English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

hopper

noun

A funnel-shaped container that holds material and releases it from the bottom, used in machines, silos, and drainpipes.

hopping

noun

The action of jumping on one leg or with small bounds.

hoppy

adj

Having a strong taste of hops.

hops

noun

The flowers of the hop plant, used to flavour and preserve beer.

hopscotch

noun

A children's game of hopping through a pattern of numbered squares chalked on the ground.

hora

noun

A circle dance traditional in the Balkans, Israel, and Jewish culture worldwide.

Horace

name

A male given name of Latin origin, notably borne by the Roman poet Horace.

Horatio

name

A male given name of Latin origin, notably borne by the character in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

horde

noun

A large, often unruly crowd of people.

hordeolum

noun

The medical name for a stye, a small swollen infection on the eyelid.

hori

noun

Informal New Zealand term for a Māori person.

horizon

noun

The line in the distance where the sky appears to meet the land or sea.

horizontal

adj

Level and flat; parallel to the ground rather than upright.

horizontally

adv

In a flat, level direction or position.

horlicks

noun

A warm bedtime drink made from malted milk powder.

hormonal

adj

Relating to hormones.

hormone

noun

A chemical made by one part of the body and carried in the blood to affect another part.

hormones

noun

Plural of hormone; often used loosely to mean hormone treatment or hormonal changes.

horn

noun

A hard, pointed growth on the head of certain animals, such as cattle, goats, or rhinos.

hornbeam

noun

A tree of the genus Carpinus, with smooth grey bark and very hard white wood.

hornblende

noun

A dark green or black mineral that forms as certain molten rock cools deep underground.

hornblower

noun

Someone (or something) that blows a horn, especially as a signal or in music.

Horne

name

A surname.

horned

adj

Having horns.

horner

noun

A craftsman who works with animal horn to make objects.

hornet

noun

A large, aggressive wasp with a painful sting.

horniness

noun

The quality of feeling or looking like horn in texture.

horny

adj

Informal: sexually aroused.

horologe

noun

Another word for a sundial or a clock, a device that shows the time of day.

horologer

noun

Another word for a horologist, someone who makes or looks after clocks and watches.

horologist

noun

Someone trained in making or mending clocks and watches.

horologium

name

Another name for the Tower of the Winds, an ancient Athens monument that contained a clepsydra and several prominent sundials.

horoscope

noun

A forecast of a person's character or future based on the position of the stars and planets at their birth.

Horowitz

name

A surname of German and Yiddish origin.

horrendous

adj

Extremely unpleasant, shocking, or bad.

horrible

adj

Causing horror; extremely unpleasant or shocking.

horribly

adv

In a horrible or very unpleasant way; badly.

horrid

adj

Very unpleasant, nasty, or unkind.

horrific

adj

Causing horror; extremely frightening or shocking.

horrified

adj

Feeling shock and horror.

horrify

verb

To make someone feel very shocked or afraid.

horrifying

adj

Causing horror; extremely frightening.

horripilating

adj

Making the hair on the skin stand up, usually from fear or cold.

horripilation

noun

A bristling of the hair on the head or body, caused by things such as fear, cold or illness.

horror

noun

A strong feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.

horry

adj

Dirty and unpleasant.

horse

noun

A large hoofed mammal with a mane and tail, long domesticated for riding, pulling loads, and farm work.

horseback

adverb

Riding on the back of a horse.

horsefeathers

noun

(informal) A word used to say you do not believe something; nonsense.

horseflesh

noun

Meat that comes from a horse.

horsefly

noun

A large fly that bites mammals and feeds on their blood.

horseload

noun

The amount that a horse is able to carry.

horsely

adj

Like a horse, or connected with horses.

horseman

noun

A man who rides a horse, especially one who does so skillfully.

horsemanship

noun

Skill at riding a horse, and sometimes at training and looking after one.

horsen

adj

Relating to horses; equine.

horseplay

noun

Rough, boisterous physical play — pushing, wrestling, chasing and mock fighting — carried on for fun but with a real chance of somebody getting hurt or something getting broken.

horsepower

noun

A unit for measuring the power of an engine, roughly equal to 746 watts.

horseradish

noun

A plant grown for its sharp, pungent root.

horseshit

noun

Vulgar slang for nonsense or lies; a coarse synonym of "bullshit."

horseshoe

noun

A U-shaped metal shoe nailed to a horse's hoof for protection.

horseshoes

noun

A game in which players toss horseshoes at a metal stake to score points.

horsetail

noun

A simple plant with hollow stems that reproduces by spores rather than seeds.

Horsey

name

An English surname, also the name of a village in Norfolk, England.

horsing

noun

The gerund form of "horse" used in playful or rough activity, as in "horsing around."

horst

noun

In geology, a raised block of the Earth's crust sitting between two faults.

horsy

adj

Similar to, or connected with, horses.

Hortense

name

A feminine given name of French origin, also the name of a small community in Georgia, United States.

hortensia

noun

Another name for the hydrangea plant.

horticulture

noun

The skill or practice of growing plants in a garden.

Horton

name

An English habitational surname, also the name of numerous villages in England and towns across the United States and Australia.

Horus

name

The ancient Egyptian falcon-headed god of the sky, sun, war, and kingship.

Horvath

name

A Hungarian surname meaning "Croatian."

hosanna

interjection

A shout of praise or joyful worship, especially in Christian and Jewish religious tradition.

hose

noun

A flexible tube used to carry water or other liquid.

hosebag

noun

(informal) An unpleasant, foolish or objectionable person.

hosed

adjective

Informal: ruined, broken, or in serious trouble.

