n. [ Cf. Icel. höss gray; akin to AS. hasu, heasu, gray; or Armor. aézen, ézen, warm vapor, exhalation, zephyr. ] 1. Light vapor or smoke in the air which more or less impedes vision, with little or no dampness; a lack of transparency in the air; hence, figuratively, obscurity; dimness. [ 1913 Webster ]

O'er the sky
The silvery haze of summer drawn. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Above the world's uncertain haze. Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A state of confusion, uncertainty, or vagueness of thought or perception; as, after the explosion, people were wandering around in a haze. [ PJC ]

v. i. To be hazy, or thick with haze. Ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Hazed p. pr. & vb. n. Hazing. ] [ Also hase. ] [ Cf. Sw. haza to hamstring, fr. has hough, OD. hæssen ham. ] 1. To harass by exacting unnecessary, disagreeable, or difficult work. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To harass or annoy by playing abusive or shameful tricks upon; to humiliate by practical jokes; -- used esp. of college students, as an initiation rite into a fraternity or other group; as, the sophomores hazed a freshman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Consisting of hazels, or of the wood of the hazel; pertaining to, or derived from, the hazel; as, a hazel wand. [ 1913 Webster ]

I sit me down beside the hazel grove. Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of a light brown color, like the hazelnut. “Thou hast hazel eyes.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. hasel, AS. hæsel; akin to D. hazelaar, G. hazel, OHG. hasal, hasala, Icel. hasl, Dan & Sw. hassel, L. corylus, for cosylus. ] 1. (Bot.) A shrub or small tree of the genus Corylus, as the Corylus avellana, bearing a nut containing a kernel of a mild, farinaceous taste; the filbert. The American species are Corylus Americana, which produces the common hazelnut, and Corylus rostrata. See Filbert. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A miner's name for freestone. Raymond. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hazel earth, soil suitable for the hazel; a fertile loam. --
Hazel grouse (Zool.), a European grouse (Bonasa betulina), allied to the American ruffed grouse. --
Hazel hoe, a kind of grub hoe. --
Witch hazel. See Witch-hazel, and Hamamelis. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Destitute of haze. Tyndall. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of the color of the hazelnut; of a light brown. Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. hæselhnutu. ] The nut of the hazel. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A reddish-brown wood and lumber from the heartwood of the sweet gum tree.
Syn. -- sweet gum, satin walnut, red gum. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Bot.) The asarabacca. [ 1913 Webster ]