<B>Helle, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Greek Legend.) a maiden drowned in the Hellespont while fleeing with her brother on the ram with the golden fleece. </DL>
<A NAME="hellebore">
<B>hellebore, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>any one of various perennial European herbs of the crowfoot family, with showy yellow, green, or purple flowers that bloom on erect stems before spring, especially the black hellebore and the bear'sfoot. <DD><B> 2. </B>the root of any one of these plants, which is dried and used in medicine. <DD><B> 3. </B>any one of various tall herbs of the lily family, with clusters of purple, green, or white flowers that bloom on erect stems, especially the American hellebore and the white hellebore, both of which have roots with medicinal and poisonous properties; false hellebore. <DD><B> 4. </B>an insecticide made from the dried roots of the American hellebore. <DD><B> 5. </B>a cardiac medicine made from the roots of the American hellebore. </DL>
<A NAME="helleborin">
<B>helleborin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a poisonous, crystalline glucoside, a narcotic, found in hellebore. </DL>
<A NAME="hellen">
<B>Hellen, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a king of Thessaly, legendary ancestor of the Hellenes. </DL>
<A NAME="hellene">
<B>Hellene, </B>noun. =Greek.</DL>
<A NAME="hellenic">
<B>Hellenic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B><B>=Greek.</B> <DD><B> 2. </B>of Greek history, language, or culture from 776 B.C. to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the Greek language. <DD><B> 2. </B>the branch of the Indo-European family of languages that includes the various dialects of Greek. </DL>
<A NAME="hellenism">
<B>Hellenism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>ancient Greek culture or ideals; the national character or spirit of the ancient Greeks. <DD><B> 2. </B>the adoption or imitation of Greek speech, ideals, or customs. <DD><B> 3. </B>an idiom or expression peculiar to the Greek language. </DL>
<A NAME="hellenist">
<B>Hellenist, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a scholar skilled in the ancient Greek language, literature, and culture. <DD><B> 2. </B>a person who uses or imitates Greek language, ideals, or customs, especially a Jew who after the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 300's B.C. came under Greek influence. <DD><B> 3. </B>one of the Byzantine Greeks who contributed to the revival of classical learning in Europe during the Renaissance. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>=Hellenistic.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="hellenistic">
<B>Hellenistic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with Greek history, language, and culture after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C., when foreign elements modified ancient Greek characteristics. <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with the Hellenists. <DD><B> 3. </B>using the Greek language and following Greek customs. adj. <B>Hellenistical.</B> adv. <B>Hellenistically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="hellenize">
<B>Hellenize, </B>verb, <B>-ized,</B> <B>-izing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> to make Greek in form or character. <BR> <I>Ex. The priests of the Temple ... had become Hellenized and thus completely alienated from the ordinary people (Hans Kung).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to use or imitate the Greek language, ideals, or customs. noun <B>Hellenization.</B> noun <B>Hellenizer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="hellenophil">
<B>Hellenophil, </B>noun. =Hellenophile.</DL>
<A NAME="hellenophile">
<B>Hellenophile, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a lover of Greece or Greek things. (SYN) Grecophile. </DL>
<A NAME="heller">
<B>heller</B> (1), noun, pl. <B>-ler.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a former German coin, worth 1/2 of a pfennig. <DD><B> 2. </B>a former Austrian copper coin, worth 1/100 of a krone. <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=haler</B> (1). </DL>
<A NAME="heller">
<B>heller</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Slang.) a person who creates mischief and excitement. <BR> <I>Ex. His father was a lazy farmer, a local heller who loved his booze (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="hellfire">
<B>hellfire, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> the fire of hell; punishment in hell. <DD><I>adj. </I> promising damnation and punishment; raising visions of fire and brimstone. <BR> <I>Ex. children terrorised by a hellfire puritanism (Manchester Guardian).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="hellforleather">
<B>hell-for-leather, </B>adjective, adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Slang.) at breakneck speed; hellbent. <BR> <I>Ex. a hell-for-leather race. (adj.) It was written hell-for-leather (Robert Frost). (adv.)</I> </DL>
<A NAME="hellgrammite">
<B>hellgrammite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the large, black, aquatic larva of the dobson fly, often used for fish bait; dobson. Also, <B>helgramite.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="hellhole">
<B>hellhole, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a very unpleasant place; den; dive. </DL>
<A NAME="hellhound">
<B>hellhound, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a hound or dog of hell. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Greek and Roman Mythology.) Cerberus, the watchdog of Hades. <DD><B> 3. </B>a fiend or fiendish person. </DL>
<A NAME="hellion">
<B>hellion, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Informal.) a mischievous, troublesome person. <BR> <I>Ex. A gang of young hellions roamed the streets at night.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="hellish">
<B>hellish, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>fit to have come from hell; devilish; fiendish. <BR> <I>Ex. hellish shrieks, a hellish thing to do.</I> (SYN) diabolical, wicked. <DD><B> 2. </B>of hell; infernal. <BR> <I>Ex. diabolical and hellish magic (Daniel Defoe).</I> adv. <B>hellishly.</B> noun <B>hellishness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="hello">
