the eighth letter of the English alphabet, is classed among the consonants, and is formed with the mouth organs in the same position as that of the succeeding vowel. It is used with certain consonants to form digraphs representing sounds which are not found in the alphabet, as sh, th, &thlig_;, as in shall, thing, &thlig_;ine (for zh see §274); also, to modify the sounds of some other letters, as when placed after c and p, with the former of which it represents a compound sound like that of tsh, as in charm (written also tch as in catch), with the latter, the sound of f, as in phase, phantom. In some words, mostly derived or introduced from foreign languages, h following c and g indicates that those consonants have the hard sound before e, i, and y, as in chemistry, chiromancy, chyle, Ghent, Ghibelline, etc.; in some others, ch has the sound of sh, as in chicane. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 153, 179, 181-3, 237-8. [ 1913 Webster ]

The name (aitch) is from the French ache; its form is from the Latin, and this from the Greek H, which was used as the sign of the spiritus asper (rough breathing) before it came to represent the long vowel, Gr. η. The Greek H is from Phœnician, the ultimate origin probably being Egyptian. Etymologically H is most closely related to c; as in E. horn, L. cornu, Gr. ke`ras; E. hele, v. t., conceal; E. hide, L. cutis, Gr. ky`tos; E. hundred, L. centum, Gr. "e-kat-on, Skr. &csdot_;ata. [1913 Webster]

H piece (Mining), the part of a plunger pump which contains the valve. [1913 Webster]

(Mus.) The seventh degree in the diatonic scale, being used by the Germans for B natural. See B. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The chemical formula for water.
Syn. -- water, hydrogen oxide. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

interj. [ AS. ] An exclamation denoting surprise, joy, or grief. Both as uttered and as written, it expresses a great variety of emotions, determined by the tone or the context. When repeated, ha, ha, it is an expression of laughter, satisfaction, or triumph, sometimes of derisive laughter; or sometimes it is equivalent to “Well, it is so.” [ 1913 Webster ]

Ha-has, and inarticulate hootings of satirical rebuke. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. & Sw. haf the sea, Dan. hav, perh. akin to E. haven. ] The deep-sea fishing for cod, ling, and tusk, off the Shetland Isles. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A sea fish. See Hake. Ash. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Hoar. ] A fog; esp., a fog or mist with a chill wind. [ Scot. ] T. Chalmers. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ L. you may have the body. ] (Law) A writ having for its object to bring a party before a court or judge; especially, one to inquire into the cause of a person's imprisonment or detention by another, with the view to protect the right to personal liberty; also, one to bring a prisoner into court to testify in a pending trial. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A genus of chiefly terrestrial orchids with tubers or fleshy roots often having long slender spurs and petals and lip lobes; it includes species formerly placed in the genus Gymnadeniopsis.
Syn. -- genus Habenaria. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ L., that must be had. ] (Law) That part of a deed which follows the part called the premises, and determines the extent of the interest or estate granted; -- so called because it begins with the word Habendum. Kent. [ 1913 Webster ]