3. (Zoˆl.) An African fruit bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus); -- so called
from its large blunt nozzle.
Ham"mer*kop (hm"mr*kp), n. (Zoˆl.) A bird of the Heron family; the
umber.
Ham"mer-less, a. (Firearms) Without a visible hammer; -- said of a gun
having a cock or striker concealed from sight, and out of the way of an
accidental touch.
Ham"mer*man (-man), n.; pl. Hammermen (-men). A hammerer; a forgeman.
||Ham`mo*chry"sos (hm`m*kr"ss), n. [L., fr. Gr. "ammo`chrysos; "a`mmos,
||'a`mmos, sand + chryso`s gold.] A stone with spangles of gold color
||in it.
Ham"mock (hm"mk), n. [A word of Indian origin: cf. Sp. hamaca.
Columbus, in the Narrative of his first voyage, says: "A great many
Indians in canoes came to the ship to-day for the purpose of bartering
their cotton, and hamacas, or nets, in which they sleep."] 1. A
swinging couch or bed, usually made of netting or canvas about six feet
long and three feet wide, suspended by clews or cords at the ends.
2. A piece of land thickly wooded, and usually covered with bushes and
vines. Used also adjectively; as, hammock land. [Southern U. S.]
Bartlett.
Hammock nettings (Naut.), formerly, nets for stowing hammocks; now,
more often, wooden boxes or a trough on the rail, used for that
purpose.
{ Ha*mose" (h*ms"), Ha"mous (h"ms), }[L. hamus hook.] (Bot.) Having the
end hooked or curved.
Ham"per (hm"pr), n. [Contr. fr. hanaper.] A large basket, usually with
a cover, used for the packing and carrying of articles; as, a hamper of
wine; a clothes hamper; an oyster hamper, which contains two bushels.
Ham"per, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hampered (-prd); p. pr. & vb. n.
Hampering.] To put in a hamper.
Ham"per, v. t. [OE. hamperen, hampren, prob. of the same origin as E.
hamble.] To put a hamper or fetter on; to shackle; to insnare; to
inveigle; to entangle; hence, to impede in motion or progress; to
embarrass; to encumber. "Hampered nerves." Blackmore.
A lion hampered in a net.
L'Estrange.
They hamper and entangle our souls.
Tillotson.
Ham"per, n. [See Hamper to shackle.] 1. A shackle; a fetter; anything
which impedes. W. Browne.
2. (Naut.) Articles ordinarily indispensable, but in the way at certain
times. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Top hamper (Naut.), unnecessary spars and rigging kept aloft.
Ham"shac`kle (hm"shk`'l), v. t. [Ham + shackle.] To fasten (an animal)
by a rope binding the head to one of the fore legs; as, to hamshackle a
horse or cow; hence, to bind or restrain; to curb.
Ham"ster (-str), n. [G. hamster.] (Zoˆl.) A small European rodent
(Cricetus frumentarius). It is remarkable for having a pouch on each
side of the jaw, under the skin, and for its migrations.
Ham"string` (hm"strng`), n. (Anat.) One of the great tendons situated
in each side of the ham, or space back of the knee, and connected with
the muscles of the back of the thigh.
Ham"string`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hamstrung; p. pr. & vb. n.
Hamstringing. See String.] To lame or disable by cutting the tendons of
the ham or knee; to hough; hence, to cripple; to incapacitate; to
disable.
So have they hamstrung the valor of the subject by seeking to
effeminate us all at home.
Milton.
Ham"u*lar (hm"*lr), a. Hooked; hooklike; hamate; as, the hamular
process of the sphenoid bone.
Ham"u*late (-lt), a. Furnished with a small hook; hook-shaped. Gray.
Ham"ule (-l), n. [L. hamulus.] A little hook.
Ham"u*lose` (-*ls`), a. [L. hamulus, dim. of hamus a hook.] Bearing a
small hook at the end. Gray.
||Ham"u*lus (-ls), n.; pl. Hamuli (-l). [L., a little hook.] 1. (Anat.)
||A hook, or hooklike process.