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One who provides lodgings; especially, the officer of the English royal household who formerly preceded the court when traveling, to provide and prepare lodgings. Fuller.

A name given to several different grasses, especially to the Roltböllia incurvata, and to the species of Ægilops, from one of which it is contended that wheat has been derived.

A filamentous substance; especially, the filaments of flax or hemp.

A musical instrument, resembling a small organ and especially designed for church music, in which the tones are produced by forcing air by means of a bellows so as to cause the vibration of free metallic reeds. It is now made with one or two keyboards, and has pedals and stops.

Originally, the complete dress, especially in a military sense, of a man or a horse; hence, in general, armor. At least we 'll die witch harness on our back. Shak.

That which is hashed or chopped up; meat and vegetables, especially such as have been already cooked, chopped into small pieces and mixed.

A clasp, especially a metal strap permanently fast at one end to a staple or pin, while the other passes over a staple, and is fastened by a padlock or a pin; also, a metallic hook for fastening a door.

That which hastens; especially, a stand or reflector used for confining the heat of the fire to meat while roasting before it.

Early fruit or vegetables; especially, early pease. Mortimer.

A coat of mail; especially, the long coat of mail of the European Middle Ages, as contrasted with the habergeon, which is shorter and sometimes sleeveless. By old writers it is often used synonymously with habergeon. See Habergeon. [Written variously hauberg, hauberque, hawberk, etc.] Chaucer. Helm, nor hawberk's twist…

A net set around the haunt of an animal, especially of a rabbit. Rowe. To dance the hay, to dance in a ring. Shak.

A rake for collecting hay; especially, a large rake drawn by a horse or horses.

A head or leading man, especially of a village community.

A cap of defense; especially, an open one, as distinguished from the closed helmet of the Middle Ages.

The state of being hale, sound, or whole, in body, mind, or soul; especially, the state of being free from physical disease or pain. There is no health in us. Book of Common Prayer. Though health may be enjoyed without gratitude, it can not be sported with without loss, or regained by courage. Buckminster.…

That which resembles a heart in shape; especially, a roundish or oval figure or object having an obtuse point at one end, and at the other a corresponding indentation, -- used as a symbol or representative of the heart.

A force in nature which is recognized in various effects, but especially in the phenomena of fusion and evaporation, and which, as manifested in fire, the sun's rays, mechanical action, chemical combination, etc., becomes directly known to us through the sense of feeling. In its nature heat is a mode if motion, being i…

A door, especially one partly of latticework; -- called also heck door. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Habitual; constitutional; pertaining especially to slow waste of animal tissue, as in consumption; as, a hectic type in disease; a hectic flush.

A thicket of bushes, usually thorn bushes; especially, such a thicket planted as a fence between any two portions of land; and also any sort of shrubbery, as evergreens, planted in a line or as a fence; particularly, such a thicket planted round a field to fence it, or in rows to separate the parts of a garden. The rou…