English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

harper

noun

A person who plays the harp.

harpoon

noun

A long spear-like weapon with a barbed point, thrown or fired to catch large sea animals such as whales.

Harps

name

A surname, a patronymic form of Harp.

harpsichord

noun

A keyboard instrument, popular before the piano, in which each key plucks a string rather than striking it with a hammer.

harpy

noun

In Greek mythology, a monstrous creature with the body of a bird and the face of a woman.

Harriet

name

A feminine given name of Germanic origin, an anglicized form of the French Henriette, popular in England during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Harrigan

name

A surname of Irish origin.

Harriman

name

A surname, and the name of a city in Roane County, Tennessee.

Harrington

noun

A short, waist-length jacket with a zip front, often with a tartan lining, associated with 1950s-60s British youth style.

Harris

noun

Slang for a dried, resin-rich preparation made from cannabis flowers, smoked as a drug.

Harrisburg

name

The state capital of Pennsylvania, and the name of several smaller towns across the United States.

Harrison

name

A northern English surname originating as a patronymic, a male given name, and the name of numerous towns across the United States.

Harrogate

name

A spa town in North Yorkshire, England.

harrow

noun

A heavy farming tool with rows of spikes or discs, dragged over ploughed soil to break it up.

harrowing

adj

Extremely distressing or disturbing.

harry

verb

To repeatedly bother, pressure, or harass someone.

harsh

adj

Unpleasantly rough, severe, or unforgiving — used for weather, conditions, sounds, or treatment.

harshly

adv

In a severe, rough, or unkind way.

harshness

noun

The quality of being harsh, rough, or severe.

hart

noun

An adult male deer, especially a mature male red deer.

Hartford

name

The capital city of Connecticut, and a surname and place name found across England and the United States.

hartley

noun

A unit of information equal to the amount contained in one decimal digit (i.e., a choice among ten equally likely outcomes).

Hartman

name

A surname of Dutch and Low German origin.

Hartmann

name

A surname of German origin.

Haru

name

A unisex Japanese given name, often meaning "spring" or "clear weather."

Haruhi

name

A Japanese feminine given name, often written with characters meaning "spring" and "sun."

Haruko

name

A Japanese feminine given name meaning "spring child."

Harumi

name

A Japanese feminine given name meaning "spring beauty."

Harun

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin, the Arabic form of Aaron.

Haruna

name

A Japanese feminine given name, often meaning "spring vegetable" or "spring companion."

Haruo

name

A Japanese masculine given name meaning "spring man."

Harv

name

A masculine given name, typically a short form of Harvey or Harvard.

Harvard

name

A surname and place name, best known as the name of Harvard University in Massachusetts, the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.

harvest

noun

The gathering in of a ripe crop, or the crop itself once gathered.

harvester

noun

A person or machine that gathers a crop.

harvesting

noun

The act of gathering a ripe crop or, more broadly, collecting any resource.

Harvey

name

A masculine given name and surname of French and Breton origin, meaning "battle worthy."

Harwood

name

An English surname and place name, originally denoting someone who lived near a "grey wood" or hare-inhabited wood.

Hasan

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin, meaning "handsome" or "good."

Hasegawa

name

A Japanese surname meaning "long river valley."

hash

noun

A dish of chopped meat and vegetables (often potatoes) fried together.

Hashimoto

name

A Japanese surname meaning "bridge base," referring to the foot of a bridge.

hashish

noun

A concentrated resin extracted from the cannabis plant, typically smoked or eaten.

hashtag

noun

A word or phrase preceded by a # sign, used to tag and group posts on social media.

Haskell

name

An English surname, also used as a given name; also the name of a purely functional programming language.

Haskins

name

An English surname, a patronymic form derived from Haskin, itself a diminutive of Haskell.

Hassan

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin, meaning "handsome" or "good," a variant spelling of Hasan.

