HALL, hawl, _n._ a large room or passage at the entrance of a house: a
large chamber for public business--for meetings, or for the sale of
particular goods: an edifice in which courts of justice are held: a
manor-house: the main building of a college, and in some cases, as at
Oxford and Cambridge, the specific name of a college itself: an unendowed
college: a licensed residence for students: the great room in which the
students dine together--hence also the dinner itself: a place for special
professional education, or for conferring professional degrees or licenses,
as a Divinity Hall, Apothecaries' Hall.--_ns._ HALL'AGE, toll paid for
goods sold in a hall; HALL'-DOOR, the front door of a house.--A HALL! A
HALL! a cry at a mask or the like for room for the dance, &c.; BACHELOR'S
HALL, a place free from the restraining presence of a wife; LIBERTY HALL, a
place where every one can do as he pleases. [A.S. _heall_; Dut. _hal_, Ice.
_holl_, &c.]
HALLAN, hal'an, _n._ (_Scot._) a partition to keep out the cold between the
door of a cottage and the fireplace.--_n._ HALLANSH[=A]K'ER, a sturdy
beggar.
HALLELUJAH, HALLELUIAH, hal-e-l[=oo]'ya, _n._ the exclamation 'Praise (ye)
the Lord' (Jah or Jehovah), which occurs in many songs and anthems: a song
of praise to God, a musical composition based on the word, as the
Hallelujah (chorus) in Handel's _Messiah_.--_n._ HALLEL (hal-el', hal'el),
the hymn of praise chanted during the Passover supper, consisting of Psalms
cxiii.-cxviii. inclusive. [Heb., 'Praise ye Jehovah,' _halelu_, praise ye,
and _J[=a]h_, Jehovah.]
HALLIARD. See HALYARD.
HALLION, hal'yon, _n._ a lazy rascal.--Also HALL'IAN, HALL'YON.
HALL-MARK, hawl'-märk, _n._ the authorised impression of certain symbols
made on articles of gold and silver at the various assay offices in the
United Kingdom to indicate their true value and the fineness of the metal:
any mark of genuineness or good quality.--_v.t._ to assay and mark
authoritatively.
HALLOO, hal-l[=oo]', _n._ a hunting cry: a cry to draw attention.--_v.i._
to cry after dogs: to raise an outcry.--_v.t._ to encourage or chase with
shouts.--_interjs._ HALLO'! HALLOA'! used to call attention.--HALLOO BEFORE
ONE IS OUT OF THE WOOD, to count on safety before one is out of danger.
[Imit., A.S. _éalá_.]
HALLOW, hal'[=o], _v.t._ to make holy: to set apart for religious use: to
reverence.--_n._ a saint.--_ns._ HALL'OWE'EN, the evening before
All-Hallows or All-Saints' Day; HALL'OWMAS, the Feast of All-Saints, 1st
November. [A.S. _hálgian_--_hálig_, holy.]
HALLUCINATION, hal-l[=u]-sin-[=a]'shun, _n._ error: delusion: the
perception of things that do not externally exist.--_v.i._ HALL[=U]'CINATE,
to suffer illusion.--_adjs._ HALL[=U]'CINATIVE, HALL[=U]'CINATORY,
partaking of or tending to produce hallucination. [L.
_hallucinationem_--_alucin[=a]ri_, _-[=a]tus_, to wander in mind.]
HALLUX, hal'uks, _n._ the first or innermost digit of the foot, the great
toe. [L. _allex_.]
HALM, HAULM, hawm, _n._ the stalk of any kind of grain. [A.S. _healm_; Ger.
_halm_.]
HALMA, hal'ma, _n._ a game played on a checkered board of 256 squares, by
two or four persons, with thirteen to nineteen men each--also _Hoppity_: in
the Greek pentathlon the long jump with weights in the hands.
[Gr.,--_hallesthai_, to leap.]
HALMATURUS, hal-ma-t[=u]'rus, _n._ a genus of kangaroos.
HALO, h[=a]'l[=o], _n._ a luminous circle round the sun or moon, due to the
presence of ice-crystals in the air: (_paint._) the bright ring round the
heads of saints, hence any ideal or sentimental glory attaching to a
thing:--_pl._ HALOS (h[=a]'l[=o]z).--_v.t._ to surround with a halo.--_n._
HAL'OSCOPE, an instrument exhibiting the phenomena connected with halos,
parhelia, &c. [L. _halos_--Gr. _hal[=o]s_, threshing-floor.]