Hoskins

name

An English surname, also the name of small communities in Nebraska and Oregon.

hospice

noun

A facility or program providing comfort-focused care for people who are terminally ill, rather than treatment aimed at a cure.

hospitable

adjective

Warm and generous toward guests or visitors.

hospital

noun

A medical facility where sick or injured people receive treatment, often including surgery and overnight care.

hospitalised

adjective

Admitted to a hospital for treatment.

hospitality

noun

Friendly, generous treatment of guests or visitors.

hospitalization

noun

The act or period of being treated as a patient in a hospital.

hospitalize

verb

To send or admit a person to hospital for treatment.

hospitalized

adjective

Admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Hoss

name

A surname, also familiar as the nickname of a character on the television show Bonanza.

host

noun

A person who welcomes and entertains guests, or who runs an event.

hostage

noun

A person held captive to force someone else to do, or not do, something.

hostel

noun

Cheap, shared lodging for travelers, often with dormitory-style rooms.

hostelry

noun

An old word for an inn where travellers, and once their horses too, could stay the night.

hostess

noun

A woman who welcomes and entertains guests, or who runs an event.

hostie

noun

The blessed bread or wafer used in the Eucharist, also known as the host.

hostile

adjective

Unfriendly or aggressive, like an enemy.

hostilities

noun

Acts of war or armed conflict.

hostility

noun

Unfriendly or aggressive feelings or behavior.

hosting

noun

The act of running and maintaining a website or computer service for someone else.

hostler

noun

Someone who works at an inn or stable looking after horses.

hot

adj

Having or giving off a high temperature.

hot wallet

noun

A cryptocurrency wallet whose secret keys are held on a device connected to the internet, such as a phone app, a browser extension or an exchange account, making it quick to use and reachable by online attackers.

Hotaru

name

A Japanese feminine given name meaning "firefly."

hotbed

noun

A place or situation where something, especially something undesirable, develops quickly and intensely.

hotcake

noun

Another word for a pancake.

hotch

verb

To jerk or jiggle irregularly, moving up and down in short, uneven motions.

Hotchkiss

name

An English surname, also the name of a town in Colorado, United States.

hotdish

noun

A type of baked casserole made with a starch, meat or another protein, and tinned or frozen vegetables, combined with tinned soup.

hotel

noun

A large, grand house in a town, especially one found in France.

hotfoot

noun

A trick in which someone quietly puts a match into another person's shoe and sets it alight.

hothead

noun

Someone who loses their temper easily or is quick to pick a fight.

hotheaded

adj

Easily angered or overexcited; prone to acting rashly.

hothouse

noun

A heated greenhouse used for growing plants that need warmth.

hotline

noun

A dedicated phone line staffed to give immediate help or advice.

hotness

noun

The state or quality of being hot.

hots

noun

Strong physical or sexual attraction toward someone (used with "the" and "for").

hotshot

noun

Someone considered highly skilled or successful in their field, often said with a hint of sarcasm.

hotspot

noun

A place where a wireless network is made available so that people nearby can get online, such as in a café, hotel or airport.

hotter

noun

Someone who steals a vehicle to joyride in it.

hottie

noun

A physically attractive person.

hotting

noun

Riding in a high-performance stolen car, especially as a form of display.

Hou

name

A Chinese surname, also the name of a town near Xi'an, China.

Houdini

noun

A skilled escape artist, or someone who slips out of tricky situations.

Houlihan

noun

A lasso throw used in rodeo and roping in which the loop is cast with a downward, sweeping motion.

hound

noun

A dog, especially a breed bred for hunting by scent or sight.

hounding

noun

Relentless, persistent pursuit or harassment.

hour

noun

A unit of time equal to sixty minutes, one twenty-fourth of a day.

hourglass

noun

A timekeeping device with two glass bulbs joined by a narrow neck, through which sand trickles from top to bottom.

houri

noun

A beautiful young virgin believed to live in Paradise to give pleasure to the faithful.

hourly

adj

Happening once every hour.

hours

noun

The plural of hour: periods of sixty minutes.

house

noun

A building where people live, typically a single family.

houseboat

noun

A boat fitted out as a permanent or semi-permanent home.

houseboy

noun

A young male servant employed to do domestic work in a household.

housed

adj

Provided with, enclosed in, or covered by a house or shelter.

housegirl

noun

A young female employee who does housework in a private home.

houseguest

noun

Someone staying overnight or longer as a visitor in another person's home.

household

noun

All the people who live together in one home, including family and any live-in staff.

householder

noun

A person who owns a house.

househusband

noun

A man who runs the home and looks after the household rather than holding a paid job, the male counterpart to a housewife.

housekeeper

noun

Someone employed to manage the cleaning and upkeep of a home, hotel, or institution.

housekeeping

noun

The tasks of cleaning and maintaining a home, or the staff who do this in a hotel or institution.

houseless

adj

Without a house, or more generally without any home or shelter.

housemade

adj

Made on the premises by the shop or restaurant that sells it.

housemaid

noun

A woman employed to clean and maintain a household.

houseman

noun

A male domestic servant or retainer.

housemate

noun

A person who lives in the same house as you.

houser

noun

A person or thing that provides housing.

housewarming

noun

A party held to celebrate moving into a new home.

housewife

noun

A woman whose main role is managing the home rather than working outside it.

housework

noun

Domestic chores such as cleaning, laundry, and cooking.

housing

noun

Buildings for people to live in, considered collectively.