n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;. ] (Myth.) A river in the Nether World or infernal regions; also, the infernal regions themselves. By some of the English poets it was supposed to be a flaming lake or gulf. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 death's-head moth.
Syn. -- genus Acherontia [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Of or pertaining to Acheron; infernal; hence, dismal, gloomy; moribund. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'an priv. + E. anther. ] (Bot.) Destitute of anthers. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Anther + -genous. ] (Bot.) Transformed from anthers, as the petals of a double flower. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Anther + -oid. ] Resembling an anther. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Gr. &unr_; flowery + &unr_; animal + -oid. See Zooid. ] (Bot.) One of the mobile male reproductive bodies in the antheridia of cryptogams. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, a beard, or an ear, of grain + -oid. ] Shaped like an ear of grain. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, fr. &unr_; gr&unr_;ats, meal. ] (Med.) (a) An encysted tumor containing curdy matter. (b) A disease characterized by thickening and fatty degeneration of the inner coat of the arteries. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Of, pertaining to, or having the nature of, atheroma. Wiseman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; + -logy. ] (Med.) a form of arteriosclerosis characterized by irregular fatty deposits on the inner surface of large and medium-sized arteries; the deposits are associated with fibrosis and calcification of the inner layer of the arteries. Similar conditions may be found in swine and fowl. The deposits may become large enough to impede the blood circulation and in some cases may restrict the blood supply to the heart. Stedman [ PJC ]

n. [ Atmosphere + -logy. ] The science or a treatise on the atmosphere. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. choerogryllus, Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; a young swine + &unr_; a pig. ] (Zool.) See Cony. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl.; sing. Cherokee. (Ethnol.) An Appalachian tribe of Indians, formerly inhabiting the region about the head waters of the Tennessee River. They are now mostly settled in the Indian Territory, and have become one of the most civilized of the Indian Tribes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Tamil shuru&tsdot_;&tsdot_;u, prop., a roll. ] A kind of cigar, originally brought from Manila, in the Philippine Islands; now often made of inferior or adulterated tobacco. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a genus of completely terrestrial robber frogs.
Syn. -- genus Eleutherodactylus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ Gr. 'eleu`qeros free + E. mania. ] A mania or frantic zeal for freedom. [ R. ] Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Mad for freedom. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'eleu`qeros free + E. petal. ] (Bot.) Having the petals free, that is, entirely separate from each other; -- said of both plant and flower. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Ether + L. oleum oil. ] (Chem.) An oily hydrocarbon regarded as a polymeric variety of ethylene, produced with etherin.

a. [ Gr. gynh` a woman + E. anther. ] (Bot.) Pertaining to an abnormal condition of the flower, in which the stamens are converted into pistils. R. Brown. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Hemi- + spheroid. ] A half of a spheroid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Resembling, or approximating to, a hemisphere in form. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Heroes [ F. héros, L. heros, Gr. "h`rws.] 1. (Myth.) An illustrious man, supposed to be exalted, after death, to a place among the gods; a demigod, as Hercules. [1913 Webster]

2. A man of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event; hence, a great or illustrious person. [1913 Webster]

Each man is a hero and oracle to somebody. Emerson. [1913 Webster]

3. The principal personage in a poem, story, and the like, or the person who has the principal share in the transactions related; as Achilles in the Iliad, Ulysses in the Odyssey, and Aeneas in the Aeneid. [1913 Webster]

The shining quality of an epic hero. Dryden. [1913 Webster]

Hero worship, extravagant admiration for great men, likened to the ancient worship of heroes. [1913 Webster]

Hero worship exists, has existed, and will forever exist, universally among mankind. Carlyle. [1913 Webster]

prop. n. (Jewish Hist.) One of a party among the Jews, composed of partisans of Herod of Galilee. They joined with the Pharisees against Christ. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'erwdio`s a heron. ] (Zool.) A division of wading birds, including the herons, storks, and allied forms. Called also Herodii. -- He*ro`di*o"nine a. [1913 Webster]

n. A heroine. [ Obs. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. héroïque, L. heroïcus, Gr. "hrwi:ko`s.] 1. Of or pertaining to, or like, a hero; of the nature of heroes; distinguished by the existence of heroes; as, the heroic age; an heroic people; heroic valor. [1913 Webster]

2. Worthy of a hero; bold; daring; brave; illustrious; as, heroic action; heroic enterprises. [1913 Webster]

3. (Sculpture & Painting) Larger than life size, but smaller than colossal; -- said of the representation of a human figure. [1913 Webster]

Heroic Age, the age when the heroes, or those called the children of the gods, are supposed to have lived. --
Heroic poetry, that which celebrates the deeds of a hero; epic poetry. --
Heroic treatment or
Heroic remedies (Med.), treatment or remedies of a severe character, suited to a desperate case. --
Heroic verse (Pros.), the verse of heroic or epic poetry, being in English, German, and Italian the iambic of ten syllables; in French the iambic of twelve syllables; and in classic poetry the hexameter.