HALOGEN, hal'o-jen, _n._ a substance which by combination with a metal
forms a saline compound.--_adjs._ HALOG'ENOUS; HA'LOID, like
sea-salt.--_ns._ HAL'OMANCY, divination by means of salt; HAL'OPHYTE, the
salt-wort, found in salt-marshes, &c. [Gr. _hals_, salt, _gen[=e]s_,
producing.]
HALSE, hawls, _v.t._ (_Spens._) to clasp round the neck, to embrace.--_n._
(_obs._) the neck, throat--(_Scot._) HAWSE. [A.S. _heals_, neck; Ger.
_hals_.]
HALSER, hawz'[.e]r, _n._ See HAWSER.
HALT, hawlt, _v.i._ to stop from going on: (_mil._) to stop in a
march.--_v.t._ to stop.--_n._ (_mil._) a stop in marching. [Orig. a Ger.
military term, _halt_, stoppage.]
HALT, hawlt, _n._ a halting or limping.--_adj._ lame, crippled,
limping.--_v.i._ to be lame, to limp: to walk unsteadily: to vacillate: to
proceed lamely or imperfectly, to be at fault, as in logic, rhythm,
&c.--_ns._ HALT'ING; HALT'ING-PLACE. [A.S. _halt_, _healt_; Dan. and Sw.
_halt_.]
HALTER, hawlt'[.e]r, _n._ a head-rope for holding and leading a horse: a
rope for hanging criminals: a strong strap or cord.--_v.t._ to catch or
bind with a rope. [A.S. _hælftre_; Ger. _halfter_.]
HALVE, häv, _v.t._ to divide into halves or two equal parts: to join two
pieces of timber by notching or lapping.--_adj._ HALVED, divided into
halves: (_bot._) appearing as if one side were cut away.--_n.pl._ HALVES
(see HALF).
HALYARD, HALLIARD, hal'yard, _n._ (_naut._) a rope or purchase for hoisting
or lowering a sail, yard, or flag, named from their use or position, as
'peak-halyards,' 'signal-halyards,' &c. [Skeat explains it as _hale_ and
_yard_; more prob. merely _hale-ier_.]
HAM, ham, _n._ the back of the thigh: the thigh of an animal, esp. of a hog
salted and dried. [A.S. _hamm_; cf. dial. Ger. _hamme_.]
HAMADRYAD, ham'a-dr[=i]-ad, _n._ (_myth._) a wood-nymph who lived and died
with the tree in which she dwelt:--_pl._ HAM'ADRYADS, HAMADRY'ADES
(-[=e]z). [Gr. _hamadryas_--_hama_, together, _drys_, a tree.]
HAMARTHRITIS, ham-ar-thr[=i]'tis, _n._ gout in all the joints. [Gr. _hama_,
together, _arthritis_, gout.]
HAMARTIALOGY, ham-ar-ti-al'o-ji, _n._ that section of theology which treats
of the nature and effects of sin. [Gr. _hamartia_, sin, _logia_,
discourse.]
HAMATE, h[=a]'m[=a]t, _adj._ hooked, uncinate.--_adj._ HAM'IFORM, hamate.
HAMBLE, ham'bl, _v.t._ to mutilate, to cut out the balls of a dog's feet,
making him useless for hunting.--_v.i._ to walk lame, to limp. [A.S.
_hamelian_.]
HAMBURG, ham'burg, _n._ a black variety of grape--often _Black Hamburg_: a
small-sized variety of the domestic fowl, with blue legs, including the
_Black_, _Gold-_ and _Silver-pencilled_, and _Gold-_ and _Silver-spangled
Hamburgs_.
HAME, h[=a]m, _n._ one of the two curved bars to which the traces are
attached in the harness of a draught-horse. [Cf. Dut. _haam_, Low Ger.
_ham_.]
HAMESUCKEN, h[=a]m'suk-n, _n._ (_Scots law_) the assaulting of a man in his
own house. [A.S. _hám-sócn_, lit. 'home seeking,' an attack upon a house,
also the fine exacted for such; cf. Ger. _heimsuchung_.]
HAMILTONIAN, ham-il-t[=o]'ni-an, _adj._ pertaining to James _Hamilton_
(1769-1831), or his method of teaching languages without grammar, by a
literal interlinear word-for-word translation: pertaining to the philosophy
of Sir W. _Hamilton_ (1788-1856).
HAMITIC, ham-it'ik, _adj._ pertaining to _Ham_, a son of Noah, or the races
that used to be called his descendants, or their languages.--_n.pl._
HAM'ITES, a physical and linguistic group, stretching across the north of
Africa--the African branch of the Caucasic family--comprising Berbers, the
Fellahin, &c.
