Hakim, hā′kim, n. a judge or governor in Mohammedan India.
Halachah, Halakah, Halacha, ha-lak′ä, n. an amplification of points not explicitly set forth in the Mosaic law, deduced from it by analogy, and arranged in the collection of legal precepts designated Halachoth.—adj. Halach′ic, pertaining to halachoth, legal as opposed to homiletic or haggadic. [Heb.,—hālak, to walk.]
Halation, ha-lā′shun, n. a halo-like appearance in a photograph, caused by reflection of light.
Halberd, hal′bėrd, n. a weapon consisting of a wooden shaft some six feet long, surmounted by an axe-like instrument balanced on the opposite side by a hook or pick.—n. Halberdier′, one armed with a halberd. [O. Fr. halebard—Mid. High Ger. helmbarde (Ger. hellebarde)—halm, handle, or helm, helmet; Old High Ger. barta (Ger. barte), an axe.]
Halcyon, hal′si-un, n. the kingfisher, once believed to make a floating nest on the sea, which remained calm while it was hatching.—adj. calm: peaceful: happy—hence Halcyon-days, a time of peace and happiness. [L.,—Gr., alkyōn; as if hals, the sea, kyein, to conceive.]
Hald, a Scotch form of hold.
Hale, hāl, adj. healthy: robust: sound of body.—n. (Spens.) welfare.—n. Hale′ness. [Northern A.S. hál; the S. forms hôl, hool, produce whole. There is a parallel N. form from Norse heill.]
Hale, hāl, v.t. to drag. [A variant of haul.]
Half, häf, n. one of two equal parts: a contraction of half-year, as in a school session:—pl. Halves (hävz).—adj. having or consisting of one of two equal parts: being in part: incomplete, as measures.—adv. in an equal part or degree: in part: imperfectly.—v.i. to divide into two equal parts.—ns. Half′-and-half, a mixture of beer or porter and ale; Half′-back, in football, a position on the right or left side of the field, between the quarter-back and full-back, or directly behind the forwards: a player occupying this position.—adj. Half′-baked, underdone: incomplete: half-witted.—v.t. Half′-baptise′, to baptise privately and hastily.—ns. Half′-bind′ing, a style of bookbinding in which the backs and corners are of leather, and the sides of paper or cloth; Half′-blood, relation between those who are of the same father or mother, but not of both.—adj. Half′-blood′ed.—ns. Half′-board (naut.), a manœuvre by which a sailing-ship gains distance to windward by luffing up into the wind; Half′-boot, a boot reaching half-way to the knee.—adj. Half′-bound, bound only partly in leather, as a book.—n. Half′-breed, one that is half-blooded.—adj. Half′-bred, half or not well bred or trained: wanting in refinement.—ns. Half′-broth′er, Half′-sis′ter, a brother or sister by one parent only; Half′-cap (Shak.), a cap only partly taken off: a slight salute; Half′-caste, a person one of whose parents belongs to a Hindu caste, and the other is a European: any half-breed; Half′-cheek (Shak.), a face in profile; Half′-cock, the position of the cock of a gun when retained by the first notch (see Cock); Half′-crown, a silver coin in England, of the value of two shillings and sixpence.—adj. Half′-dead, almost dead, nearly exhausted.—n. Half′-doll′ar, a silver coin of the United States, worth 50 cents.—adj. Half′-done, not fully cooked, roasted, &c.—n. Half′-doz′en, six.—adjs. Half′-ed′ucated, imperfectly educated; Half′en (Spens.), half.—adv. Half′endeal (Spens.), half.—adjs. Half′-faced (Shak.), showing only part of the face: wretched-looking; Half′-heart′ed, cold, ungenerous: lukewarm: indifferent.—adv. Half′-heart′edly.—ns. Half′-heart′edness; Half′-holiday, half of a working day for recreation; Half′-kir′tle, a kind of jacket worn by women in the 16th and 17th centuries; Half′-length, a portrait or photograph showing the upper part of the body.—adj. of half-length.—ns. Half′ling, a half-grown person, between a boy and a man; Half′-mast, the position of a flag lowered half-way down, in respect for the dead or in signal of distress; Half′-meas′ure, any means inadequate for the end proposed; Half′-moon, the moon at the quarters when but half of it is illuminated: anything semicircular; Half′-mourn′ing, a mourning costume less than deep or full mournings.—adj. Half′-nā′ked, as nearly naked as clothed.—ns. Half′-note (mus.), a minim, being one-half of a semibreve or whole note; Half′-one (golf), a handicap of one stroke every second hole; Half′-pay, reduced pay, as of naval or military officers when not in active service.—adj. receiving half-pay.—ns. Halfpenny (hā′pen-i), a copper coin worth half a penny: the value of half a penny: (Shak.) anything very small:—pl. Halfpence (hā′pens); Half′pennyworth, the worth or value of a halfpenny; Half′-pike, a pike with a shaft only half the length of the ordinary; Half′-price, a reduced charge of admission, &c.—adj. at half the usual prices.—adj. Half′-round (Milt.), semicircular.—ns. Half′-roy′al, a special kind of millboard or pasteboard; Half′-shell, one-half of a bivalve, as in oysters 'on the half-shell.'—adj. Half′-sight′ed, short-sighted.—n. Half′-sov′ereign, an English gold coin, worth ten shillings.—adj. Half′-starved, having insufficient food.—ns. Half′-suit, the body armour of the 17th century; Half′-sword (Shak.), fight within half a sword's length: close fight; Half′-tide, the tide half-way between flood and ebb.—adj. left dry at half-tide.—ns. Half′-tim′er, one who works only half the usual time, esp. a pupil in an elementary school allowed to be absent half the school-day at some employment; Half′-tint, an intermediate tint; Half′-tī′tle, a short title of a book at the head of the first page of the text, or a title of any subdivision of a book when printed in a full page; Half′-truth, a statement conveying only part of the truth.—adv. Half′-way, at half the way or distance: imperfectly.—adj. equally distant from two points.—adjs. Half′-wit′ted, weak in intellect; Half′-year′ly, occurring at every half-year or twice in a year.—adv. twice in a year.—n. Bett′er-half, a wife.—Half-seas-over, half-drunk.—Not half, to a very slight extent: (slang) not at all.—Cry halves, to claim a half-share; Go halves, to share equally with a person. [A.S. healf (Ger. halb, Dan. halv); original meaning 'side.']
Halibut, hal′i-but, n. the largest kind of flat-fishes, in form more elongated than the flounder or the turbot.—Also Hol′ibut. [M. E. hali, holy, and butte, a flounder, plaice, the fish being much eaten on fast or holy days; cf. Dut. heilbot, Ger. heilbutt.]