Syn. -- Brave; intrepid; courageous; daring; valiant; bold; gallant; fearless; enterprising; noble; magnanimous; illustrious. [1913 Webster]

a. Heroic. [ R. ] Spectator. -- He*ro"ic*al*ly, adv. -- He*ro"ic*al*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Heroism. [ R. ] W. Montagu.

{ } a. [ Cf. F. héroïcomigue. See Heroic, and Comic. ] Combining the heroic and the ludicrous; denoting high burlesque; as, a heroicomic poem. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) a morphine derivative, diacetyl morphine, used to relieve severe pain and as a sedative. It is highly addictive, and its use is strictly controlled in the U.S. by federal law. It is a popular strong narcotic drug of abuse, in part because it is more soluble than morphine. It is sometimes included as one of the components of Brompton's mixture, used to control pain in terminallly ill patients.
Syn. -- diacetyl morphine, H, horse, junk, scag, shit, smack. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ F. héroïne, L. heroina, Gr. &unr_;, fem. of &unr_;. See Hero. ] 1. A woman of an heroic spirit. [ 1913 Webster ]

The heroine assumed the woman's place. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The principal female person who figures in a remarkable action, or as the subject of a poem or story. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. héroïsme. ] The qualities characteristic of a hero, as courage, bravery, fortitude, unselfishness, etc.; the display of such qualities. [ 1913 Webster ]

Heroism is the self-devotion of genius manifesting itself in action. Hare.

Syn. -- Heroism, Courage, Fortitude, Bravery, Valor, Intrepidity, Gallantry. Courage is generic, denoting fearlessness or defiance of danger; fortitude is passive courage, the habit of bearing up nobly under trials, danger, and sufferings; bravery is courage displayed in daring acts; valor is courage in battle or other conflicts with living opponents; intrepidity is firm courage, which shrinks not amid the most appalling dangers; gallantry is adventurous courage, dashing into the thickest of the fight. Heroism may call into exercise all these modifications of courage. It is a contempt of danger, not from ignorance or inconsiderate levity, but from a noble devotion to some great cause, and a just confidence of being able to meet danger in the spirit of such a cause. Cf. Courage. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. heiroun, heroun, heron, hern, OF. hairon, F. héron, OHG. heigir; cf. Icel. hegri, Dan. heire, Sw. häger, and also G. häher jay, jackdaw, OHG. hehara, higere, woodpecker, magpie, D. reiger heron, G. reiher, AS. hrāgra. Cf. Aigret, Egret. ] (Zool.) Any wading bird of the genus Ardea and allied genera, of the family Ardeidae. The herons have a long, sharp bill, and long legs and toes, with the claw of the middle toe toothed. The common European heron (Ardea cinerea) is remarkable for its directly ascending flight, and was formerly hunted with the larger falcons. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ There are several common American species; as, the great blue heron (Ardea herodias); the little blue (Ardea cœrulea); the green (Ardea virescens); the snowy (Ardea candidissima); the night heron or qua-bird (Nycticorax nycticorax). The plumed herons are called egrets. [ 1913 Webster ]

Heron's bill (Bot.), a plant of the genus Erodium; -- so called from the fancied resemblance of the fruit to the head and beak of the heron. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A hawk used in hunting the heron. “Heroner and falcon.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A place where herons breed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A heronshaw. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. heroncel, dim. of héron. See Heron. ] (Zool.) A heron. [ Written variously hernshaw, harnsey, etc. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; + &unr_; discourse. ] One who treats of heroes. [ R. ] T. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The character or personality of a hero. “Three years of heroship.” Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Iso- + Gr. qe`ros summer + 'o`mbros rain. ] (Phys. Geog) A line connecting or marking points on the earth's surface, which have the same mean summer rainfall. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a lecher; addicted to lewdness; excessively lustful; -- used mostly of men; also, lust-provoking. “A lecherous thing is wine.” Chaucer. -- Lech"er*ous*ly, adv. -- Lech"er*ous*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an inclination to excessive indulgence in sexual activity; habitually developing a strong sexual arousal.
Syn. -- lust, lustfulness, itch. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Megatherium + -oid. ] (Paleon.) One of a family of extinct edentates found in America. The family includes the megatherium, the megalonyx, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. ocreux. ] Of or pertaining to ocher; containing or resembling ocher; as, ocherous matter; ocherous soil. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To surpass (Herod) in violence or wickedness; to exceed in any vicious or offensive particular. Compare outpope the Pope. “It out-Herods Herod.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Out-Heroding the preposterous fashions of the times. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Paleothere + -oid. ] (Paleon.) Resembling Paleotherium. -- n. An animal resembling, or allied to, the paleothere. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ] One of a breed of draught horses originating in Perche, an old district of France; -- called also Percheron-Norman. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Rancheros [ Sp. ] [ Mexico & Western U. S. ] 1. A herdsman; a peasant employed on a ranch or rancho. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The owner and occupant of a ranch or rancho. [ 1913 Webster ]