HAMLET, ham'let, _n._ a cluster of houses in the country: a small
village.--_adj._ HAM'LETED, located in a hamlet. [O. Fr. _hamel_ (Fr.
_hameau_), and dim. affix _-et_--from Teut., Old Fris. _ham_, a home, Ger.
_heim_, A.S. _hám_, a dwelling.]
HAMMAL, ham'al, _n._ a Turkish porter.
HAMMAM, ham'am, _n._ an Oriental bathing establishment, a Turkish
bath.--Also HUM'MAUM, HUM'MUM. [Ar.]
[Illustration]
HAMMER, ham'[.e]r, _n._ a tool for beating metal or driving nails: a
striking-piece in the mechanism of a clock or piano: that part of the lock
of a firearm which falls with a sharp blow and causes the discharge of the
piece: the baton of an auctioneer, a knock from which signifies that an
article is sold: a small bone of the ear, the malleus.--_v.t._ to drive,
shape, or fashion with a hammer: to contrive by intellectual labour, to
excogitate (with _out_): to declare (a person) a defaulter on the Stock
Exchange: to beat down the price of (a stock), to depress (a
market).--_ns._ HAMM'ER-BEAM, a horizontal piece of timber in place of a
tie-beam at or near the feet of a pair of rafters; HAMM'ERHEAD,
HAMM'ER-FISH, a rapacious fish of the shark family--from the shape of its
head.--_adj._ HAMM'ERHEADED, with a head shaped like a hammer: dull in
intellect, stupid.--_n._ HAMM'ERING, a dented, appearance on silverware
effected by successive blows of a hammer.--_adj._ HAMM'ERLESS, without a
hammer--of a gun.--_n._ HAMM'ERMAN, a man who hammers, as a blacksmith,
goldsmith, &c.--HAMMER-AND-TONGS, with great noise and vigour,
violently.--BRING TO THE HAMMER, to sell, or cause to sell, by auction; UP
TO THE HAMMER, first-rate. [A.S. _hamor_; Ger. _hammer_, Ice. _hamarr_.]
HAMMERCLOTH, ham'[.e]r-kloth, _n._ the cloth which covers a coach-box.
[Skeat thinks it an adaptation of Dut. _hemal_, heaven, a covering, with
the addition of _cloth_, by way of giving a sort of sense.]
HAMMOCHRYSOS, ham-o-kr[=i]'sos, _n._ a sparkling stone of the ancients,
perhaps yellow micaceous schist. [Gr., _hammos_, sand, _chrysos_, gold.]
HAMMOCK, ham'uk, _n._ a piece of strong cloth or netting suspended by the
corners, and used as a bed by sailors. [Sp. _hamaca_, of Carib origin.]
HAMOSE, h[=a]'mos, _adj._ hooked--also H[=A]'MOUS.--_adjs._ HAM'ULAR, like
a small hook; HAM'ULATE, having a small hook at the tip.--_n._ HAM'ULUS, a
small hook or hook-like process. [L. _hamus_, hook.]
HAMPER, ham'p[.e]r, _v.t._ to impede or perplex: to shackle.--_n._ a chain
or fetter.--_p.adj._ HAM'PERED, fettered, impeded.--_adv._
HAM'PEREDLY.--_n._ HAM'PEREDNESS. [First about 1350, in Northern writers,
prob. rel. to Ice. _hemja_ (pt.t. _hamdi_), to restrain; Ger. _hemmen_.]
HAMPER, ham'p[.e]r, _n._ a large basket for conveying goods.--_v.t._ to put
in a hamper.--_ns._ HAN'AP, a large drinking-cup; HAN'APER, an old name for
a receptacle for treasure, paper, &c., long the name of an office in the
Court of Chancery. [For _hanaper_--O. Fr. _hanapier_--_hanap_, a
drinking-cup--Old High Ger. _hnapf_; A.S. _hnæp_, a bowl.]
HAMSHACKLE, ham'shak-l, _v.t._ to shackle a cow or horse by a rope joined
to the head and fore-leg: to fetter, restrain. [_Hamper_ and _shackle_.]
HAMSTER, ham'st[.e]r, _n._ a genus of rodent mammals of the family
_Muridæ_, having cheek-pouches reaching back almost to the shoulders.
[Ger.]
HAMSTRING, ham'string, _n._ the great tendon at the back of the knee or
hock of the hind-leg of a quadruped.--_v.t._ to lame by cutting the
hamstring.
HAN, han (_Spens._), _pl._ of _have_.