English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

hove

verb

A past tense of "heave," used especially in nautical contexts to describe a ship coming into view or coming to a stop.

hovel

noun

A small, poorly built and often squalid dwelling; a shack.

hover

verb

To remain suspended in one place in the air.

hovercraft

noun

A vehicle that travels on a cushion of air, able to move over both land and water.

hovering

noun

The act of remaining suspended in one place, or of lingering nearby.

how

adv

By what means, method, or manner.

howdy

intj

An informal greeting.

Howe

name

An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a small hill, also the name of villages in England and towns in the United States.

however

adv

Nevertheless; in spite of what was just said.

Howie

name

A diminutive of the given name Howard, and also a surname.

howitzer

noun

A large gun that fires shells on a high, curving path, combining features of field guns and mortars.

howl

noun

The long, mournful cry of a wolf, dog, or similar animal.

howlarious

adj

(informal) So funny that it makes you laugh out loud.

howler

noun

That which howls, especially an animal such as a wolf or a howler monkey.

howling

noun

The act or sound of howling.

Howser

name

A surname.

howsoever

adv

No matter how something is done.

hoy

noun

A small single-masted boat once used to ferry passengers and cargo along the coast or to larger ships.

hoyden

noun

A girl or woman who behaves in a rough, badly-mannered or boisterous way.

Hoyle

name

An English surname, notably borne by Edmond Hoyle, whose name became synonymous with the rules of card games.

Hoyt

name

An English topographical surname for someone who lived on high ground, also a male given name and the name of small communities in Kansas and elsewhere.

Hrs

name

A male given name from the Slavic languages.

hryvnia

noun

The official currency of Ukraine, represented by the symbol ₴ and divided into 100 kopiykas.

HS

noun

High school; the secondary school stage in the United States, usually covering ages fourteen to eighteen.

Hsiao

name

A Chinese surname.

Hsu

name

A Chinese surname.

HTML

noun

The language used to set out the content and structure of a web page — marking which parts are headings, paragraphs, lists, images, links and so on — using tags written around the text.

HTTP

noun

The set of rules browsers and servers follow to exchange web pages and other files: the browser sends a request, the server sends back a response along with a status code saying what happened.

HTTPS

noun

A secured version of HTTP, in which traffic between browser and server is encrypted so that others on the network cannot read or alter it, and the site presents a certificate proving it is who it claims to be.

Hu

pron

A gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun (they/them/their), used instead of he/she.

Hua

name

A Chinese surname, also the name of a county of Anyang, Henan, China.

Huai

name

A major river in China, running between the Yellow River and the Yangtze.

Huang

name

A Chinese surname meaning "yellow."

hub

noun

The central part of a wheel, around which it turns.

hubba

noun

A tiny unit of weight or measure, historically used in South Asian and Middle Eastern trade for grains or seeds.

Hubbard

name

An English surname, also the name of towns in Iowa, Ohio, Oregon, and Texas.

Hubbell

name

An English surname, notably borne by baseball pitcher Carl Hubbell.

Hubble

noun

A loud commotion or uproar.

hubbub

noun

A loud, confused noise made by a crowd of people talking or shouting at once; an uproar.

hubbuboo

noun

A loud, confused noise or commotion.

hubby

noun

(informal) Husband.

Huber

name

A German surname, historically referring to the tenant of a small farm.

Huberman

name

A surname.

Hubert

name

A male given name of Germanic origin, borne by an 8th-century bishop who became the patron saint of hunters; also a surname.

hubris

noun

Excessive pride or self-confidence, especially the kind that leads to a downfall.

huck

verb

(informal, sports) To throw something, or to throw oneself off a jump or drop.

huckleberry

noun

A small, dark blue or red berry from certain shrubs related to blueberries.

huckster

noun

A peddler or hawker, who sells small items, either door-to-door, from a stall, or in the street.

hud

noun

The hard outer shell or husk of a nut.

huddle

noun

A small group of people or things gathered closely together.

huddled

adj

Crowded closely together.

Hudson

name

An English surname that originated as a patronymic.

hue

noun

A color, or a particular shade or tint of a color.

huer

noun

A person who shouts a warning or raises an alarm.

huerta

noun

A fertile, irrigated agricultural region, especially in southeastern Spain.

huevos

noun

Short for huevos rancheros, a Mexican breakfast dish of fried eggs served on tortillas with tomato-chili sauce.

Huey

noun

An informal American name for a Bell UH-1 Iroquois military helicopter, widely used during the Vietnam War.

huff

noun

A fit of annoyance or offended pride.

huffing

noun

The act of inhaling a substance, especially an aerosol or solvent, to get high.

huffy

adjective

Annoyed and sulky, often over something small; easily offended.

hug

verb

To wrap your arms around someone and hold them close, usually to show affection or comfort.

huge

adjective

Extremely large in size, amount, or degree.

hugely

adverb

To a very great extent; enormously.

hugger

noun

A person who likes to hug, or who is hugging someone.

hugging

noun

The act of embracing someone with your arms.

Huggins

name

An English surname.

huggy

adjective

Fond of hugging; physically affectionate.

Hugh

name

A male given name of Germanic origin, also used as a surname.

Hughes

name

A Welsh and English surname derived from the given name Hugh, also the name of a suburb of Canberra, Australia.

Hughie

name

A diminutive of the male given name Hugh, also used informally as an imaginary figure blamed for rain or good surf.

