Horn"beak` (?), n. A fish. See Hornfish.
Horn"beam` (?), n. [See Beam.] (Bot.) A tree of the genus Carpinus (C.
Americana), having a smooth gray bark and a ridged trunk, the wood
being white and very hard. It is common along the banks of streams in
the United States, and is also called ironwood. The English hornbeam is
C. Betulus. The American is called also blue beech and water beech.
Hop hornbeam. (Bot.) See under Hop.
Horn"bill` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) Any bird of the family BucerotidÊ, of which
about sixty species are known, belonging to numerous genera. They
inhabit the tropical parts of Asia, Africa, and the East Indies, and
are remarkable for having a more or less horn-like protuberance, which
is usually large and hollow and is situated on the upper side of the
beak. The size of the hornbill varies from that of a pigeon to that of
a raven, or even larger. They feed chiefly upon fruit, but some species
eat dead animals.
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Horn"blende` (?), n. [G., fr. horn horn + blende blende.] (Min.) The
common black, or dark green or brown, variety of amphibole. (See
Amphibole.) It belongs to the aluminous division of the species, and is
also characterized by its containing considerable iron. Also used as a
general term to include the whole species.
Hornblende schist (Geol.), a hornblende rock of schistose structure.
Horn*blend"ic (?), a. Composed largely of hornblende; resembling or
relating to hornblende.
Horn"blow`er (?), n. [AS. hornblwere.] One who, or that which, blows a
horn.
Horn"book` (?), n. 1. The first book for children, or that from which
in former times they learned their letters and rudiments; -- so called
because a sheet of horn covered the small, thin board of oak, or the
slip of paper, on which the alphabet, digits, and often the Lord's
Prayer, were written or printed; a primer. "He teaches boys the
hornbook." Shak.
2. A book containing the rudiments of any science or branch of
knowledge; a manual; a handbook.
Horn"bug` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A large nocturnal beetle of the genus Lucanus
(as L. capreolus, and L. dama), having long, curved upper jaws,
resembling a sickle. The grubs are found in the trunks of old trees.
Horned (?), a. Furnished with a horn or horns; furnished with a
hornlike process or appendage; as, horned cattle; having some part
shaped like a horn.
The horned moon with one bright star Within the nether tip.
Coleridge.
Horned bee (Zoˆl.), a British wild bee (Osmia bicornis), having two
little horns on the head. -- Horned dace (Zoˆl.), an American cyprinoid
fish (Semotilus corporialis) common in brooks and ponds; the common
chub. See Illust. of Chub. -- Horned frog (Zoˆl.), a very large
Brazilian frog (Ceratophrys cornuta), having a pair of triangular horns
arising from the eyelids. -- Horned grebe (Zoˆl.), a species of grebe
(Colymbus auritus), of Arctic Europe and America, having two dense
tufts of feathers on the head. -- Horned horse (Zoˆl.), the gnu. --
Horned lark (Zoˆl.), the shore lark. -- Horned lizard (Zoˆl.), the
horned toad. -- Horned owl (Zoˆl.), a large North American owl (Bubo
Virginianus), having a pair of elongated tufts of feathers on the head.
Several distinct varieties are known; as, the Arctic, Western, dusky,
and striped horned owls, differing in color, and inhabiting different
regions; -- called also great horned owl, horn owl, eagle owl, and cat
owl. Sometimes also applied to the long-eared owl. See Eared owl, under
Eared. -- Horned poppy. (Bot.) See Horn poppy, under Horn. -- Horned
pout (Zoˆl.), an American fresh-water siluroid fish; the bullpout. --
Horned rattler (Zoˆl.), a species of rattlesnake (Crotalus cerastes),
inhabiting the dry, sandy plains, from California to Mexico. It has a
pair of triangular horns between the eyes; -- called also sidewinder.
-- Horned ray (Zoˆl.), the sea devil. -- Horned screamer (Zoˆl.), the
kamichi. -- Horned snake (Zoˆl.), the cerastes. -- Horned toad (Zoˆl.),
any lizard of the genus Phrynosoma, of which nine or ten species are
known. These lizards have several hornlike spines on the head, and a
broad, flat body, covered with spiny scales. They inhabit the dry,
sandy plains from California to Mexico and Texas. Called also horned
lizard. -- Horned viper. (Zoˆl.) See Cerastes.
Horn"ed*ness (?), n. The condition of being horned.