<B>hello, </B>interjection, noun, pl. <B>-los,</B> verb, <B>-loed,</B> <B>-loing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>interj. </I> <B>1. </B>an exclamation to express greeting or attract attention. We usually say "hello" when we call or answer a call on the telephone. <BR> <I>Ex. "Hello, Mother!" the boy said.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>an exclamation of surprise. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a call of greeting or surprise. <DD><B> 2. </B>a call to attract attention. <BR> <I>Ex. The girl gave a loud hello to let us know where she was.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to say or call "hello"; shout; call. <BR> <I>Ex. He asked us to hello until somebody came.</I> <DD> Also, <B>hullo.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="hellogirl">
<B>hello-girl, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Slang.) a telephone operator. </DL>
<A NAME="hellraiser">
<B>hell raiser,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Informal.) a person who stirs up trouble or mischief. </DL>
<A NAME="hellskitchen">
<B>Hell's Kitchen,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an area of Manhattan's lower west side at one time notorious for its lawlessness. </DL>
<B>helluva, </B>adjective, adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Especially U.S. Slang.) <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>very bad; rotten. <BR> <I>Ex. We'll have a helluva time in the last six months matching the first half (Wall Street Journal).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>very good; exceptional. <BR> <I>Ex. Ideally, Yale ... could have a helluva football team (San Francisco Chronicle).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>great in extent; considerable. <BR> <I>Ex. "Money isn't everything, but it's a helluva way ahead of whatever comes in second place" (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> <DD><I>adv. </I> very; exceptionally. <BR> <I>Ex. Jim wrote a helluva good story (Newsweek).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="helm">
<B>helm</B> (1), noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1a. </B>the handle or wheel by which a ship is steered. <BR> <I>Ex. The helm spun out of the sailor's grip in the storm.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the steering apparatus of a ship, including the wheel, rudder, and connecting parts. <DD><B> c. </B>a movement of the helm of a ship. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) a position of control or guidance. <BR> <I>Ex. Upon the President's death, the Vice-President took the nation's helm.</I> (SYN) command. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to guide with a helm; steer. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) The business he hath helmed, must ... give him a better proclamation (Shakespeare).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>luff the helm,</B> </I>(of a ship) to head into the wind. <BR> <I>Ex. Luff, luff cried the Quartermaster ... keep her full, luff the helm (Peter A. Motteux).</I> adj. <B>helmless.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="helm">
<B>helm</B> (2), noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) <DD><I>noun </I> a helmet. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to cover or provide with a helmet. </DL>
<A NAME="helmet">
<B>helmet, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a covering to protect the head. Soldiers wear steel helmets; firemen wear leather helmets; football players wear plastic helmets. <DD><B> 2. </B>a piece of armor for the head. Knights wore helmets as part of their armor. <DD><B> 3. </B>anything that resembles a helmet in shape, appearance, or position. <BR> <I>Ex. With his head held high under its heavy black helmet of hair ... (Edmund Wilson). A fetching helmet of navy net, which hides every strand of hair on the head (New Yorker).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B><B>=pith helmet.</B> <DD><B> 5. </B>a mask of reinforced wire mesh worn over the head to protect the face in fencing and some other sports. <DD><B> 6. </B>(Biology.) a galea. adj. <B>helmetlike.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="helmetdiver">
<B>helmet diver,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a person engaged in helmet diving as his work or as a sport. </DL>
<A NAME="helmetdiving">
<B>helmet diving,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> underwater diving in which the diver wears a waterproof suit, weighted shoes, and a copper helmet to which an air hose is attached. </DL>
<A NAME="helmeted">
<B>helmeted, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> wearing a helmet. </DL>
<A NAME="helminth">
<B>helminth, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a worm, especially an intestinal worm, such as the tapeworm or the roundworm. </DL>
<A NAME="helminthiasis">
<B>helminthiasis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a disease characterized by the presence of parasitic worms in the body. </DL>
<A NAME="helminthic">
<B>helminthic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having to do with a helminth or intestinal worm. <DD><B> 2. </B>expelling worms. </DL>
<A NAME="helminthology">
<B>helminthology, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the science of helminths or worms, especially of parasitic worms. noun <B>helminthologist.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="helmsman">
<B>helmsman, </B>noun, pl. <B>-men.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a man who steers a ship; steersman. noun <B>helmsmanship.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="heloderm">
<B>heloderm, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the Gila monster or a related Mexican lizard. </DL>
<A NAME="helot">
<B>Helot, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a member of a class of slaves or serfs in ancient Sparta. </DL>