Hugo

name

A male given name of Germanic origin, being a Latinized form of Hugh.

huh

interjection

Used to show confusion, surprise, or to ask someone to repeat what they said.

hui

noun

A Māori gathering or meeting, often used in New Zealand English for any formal group meeting or assembly.

hula

noun

A traditional Hawaiian dance performed with rhythmic hip movements, often accompanied by chanting or song.

hulk

noun

A large, bulky ship, especially an old one that is no longer seaworthy.

hulking

adj

Big, heavy and solidly built.

hull

noun

The main body of a ship, boat, or aircraft.

hullabaloo

noun

A loud commotion or uproar, often over something minor.

hulled

adj

With the hulls removed.

hum

verb

To sing a tune with your lips closed, without forming words.

human

adjective

Relating to people, or having the qualities typical of people.

human capital

noun

The knowledge, skills, health and experience of the people in a workforce or a population, treated as an economic asset that produces value.

human rights

noun

The basic freedoms and protections that every person is entitled to simply for being human, such as the right to life, liberty, a fair trial, free expression and freedom from torture or slavery — regardless of nationality, sex, religion or any other status.

humane

adj

Kind and caring about the pain or suffering of others.

humaneness

noun

The quality of being humane; kindness and compassion.

humanism

noun

A way of thinking that bases morality and meaning on human reason, evidence and compassion rather than on religious belief.

humanist

noun

Someone who believes in humanism — the idea that people can lead ethical, meaningful lives through reason and compassion, without relying on religion.

humanistic

adj

Relating to humanism.

humanitarian

adjective

Concerned with improving people's welfare and reducing suffering.

humanities

noun

Academic subjects that study human culture, such as literature, history, philosophy, and languages, as opposed to the sciences.

humanity

noun

People as a whole; the human race.

humanization

noun

The process of making something more human.

humankind

noun

The human race considered as a whole.

humanlike

adj

Resembling or having qualities of a human being.

humanly

adverb

Within the limits of human ability or power.

humanness

noun

The state or quality of being human.

humanoid

adjective

Having a form or characteristics similar to a human being.

humble

adjective

Not proud or arrogant; modest about one's own importance or abilities.

humbled

adjective

Made to feel less important or proud, often after a defeat or setback.

humbleness

noun

The quality of being modest and humble.

humbling

adjective

Making someone realize their own limitations; causing a loss of pride.

humbly

adverb

In a modest, unassuming way, without pride or arrogance.

Humboldt

name

A German surname, notably borne by naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, and the name of several places in the United States and Canada named in his honor.

humbug

noun

Nonsense, deception, or something meant to trick or mislead people.

humdrum

adjective

Dull, monotonous, and lacking excitement.

Hume

name

A Scottish surname, notably borne by philosopher David Hume; also the name of a region in Victoria, Australia.

humerus

noun

The long bone that runs from the shoulder to the elbow in humans and other vertebrates.

humid

adjective

Containing a lot of moisture in the air; damp and often warm.

humidity

noun

The amount of moisture present in the air.

humiliate

verb

To make someone feel ashamed or foolish, often publicly.

humiliated

adjective

Made to feel deeply ashamed or embarrassed, often in front of others.

humiliating

adjective

Causing someone to feel deeply ashamed or embarrassed.

humiliation

noun

The act of making someone feel ashamed or beneath others.

humility

noun

The quality of being modest and not thinking too highly of yourself.

Hummel

noun

An animal, such as a stag or cow, that lacks the horns or antlers normally expected of its kind.

hummer

noun

Informal name for a Humvee or similar large, boxy off-road vehicle.

humming

adjective

Making a continuous low buzzing or droning sound.

hummingbird

noun

A tiny, fast-flying bird that can hover in place by beating its wings extremely quickly.

hummock

noun

A small hill or mound.

hummus

noun

A creamy dip made from mashed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.

humongous

adjective

Extremely large; huge.

humor

noun

The quality that makes something funny, or the ability to find and enjoy what is funny.

humorist

noun

(historical) Someone who believed that a person's health and character depended on the body's fluids, or humours.

humorless

adj

Having no sense of fun; completely serious and never amusing or light-hearted.

humorous

adjective

Funny or amusing; intended to make people laugh.

humour

noun

(UK) The quality of being funny, or the ability to find things funny.

hump

noun

A rounded raised lump or bulge, such as on a camel's back or in a road.

humpable

adj

(informal) Able to be humped, or sexually attractive.

humpback

noun

Short for humpback whale, a large baleen whale known for its long fins and acrobatic breaching.

humpbacked

adj

Possessing a hump on the back, whether it occurs naturally or results from a medical condition.

humped

adjective

Having a hump or humps.

humph

interjection

A grunted sound made to show annoyance, doubt, or disapproval.

Humphrey

name

A male given name of Germanic origin, also used as a surname.

Humphreys

name

An English surname, also the name of a small village in Missouri, United States.

Humphries

name

An English surname.

humping

noun

The act of thrusting the hips rhythmically, often in a sexual or mock-sexual way.

humpty

adjective

(informal) Short and stocky; dumpy.

humpy

adj

Marked by humps, or uneven.

humus

noun

The dark, crumbly material in soil formed as dead leaves, plants and animals break down, which holds water and feeds growing plants.

Humvee

noun

A rugged, four-wheel-drive military vehicle used to transport troops and equipment.

hun

noun

A member of the nomadic people who invaded Europe from Central Asia in the 4th and 5th centuries.

Hunan

name

A province in south-central China, known for its spicy cuisine, with its capital at Changsha.

hunch

noun

A feeling or guess based on instinct rather than solid evidence.

hunchback

noun

A person whose spine curves abnormally, giving their back a rounded, raised shape.

hundo

noun

(informal) Completely, or a hundred per cent.

hundred

numeral

The number 100, following ninety-nine.

hundredth

adjective

Coming after ninety-ninth in a sequence; the ordinal form of 100.

hung

adjective

Suspended or attached from above.

Hungarian

adjective

Relating to Hungary, its people, or its language.

Hungary

name

A landlocked country in Central Europe whose capital is Budapest.