Hasselhoff

name

A surname of German origin, most familiar as the surname of actor David Hasselhoff.

hassle

noun

A source of trouble, bother, or minor annoyance.

hassling

noun

Repeated pestering or bothering.

Hast

verb

Archaic second-person singular form of "have" (used with "thou").

hasta

intj

Informal way of saying goodbye, short for "hasta luego" or "hasta la vista."

haste

noun

Speed or urgency in doing something, often at the cost of care.

hasten

verb

To move or act quickly, or to make something happen sooner.

hastily

adv

In a rushed or hurried way, often without enough care.

Hastings

name

A town on the south coast of England, site of the famous 1066 battle, and a surname derived from it.

hasty

adj

Done too quickly, without enough thought or care.

hat

noun

A covering worn on the head, often with a brim.

hatch

noun

A small door or opening, often in a floor, ceiling, wall, or vehicle.

hatchback

noun

A car with a rear door that swings upward to open, giving access to the boot/trunk area.

Hatched

adj

Fired from one's job for violating the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits civil-service employees in the executive branch of the federal government from engaging in certain political activities.

hatcher

noun

A person, animal, or device that hatches eggs.

hatchet

noun

A small hand axe with a short handle.

hatching

noun

The process of an egg producing young, or a group of animals born from eggs at the same time.

hate

verb

To dislike someone or something intensely.

hated

adj

Strongly disliked; despised.

hateful

adj

Full of hatred, or causing others to feel hatred.

hater

noun

Someone who hates or strongly dislikes something.

Hathaway

name

An English surname, historically meaning "dweller by the path across the heath."

Hathorne

name

An English surname, an older spelling of Hawthorne, referring to the hawthorn tree.

hating

noun

The act of feeling or showing hatred; hating something or someone.

hatred

noun

An intense, deep-seated dislike or hostility toward someone or something.

hatter

noun

A person whose trade is making or selling hats.

Hattie

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Harriet.

Hatton

name

An English surname and place name, meaning "heath settlement."

Hattori

name

A Japanese surname historically associated with textile weaving and, famously, with ninja lineage.

Hau

name

A short surname and given name found in Vietnamese and Chinese usage, among other origins.

haughty

adj

Acting as if one is better than others; arrogantly proud and disdainful.

haul

verb

To pull or drag something heavy, often over a distance.

hauling

noun

The business or act of transporting goods, especially by truck.

haunt

verb

Of a ghost or spirit, to appear regularly in a particular place.

haunted

adj

Said of a place, believed to be regularly visited by a ghost.

haunting

adj

Sticking in the mind in a way that's hard to shake off, often with an eerie or poignant quality.

Hauptmann

name

A German surname meaning "captain" or "chief man."

Hauser

name

A German surname, an occupational name for someone who managed a house or household.

haute

adj

Of the highest standard or fashion, especially in cooking or clothing design; borrowed directly from French.

Havana

noun

A type of large, high-quality cigar traditionally made in Cuba.

have

verb

To own or possess something.

Havel

name

A Czech surname and river name; also the name of Václav Havel, the Czech playwright and statesman.

haven

noun

A place of safety or shelter from danger or trouble.

Haverford

name

An English place name and surname, meaning "ford where goats cross."

haves

noun

Wealthy or privileged people, especially when contrasted with those who lack money or power.

having

noun

The act or state of owning or possessing something.

Havisham

name

An English surname, best known as the name of Miss Havisham, a character in Charles Dickens's novel "Great Expectations."

havoc

noun

Widespread destruction, chaos, or disorder.

haw

noun

The small red fruit of the hawthorn tree.

Hawaii

name

A US state made up of a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean, capital Honolulu.

Hawaiian

adj

Relating to Hawaii, its people, or its culture.

Hawes

name

An English surname and place name, originally referring to someone who lived near hedges or enclosures.

hawk

noun

A medium-sized bird of prey that hunts other animals from the air.

