Standards and gonfalons . . . for distinction serve Of hierarchies,
of orders, and degrees.
Milton.
Hi`er*at"ic (?), a. [L. hieraticus, Gr. &?;; akin to "iero`s sacred:
cf. F. hiÈratique.] Consecrated to sacred uses; sacerdotal; pertaining
to priests.
Hieratic character, a mode of ancient Egyptian writing; a modified form
of hieroglyphics, tending toward a cursive hand and formerly supposed
to be the sacerdotal character, as the demotic was supposed to be that
of the people.
It was a false notion of the Greeks that of the three kinds of
writing used by the Egyptians, two -- for that reason called
hieroglyphic and hieratic -- were employed only for sacred, while
the third, the demotic, was employed for secular, purposes. No such
distinction is discoverable on the more ancient Egyptian monuments;
bur we retain the old names founded on misapprehension.
W. H. Ward (Johnson's Cyc.).
Hi`er*oc"ra*cy (?), n. [Gr. "iero`s sacred + &?; to be strong, rule.]
Government by ecclesiastics; a hierarchy. Jefferson.
{ Hi"er*o*glyph (?), Hi`er*o*glyph"ic (?), } n. [Cf. F. hiÈroglyphe.
See Hieroglyphic, a.]
1. A sacred character; a character in picture writing, as of the
ancient Egyptians, Mexicans, etc. Specifically, in the plural, the
picture writing of the ancient Egyptian priests. It is made up of
three, or, as some say, four classes of characters: first, the
hieroglyphic proper, or figurative, in which the representation of the
object conveys the idea of the object itself; second, the ideographic,
consisting of symbols representing ideas, not sounds, as an ostrich
feather is a symbol of truth; third, the phonetic, consisting of
symbols employed as syllables of a word, or as letters of the alphabet,
having a certain sound, as a hawk represented the vowel a.
2. Any character or figure which has, or is supposed to have, a hidden
or mysterious significance; hence, any unintelligible or illegible
character or mark. [Colloq.]
{ Hi`er*o*glyph"ic (?), Hi`er*o*glyph"ic*al (?), } a. [L.
hieroglyphicus, Gr. &?;; "iero`s sacred + gly`fein to carve: cf. F.
hiÈroglyphique.]
1. Emblematic; expressive of some meaning by characters, pictures, or
figures; as, hieroglyphic writing; a hieroglyphic obelisk.
Pages no better than blanks to common minds, to his, hieroglyphical
of wisest secrets.
Prof. Wilson.
2. Resembling hieroglyphics; not decipherable. "An hieroglyphical
scrawl." Sir W. Scott.
Hi`er*o*glyph`ic*ally (?), adv. In hieroglyphics.
Hi`er*og"ly*phist (?; 277), n. One versed in hieroglyphics. Gliddon.
Hi"er*o*gram (?), n. [Gr. "iero`s sacred + -gram.] A form of sacred or
hieratic writing.
Hi`er*o*gram"mat"ic (?), a. [Cf. F. hiÈrogrammatique.] Written in, or
pertaining to, hierograms; expressive of sacred writing. Bp. Warburton.
Hi`er*o*gram"ma*tist (?), n. [Cf. F. hiÈrogrammatiste.] A writer of
hierograms; also, one skilled in hieroglyphics. Greenhill.
{ Hi`er*o*graph"ic (?), Hi`er*o*graph"ic*al (?), } a. [L.
hierographicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. hiÈrographique.] Of or pertaining to
sacred writing.
Hi`er*og"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; "iero`s sacred + gra`fein to write:
cf. F. hiÈrographie.] Sacred writing. [R.] Bailey.
Hi`er*ol"a*try (?), n. [Gr. "iero`s sacred + &?; worship, &?; to
worship.] The worship of saints or sacred things. [R.] Coleridge.
{ Hi`er*o*log"ic (?), Hi`er*o*log"ic*al (?), } a. [Cf. F.
hiÈrologique.] Pertaining to hierology.
Hi`er*ol"o*gist (?), n. One versed in, or whostudies, hierology.
Hi`er*ol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; "iero`s sacred + &?; discourse: cf. F.
hiÈrologie.] A treatise on sacred things; especially, the science which
treats of the ancient writings and inscriptions of the Egyptians, or a
treatise on that science.
Hi"er*o*man`cy (?), n. [Gr. "iero`s sacred + &?; divination: cf. F.
hiÈromantie.] Divination by observing the objects offered in sacrifice.
Hi"er*o*mar`tyr (?), n. [Gr. "iero`s sacred + E. martyr.] A priest who
becomes a martyr.
||Hi`e*rom*ne"mon (?), n. [NL., from Gr. &?;; "iero`s sacred + &?;
||mindful, fr. &?; to think on, remember.] (Gr. Antiq.) 1. The sacred
||secretary or recorder sent by each state belonging to the
||Amphictyonic Council, along with the deputy or minister. Liddel &
||Scott.
2. A magistrate who had charge of religious matters, as at Byzantium.
Liddel & Scott.
||Hi"er*on (?), n. [Gr. "iero`n.] A consecrated place; esp., a temple.
Hi`er*on"y*mite (?), n. [From St. Hieronymus, or Jerome.] (Eccl.) See
Jeronymite.
Hi*er"o*phant (h*r"*fant or h"r; 277), n. [L. hierophanta,
hierophantes, Gr. "ierofa`nths; "iero`s sacred + fai`nein to show, make
known: cf. F. hiÈrophante.] The presiding priest who initiated
candidates at the Eleusinian mysteries; hence, one who teaches the
mysteries and duties of religion. Abp Potter.
Hi`er*o*phan"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?;.] Of or relating to hierophants or
their teachings.
Hi`er*os"co*py (?), n. [Gr. &?; divination; "iero`s sacred + &?; to
view.] Divination by inspection of entrails of victims offered in
sacrifice.
||Hi`er*o*the"ca (?), n.; pl. -cÊ (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;; "iero`s
||sacred + &?; chest.] A receptacle for sacred objects.
Hi"er*our`gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; "iero`s sacred + &?; work.] A sacred or
holy work or worship. [Obs.] Waterland.
Hi`fa*lu"tin (?), n. See Highfaluting.
Hig"gle (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Higgled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Higgling
(?).] [Cf. Haggle, or Huckster.] 1. To hawk or peddle provisions.
2. To chaffer; to stickle for small advantages in buying and selling;
to haggle.
A person accustomed to higgle about taps.
Jeffry.
To truck and higgle for a private good.
Emerson.
Hig`gle*dy-pig"gle*dy (?), adv. In confusion; topsy-turvy. [Colloq.]
Johnson.
Hig"gler (?), n. One who higgles.