hayward.

Hailstone

Hail"stone` (?), n. A single particle of ice falling from a cloud; a frozen raindrop; a pellet of hail.

Hailstorm

Hail"storm` (?), n. A storm accompanied with hail; a shower of hail.

Haily

Hai"ly (?), a. Of hail. Haily showers." Pope.

Han

Han (?), v. t. [Cf. Sw. hägn hedge, inclosure, Dan. hegn hedge, fence. See Hedge.] To inclose for mowing; to set aside for grass. A ground . . . hained in." Holland.

Hain't

Hain't (?). A contraction of have not or has not; as, I hain't, he hain't, we hain't. [Colloq. or illiterate speech.] [Written also han't.]<-- now ain't -->

Hair

Hair (?), n. [OE. her, heer, hær, AS. h&aemac;r; akin to OFries, h&emac;r, D. & G. haar, OHG. & Icel. h&amac;r, Dan. haar, Sw. hår; cf. Lith. kasa.]

1. The collection or mass of filaments growing from the skin of an animal, and forming a covering for a part of the head or for any part or the whole of the body.

2. One the above-mentioned filaments, consisting, in invertebrate animals, of a long, tubular part which is free and flexible, and a bulbous root imbedded in the skin.

Then read he me how Sampson lost his hairs. Chaucer.

And draweth new delights with hoary hairs. Spenser.

3. Hair (human or animal) used for various purposes; as, hair for stuffing cushions.

4. (Zoöl.) A slender outgrowth from the chitinous cuticle of insects, spiders, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. Such hairs are totally unlike those of vertebrates in structure, composition, and mode of growth.

5. An outgrowth of the epidermis, consisting of one or of several cells, whether pointed, hooked, knobbed, or stellated. Internal hairs occur in the flower stalk of the yellow frog lily (Nuphar).

6. A spring device used in a hair-trigger firearm.

7. A haircloth. [Obc.] Chaucer.

8. Any very small distance, or degree; a hairbreadth. &hand; Hairs is often used adjectively or in combination; as, hairbrush or hair brush, hair dye, hair oil, hairpin, hair powder, a brush, a dye, etc., for the hair. Against the hair, in a rough and disagreeable manner; against the grain. [Obs.] You go against the hair of your professions." Shak. -- Hair bracket (Ship Carp.), a molding which comes in at the back of, or runs aft from, the figurehead. -- Hair cells (Anat.), cells with hairlike processes in the sensory epithelium of certain parts of the internal ear. -- Hair compass, Hair divider, a compass or divider capable of delicate adjustment by means of a screw. -- Hair glove, a glove of horsehair for rubbing the skin. -- Hair lace, a netted fillet for tying up the hair of the head. Swift. -- Hair line, a line made of hair; a very slender line. -- Hair moth (Zoöl.), any moth which destroys goods made of hair, esp. Tinea biselliella. -- Hair pencil, a brush or fine hair, for painting; -- generally called by the name of the hair used; as, a camel's hair pencil, a sable's hair pencil, etc. -- Hair plate, an iron plate forming the back of the hearth of a bloomery fire. -- Hair powder, a white perfumed powder, as of flour or starch, formerly much used for sprinkling on the hair of the head, or on wigs. -- Hair seal (Zoöl.), any one of several species of eared seals which do not produce fur; a sea lion. -- Hair seating, haircloth for seats of chairs, etc. -- Hair shirt, a shirt, or a band for the loins, made of horsehair, and worn as a penance. -- Hair sieve, a strainer with a haircloth bottom. -- Hair snake. See Gordius. -- Hair space (Printing), the thinnest metal space used in lines of type. -- Hair stroke, a delicate stroke in writing. -- Hair trigger, a trigger so constructed as to discharge a firearm by a very slight pressure, as by the touch of a hair. Farrow. -- Not worth a hair, of no value. -- To a hair, with the nicest distinction. -- To split hairs, to make distinctions of useless nicety.

Hairbell

Hair"bell` (?), n. (Bot.) See Harebell.

Hairbird

Hair"bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The chipping sparrow.

Hairbrained

Hair"brained` (?), a. See Harebrained.

Hairbreadth, Hair'sbreadth

Hair"breadth` (?), Hair's"breadth` (). The diameter or breadth of a hair; a very small distance; sometimes, definitely, the forty-eighth part of an inch.

Every one could sling stones at an hairbreadth and not miss. Judg. xx. 16

Hairbreadth

Hair"breadth`, a. Having the breadth of a hair; very narrow; as, a hairbreadth escape.

Hair-brown

Hair"-brown` (?), a. Of a clear tint of brown, resembling brown human hair. It is composed of equal proportions of red and green.

