3. (Porcelain Manuf.) A large conical brick structure around which the
firing kilns are grouped. Knight.
Hov"el, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hoveled (?) or Hovelled; p. pr. & vb. n.
Hoveling or Hovelling.] To put in a hovel; to shelter.
To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlon.
Shak.
The poor are hoveled and hustled together.
Tennyson.
Hov"el*er (?), n. One who assists in saving life and property from a
wreck; a coast boatman. [Written also hoveller.] [Prov. Eng.] G. P. R.
James.
Hov"el*ing, n. A method of securing a good draught in chimneys by
covering the top, leaving openings in the sides, or by carrying up two
of the sides higher than the other two. [Written also hovelling.]
Ho"ven (?), obs. or archaic p. p. of Heave.
Ho"ven (?), a. Affected with the disease called hoove; as, hoven
cattle.
Hov"er (?), n. [Etymol. doubtful.] A cover; a shelter; a protection.
[Archaic] Carew. C. Kingsley.
Hov"er, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Hovered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Hovering.]
[OE. hoveren, and hoven, prob. orig., to abide, linger, and fr. AS. hof
house; cf. OFries. hovia to receive into one's house. See Hovel.] 1. To
hang fluttering in the air, or on the wing; to remain in flight or
floating about or over a place or object; to be suspended in the air
above something.
Great flights of birds are hovering about the bridge, and settling
on it.
Addison.
A hovering mist came swimming o'er his sight.
Dryden.
2. To hang about; to move to and fro near a place, threateningly,
watchfully, or irresolutely.
Agricola having sent his navy to hover on the coast.
Milton.
Hovering o'er the paper with her quill.
Shak.
Hov"er*er (?), n. A device in an incubator for protecting the young
chickens and keeping them warm.
Hov"er-hawk` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The kestrel.
Hov"er*ing*ly, adv. In a hovering manner.
How (?), adv. [OE. how, hou, hu, hwu, AS. h&?;, from the same root as
hw, hwÊt, who, what, pron. interrog.; akin to OS. hww, D. hoe, cf. G.
wie how, Goth. hw wherewith, hwaiwa how. √182. See Who, and cf.
Why.] 1. In what manner or way; by what means or process.
How can a man be born when he is old?
John iii. 4.
2. To what degree or extent, number or amount; in what proportion; by
what measure or quality.
O, how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
Ps. cxix. 97.
By how much they would diminish the present extent of the sea, so
much they would impair the fertility, and fountains, and rivers of
the earth.
Bentley.