HAKE n.
adoid fishes, of the genera Phycis, Merlucius, and allies. The common European hake is M. vulgaris; the American silver hake or whiting is M. bilinearis. Two American species (Phycis chuss and P. tenius) are important food fishes, and are also valued for their oil and sounds. Called also squirrel hake, and codling.…
HEATH n.
A low shrub (Erica, or Calluna, vulgaris), with minute evergreen leaves, and handsome clusters of pink flowers. It is used in Great Britain for brooms, thatch, beds for the poor, and for heating ovens. It is also called heather, and ling.
HOP n.
ree of the genus Ostrya (O.Virginica) the American ironwood; also, a European species (O. vulgaris). -- Hop moth (Zoöl.), a moth (Hypena humuli), which in the larval state is very injurious to hop vines. -- Hop picker, one who picks hops. -- Hop pole, a pole used to support hop vines. -- Hop tree (Bot.), a small Am…
HOREHOUND n.
A plant of the genus Marrubium (M. vulgare), which has a bitter taste, and is a weak tonic, used as a household remedy for colds, coughing, etc. [Written also hoarhound.] Fetid horehound, or Black horehound, a disagreeable plant resembling horehound (Ballota nigra). -- Water horehound, a species of the genus Lycopus,…
IDIOT n.
stinguished from the educated; an ignoramus. [Obs.] Christ was received of idiots, of the vulgar people, and of the simpler sort, while he was rejected, despised, and persecuted even to death by the high priests, lawyers, scribes, doctors, and rabbis. C. Blount.
IMPERFECT a.
Imperfect power (Math.), a number which can not be produced by taking any whole number or vulgar fraction, as a factor, the number of times indicated by the power; thus, 9 is a perfect square, but an imperfect cube. -- Imperfect tense (Gram), a tense expressing past time and incomplete action.
INDIAN n.
taste like cucumbers. -- Indian currant (Bot.), a plant of the genus Symphoricarpus (S. vulgaris), bearing small red berries. -- Indian dye, the puccoon. -- Indian fig. (Bot.) (a) The banyan. See Banyan. (b) The prickly pear. -- Indian file, single file; arrangement of persons in a row following one after another,…