Hermes, hėr′mēz, n. the herald and messenger of the gods of Greek mythology, patron of herdsmen, arts, and thieves: a head or bust on a square base, often double-faced:—pl. Hermæ (her′mē): the Egyptian Thoth, identified with the Greek Hermes.
Hermetic, -al, hėr-met′ik, -al, adj. belonging in any way to the the beliefs current in the Middle Ages under the name of Hermes, the Thrice Great: belonging to magic or alchemy, magical: perfectly close.—adv. Hermet′ically.—n.pl. Hermet′ics, the philosophy wrapped up in the Hermetic books, esoteric science: alchemy.—Hermetically sealed, closed completely, said of a glass vessel, the opening of which is closed by melting the glass. [From Hermēs Trismegistos, Hermes 'the thrice-greatest,' the Greek name for the Egyptian god Thoth, who was god of science, esp. alchemy.]
Hermit, hėr′mit, n. one who retires from society and lives in solitude or in the desert for purposes of devotion: one of certain animals of solitary habit.—ns. Her′mitāge, Her′mitary, the dwelling of a hermit: a retired abode: a wine produced near Valence, in Drôme; Her′mit-crab, the name of a family of crustaceans notable for their habit of sheltering themselves in gasteropod shells.—adj. Hermit′ical, relating to a hermit. [M. E. eremite, through Fr. and L. from Gr. erēmitēs—erēmos, solitary.]
Hern. Same as Heron.
Hern, a provincial form for hers.
Hernia, hėr′ni-a, n. a protrusion, through an abnormal or accidental opening, of the abdominal viscera, the condition popularly called rupture.—adjs. Her′nial; Her′niated; Her′nioid.—ns. Herniol′ogy, the branch of surgery which treats of ruptures; Herniot′omy, the operation of cutting for hernia. [L.]
Hernshaw, hėrn′shaw, n. (Spens.). Same as Heronshaw.
Hero, hē′rō, n. a man of distinguished bravery: any illustrious person: the principal figure in any history or work of fiction: (orig.) a demigod:—fem. Heroine (her′ō-in).—adj. Herō′ic, becoming a hero: courageous: illustrious: daring, rash.—n. a heroic verse: (pl.) extravagant phrases, bombast.—adj. Herō′ical.—adv. Herō′ically—(Milt.) Herō′icly.—ns. Herō′icalness, Herō′icness.—adjs. Herō′icomic, -al, consisting of a mixture of heroic and comic: designating the high burlesque.—ns. Her′oism, the qualities of a hero: courage: boldness; Hē′roship, the state of being a hero; Hē′ro-wor′ship, the worship of heroes: excessive admiration of great men.—Heroic age, the semi-mythical period of Greek history, when the heroes or demigods were represented to have lived among men; Heroic medicines, such as either kill or cure; Heroic size, in sculpture, larger than life, but less than colossal; Heroic verse, the style of verse in which the exploits of heroes are celebrated (in classical poetry, the hexameter; in English and German, the iambic of ten syllables; in French, the alexandrine). [Through O. Fr. and L. from Gr. hērōs; akin to L. vir, A.S. wer, a man, Sans. víra, a hero.]
Herodians, he-rō′di-ans, n.pl. a political rather than religious party among the Jews of the apostolic age, adherents of the family of Herod. Herod was represented as a swaggering tyrant in the old dramatic performances—hence 'to out-herod Herod' (Shak.)—to exceed in bombast and passionate grandiloquence.
Heron, her′un, n. a large screaming water-fowl, with long legs and neck.—n. Her′onry, a place where herons breed. [O. Fr. hairon—Old High Ger. heigir.]