Hairbrush

Hair"brush` (?), n. A brush for cleansing and smoothing the hair.

Haircloth

Hair"cloth`, n. Stuff or cloth made wholly or in part of hair.

Hairdresser

Hair"dress`er (?), n. One who dresses or cuts hair; a barber.

Haired

Haired (?), a.

1. Having hair. A beast haired like a bear." Purchas.

2. In composition: Having (such) hair; as, red-haired.

Hairen

Hai"ren (?), a. [AS. hren.] Hairy. [Obc.]

His hairen shirt and his ascetic diet. J. Taylor.

Hair grass

Hair" grass` (?). (Bot.) A grass with very slender leaves or branches; as the Agrostis scabra, and several species of Aira or Deschampsia.

Hairiness

Hair"i*ness (?), n. The state of abounding, or being covered, with hair. Johnson.

Hairless

Hair"less, a. Destitute of hair. Shak.

Hairpin

Hair"pin` (), n. A pin, usually forked, or of bent wire, for fastening the hair in place, -- used by women.

Hair-salt

Hair"-salt` (?), n. [A translation of G. haarsalz.] (Min.) A variety of native Epsom salt occurring in silky fibers.

Hairsplitter

Hair"split`ter (?), n. One who makes excessively nice or needless distinctions in reasoning; one who quibbles. The caviling hairsplitter." De Quincey.

Hairsplitting

Hair"split`ting (?), a. Making excessively nice or trivial distinctions in reasoning; subtle. -- n. The act or practice of making trivial distinctions.

The ancient hairsplitting technicalities of special pleading. Charles Sumner.

Hairspring

Hair"spring` (?), n. (Horology) The slender recoil spring which regulates the motion of the balance in a timepiece.

Hairstreak

Hair"streak` (?), n. A butterfly of the genus Thecla; as, the green hairstreak (T. rubi).

Hairtail

Hair"tail` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any species of marine fishes of the genus Trichiurus; esp., T. lepterus of Europe and America. They are long and like a band, with a slender, pointed tail. Called also bladefish.

Hairworm

Hair"worm` (?). (Zoöl.) A nematoid worm of the genus Gordius, resembling a hair. See Gordius.

Hairy

Hair"y (?), a. Bearing or covered with hair; made of or resembling hair; rough with hair; rough with hair; rough with hair; hirsute.

His mantle hairy, and his bonnet sedge. Milton.

Haitian

Hai"ti*an (?), a. & n. See Haytian.<-- Now the preferred spelling. -->

Haye

Ha"ye (?), n. [Ar. hayya snake.] (Zoöl.) The Egyptian asp or cobra (Naja haje.) It is related to the cobra of India, and like the latter has the power of inflating its neck into a hood. Its bite is very venomous. It is supposed to be the snake by means of whose bite Cleopatra committed suicide, and hence is sometimes called Cleopatra's snake or asp. See Asp.

Hake

Hake (?), n. [See Hatch a half door.] A drying shed, as for unburned tile.

Hake

Hake, n. [Also haak.] [Akin to Norweg. hakefisk, lit., hook fish, Prov. E. hake hook, G. hecht pike. See Hook.] (Zoöl.) One of several species of marine gadoid fishes, of the genera Phycis, Merlucius, and allies. The common European hake is M. vulgaris; the American silver hake or whiting is M. bilinearis. Two American species (Phycis chuss and P. tenius) are important food fishes, and are also valued for their oil and sounds. Called also squirrel hake, and codling.

Hake

Hake (?), v. t. To loiter; to sneak. [Prov. Eng.]

Hake's-dame

Hake's"-dame` (?), n. See Forkbeard.

Haketon

Hak"e*ton (?), n. Same as Acton. [Obs.]

Hakim

Ha*kim" (?), n. [Ar. hakīm.] A wise man; a physician, esp. a Mohammedan. [India]

Hakim

Ha"kim (?), n. [Ar. hākim.] A Mohammedan title for a ruler; a judge. [India]

Halacha

Ha*la"cha (?), n.; pl. Halachoth() [Heb. halāchāh.] The general term for the Hebrew oral or traditional law; one of two branches of exposition in the Midrash. See Midrash.

Ha-lation

Ha-la"tion (?), n. (Photog.) An appearance as of a halo of light, surround the edges of dark object in a photographic picture.

Halberd

Hal"berd (?; 277), n. [F. hallebarde; of German origin; cf. MHG. helmbarte, G. hellebarte; prob. orig., an ax to split a helmet, fr. G. barte a broad ax (orig. from the same source as E. beard; cf. Icel. bara, a kind of ax, skegg beard, skeggia a kind of halberd) + helm helmet; but cf. also MNG. helm, halm, handle, and E. helve. See Beard, Helmet.] (Mil.) An ancient long-handled weapon, of which the head had a point and several long, sharp edges, curved or straight, and sometimes additional points. The heads were sometimes of very elaborate form. [Written also halbert.]