Hawke

name

An English surname, a variant of Hawk, originally a nickname for someone thought to resemble the bird.

hawker

noun

A person who sells goods in the street or from place to place, often calling out to attract buyers.

Hawkes

name

An English surname, a variant of Hawke or Hawkes, linked to the hawk.

Hawkeye

noun

An informal nickname for someone from the US state of Iowa.

hawking

noun

The act of selling goods in the street, or the practice of hunting with trained hawks.

Hawks

name

An English surname derived from "hawk," often an occupational name for a falconer.

Hawley

name

An English surname and place name, meaning "hedged clearing" or "hawthorn meadow."

hawthorn

noun

A thorny shrub or small tree (genus Crataegus) with small, apple-like fruits, often used for hedging.

Hawthorne

name

An English surname taken from the hawthorn tree, notably borne by American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.

hay

noun

Grass that has been cut and dried, used as feed for animals.

Hayashi

name

A Japanese surname meaning "forest" or "woods."

Hayat

name

A unisex given name of Arabic origin meaning "life."

Hayato

name

A Japanese masculine given name often meaning "falcon person," suggesting swiftness or bravery.

Hayden

name

A surname, and a popular unisex given name, originally from an English place name meaning "hay valley."

Haydn

name

A German surname, most famously belonging to the composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809).

Hayek

name

A surname of Central European origin, borne by economist Friedrich Hayek and actress Salma Hayek.

Hayes

name

An English or Irish surname, and a given name, also used for several towns in England and the US.

Hayley

name

A feminine given name of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "hay meadow."

Haynes

name

An English surname, a variant of Haines, derived from a Germanic personal name or a place name.

hayride

noun

A recreational ride, often at night, taken sitting in a wagon or trailer loaded with hay.

Hays

name

An English and Scottish surname, a variant of Hay, often referring to an enclosed field.

haystack

noun

A large stacked pile of hay left out in a field.

hayward

noun

Historically, an official responsible for overseeing crops and keeping livestock out of the fields.

haywire

noun

Thin, flexible wire originally used to bind bales of hay.

Haywood

name

An English surname and place name meaning "enclosed wood" or "hedged forest."

Hayworth

name

An English surname, best known through actress Rita Hayworth.

hazard

noun

A source of danger or risk of harm.

hazardous

adj

Dangerous; likely to cause harm.

haze

noun

A thin layer of smoke, dust, or moisture in the air that slightly blurs visibility.

hazel

noun

A small tree or shrub (genus Corylus) that produces edible nuts.

hazelnut

noun

The edible nut of the hazel tree.

Hazelwood

noun

The pale, springy wood of the hazel tree, often used for walking sticks, fencing, and traditionally for divining rods.

hazing

noun

The practice of subjecting someone, often a new member of a group, to humiliating, harsh, or abusive rituals.

hazmat

noun

Hazardous materials, or gear used to handle them.

hazy

adj

Covered or dulled by haze; not clear.

Hazzard

name

An English surname, a variant spelling of Hazard, and a fictional county name popularized by the television show "The Dukes of Hazzard."

he

pron

Used to refer to a male person or animal already mentioned or understood.

hea

adverb

A casual, dialectal way of saying "here" (chiefly Northern English/Scots usage).

head

noun

The part of the body containing the brain, eyes, and mouth.

headache

noun

A pain in the head.

headband

noun

A strip of fabric or flexible material worn around the head, often to hold back hair.

headboard

noun

A vertical panel at the head end of a bed.

headdress

noun

A decorative covering or ornament worn on the head.

headed

adj

Moving or directed toward a particular place.

header

noun

Text or information placed at the top of a page, document, or section.

headfirst

adv

With the head leading; headlong.

headgear

noun

Anything worn on the head, such as a hat, helmet, or hood.

headhunter

noun

A recruiter who seeks out and approaches skilled professionals, especially executives, to fill jobs at other companies.

heading

noun

The title or short label at the top of a document, chapter, or section.

headless

adj

Having no head, literally — a body without its head.