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| Definitions |
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heretofore (hî) adverb prior to this time; before now. |
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hermit (hû) noun a. a person who has withdrawn to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion. b. any person living in seclusion; recluse. c. Zool. an animal of solitary habits. |
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heterogeneous (h t  r--j  n-s) adjective
a. different in kind; unlike; incongruous.
b. composed of parts of different kinds; having widely dissimilar elements or constituents
c. Chem. (of a mixture) composed of different substances or the same substance in different phases, as solid ice and liquid water.
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hibernate (h br-n t) verb
a. Zool. to spend the winter in close quarters in a dormant condition, as bears and certain other animals. Cf. estivate.
b. to withdraw or be in seclusion; retire.
c. to winter in a place with a milder climate
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hierarchy (h-rä) noun
a. any system of persons or things ranked one above another.
b. government by ecclesiastical rulers.
c. the power or dominion of a hierarch.
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homage (h m j) noun
a. respect or reverence paid or rendered
b. the formal public acknowledgment by which a feudal tenant or vassal declared himself to be the man or vassal of his lord, owing him fealty and service.
c. the relation thus established of a vassal to his lord.
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hone (h n) noun
a. a whetstone of fine, compact texture for sharpening razors and other cutting tools.
b. a precision tool with a mechanically rotated abrasive tip, for enlarging holes to precise dimensions.
c. to sharpen on a hone
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horizontal (hô) adjective a. at right angles to the vertical; parallel to level ground. b. flat or level c. being in a prone or supine position; recumbent |
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hostage (hstj) noun
a. a person given or held as security for the fulfillment of certain conditions or terms, promises, etc., by another.
b. 4. to give (someone) as a hostage
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humid (hy md) adjective
having a relatively high amount of moisture or water vapor; damp.
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hurdle (hû) noun a. a portable barrier over which contestants must leap in certain running races, usually a wooden frame with a hinged inner frame that swings down under impact to prevent injury to a runner who does not clear it. b. "hurdles,"(used with a sing. v.) a race in which contestants must leap over a number of such barriers placed at specific intervals around the track. Cf. high hurdles, low hurdles. c. any of various vertical barriers, as a hedge, low wall, or section of fence, over which horses must jump in certain types of turf races, as a steeplechase, but esp. an artificial barrier. |
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hyperbole (h-pû) noun
a. obvious and intentional exaggeration.
b. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as "to wait an eternity." Cf. litotes.
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hypochondriac (hp-kndr- k) adjective
a. Also,"hy·po·chon·dri·a·cal"Psychiatry. pertaining to or suffering from hypochondria.produced by hypochondria.
b. Anat., Zool. of or pertaining to the hypochondrium.
c. Psychiatry. a person suffering from or subject to hypochondria.
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idealism (-d-lzm) noun
a. the cherishing or pursuit of high or noble principles, purposes, goals, etc.
b. the practice of idealizing.
c. something idealized; an ideal representation.
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idiom (d-m) noun
a. an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics.
b. a language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people.
c. a construction or expression of one language whose parts correspond to elements in another language but whose total structure or meaning is not matched in the same way in the second language.
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ignite (g-nt) verb
a. to cause to begin burning; set on fire; kindle.
b. to subject to intense heat; cause to glow with heat.
c. to stir up the emotions of; excite.
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ignominy (gn-mn) noun
a. the condition of being in disgrace or dishonor; humiliation.
b. behavior or a quality that merits disgrace or dishonor.
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illogical (-lj-kl) adjective
not logical; contrary to reason or the rules of logic.
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illuminate (-lm-nt) verb
a. to supply or brighten with light; light up.
b. to make lucid or clear; throw light on (a subject).
c. to decorate with lights, as in celebration.
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illusion (-lzhn) noun
a. something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality.
b. the state or condition of being deceived; misapprehension.
c. an instance of being deceived.
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illustrate (l-strt) verb
a. to furnish (a book, magazine, etc.) with drawings, pictures, or other artwork intended for explanation, elucidation, or adornment.
b. to make clear or intelligible, as by examples or analogies; exemplify.
c. 4. to clarify one's words, writings, etc., with examples
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image (mj) noun
a. a visual representation such as a photograph, sculpture, or painting.
b. a mental picture.
c. a reflection of something, as in a mirror.
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imagery (mj-r) noun
a. the formation of mental images, figures, or likenesses of things, or of such images collectively
b. pictorial images.
c. the use of rhetorical images.
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immaculate (-mky-lt) adjective
a. free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean
b. free from moral blemish or impurity; pure; undefiled.
c. free from fault or flaw; free from errors
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immeasurable (-mzhr--bl) adjective
impossible to measure; without limit.
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