Halberdier

Hal`berd*ier" (?), n. [F. hallebardier.] One who is armed with a halberd. Strype.

Halberd-shaped

Hal"berd-shaped` (?), a. Hastate.

Halcyon

Hal"cy*on (?), n. [L. halcyon, alcyon, Gr.: F. halcyon.] (Zoöl.) A kingfisher. By modern ornithologists restricted to a genus including a limited number of species having omnivorous habits, as the sacred kingfisher (Halcyon sancta) of Australia.

Amidst our arms as quiet you shall be As halcyons brooding on a winter sea. Dryden.

Halcyon

Hal"cy*on, a.

1. Pertaining to, or resembling, the halcyon, which was anciently said to lay her eggs in nests on or near the sea during the calm weather about the winter solstice.

2. Hence: Calm; quiet; peaceful; undisturbed; happy. Deep, halcyon repose." De Quincy.

Halcyonian

Hal`cy*o"ni*an (?), a. Halcyon; calm.

Halcyonold

Hal"cy*o*nold (?), a. & n. [Halcyon + -oid.] (Zoöl.) See Alcyonoid.

Hale

Hale (?), a. [Written also heil, Icel. heill; akin to E. whole. See Whole.] Sound; entire; healthy; robust; not impaired; as, a hale body.

Last year we thought him strong and hale. Swift.

Hale

Hale, n. Welfare. [Obs.]

All heedless of his dearest hale. Spenser.

Hale

Hale (h&amac;l ∨ h&add;l; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Haled (hāld ∨ h&add;ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Haling.] [OE. halen, halien; cf. AS. holian, to acquire, get. See Haul.] To pull; to drag; to haul. See Haul. Chaucer.

Easier both to freight, and to hale ashore. Milton.

As some dark priest hales the reluctant victim. Shelley.

Halesia

Ha*le"si*a (?), n. [NL.] (Bot.) A genus of American shrubs containing several species, called snowdrop trees, or silver-bell trees. They have showy, white flowers, drooping on slender pedicels.

Half

Half (?), a. [AS. healf, half, half; as a noun, half, side, part; akin to OS., OFries., & D. half, G. halb, Sw. half, Dan. halv, Icel. hālfr, Goth. halbs. Cf. Halve, Behalf.]

1. Consisting of a moiety, or half; as, a half bushel; a half hour; a half dollar; a half view. &hand; The adjective and noun are often united to form a compound.

2. Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect; as, a half dream; half knowledge.

Assumed from thence a half consent. Tennyson.

Half ape (Zoöl.), a lemur. -- Half back. (Football) See under 2d Back. -- Half bent, the first notch, for the sear point to enter, in the tumbler of a gunlock; the halfcock notch. -- Half binding, a style of bookbinding in which only the back and corners are in leather. -- Half boarder, one who boards in part; specifically, a scholar at a boarding school who takes dinner only. -- Half-breadth plan (Shipbuilding), a horizontal plan of the half a vessel, divided lengthwise, showing the lines. -- Half cadence (Mus.), a cadence on the dominant. -- Half cap, a slight salute with the cap. [Obs.] Shak. -- A half cock, the position of the cock of a gun when retained by the first notch.<-- half cocked: see below, halfcocked: = unprepared, lacking forethought; -- as in go off half cocked --> -- Half hitch, a sailor's knot in a rope; half of a clove hitch. -- Half hose, short stockings; socks. -- Half measure, an imperfect or weak line of action. -- Half note (Mus.), a minim, one half of a semibreve. -- Half pay, half of the wages or salary; reduced pay; as, an officer on half pay. -- Half price, half the ordinary price; or a price much reduced. -- Half round. (a) (Arch.) A molding of semicircular section. (b) (Mech.) Having one side flat and the other rounded; -- said of a file. -- Half shift (Mus.), a position of the hand, between the open position and the first shift, in playing on the violin and kindred instruments. See Shift. -- Half step (Mus.), a semitone; the smallest difference of pitch or interval, used in music. -- Half tide, the time or state of the tide equally distant from ebb and flood. -- Half time, half the ordinary time for work or attendance; as, the half-time system. -- Half tint (Fine Arts), a middle or intermediate tint, as in drawing or painting. See Demitint. -- Half truth, a statement only partially true, or which gives only a part of the truth. Mrs. Browning. -- Half year, the space of six moths; one term of a school when there are two terms in a year.