Histie, his′ti, adj. (Scot.) dry: barren.

Histioid, his′ti-oid, adj. resembling tissue.—adj. Histogenet′ic.—adv. Histogenet′ically.—ns. Histog′eny, the formation and development of tissues—also Histogen′esis; Histog′raphy, a description of the tissues.—adjs. Histolog′ic, -al, pertaining to histology.—ns. Histol′ogist, one skilled in histology; Histol′ogy, the science which classifies and describes the structural or morphological elements which exist in the solids and fluids of organised bodies; Histol′ysis, degeneration and decay of organic tissue.—adj. Histolyt′ic. [Gr. histos, web.]

History, his′to-ri, n. an account of an event: a systematic account of the origin and progress of a nation: the knowledge of facts, events, &c.: an eventful life, a past of more than common interest, as a 'woman with a history:' a drama representing historical events.—v.t. (rare) to record.—n. His′tōrian, a writer of history.—adjs. Histō′riāted, adorned with figures, esp. of men or animals, as the medieval illuminated manuscripts, capital letters, initials &c.; Histor′ic, -al, pertaining to history: containing history: derived from history: famous in history: authentic.—adv. Histor′ically.—v.t. and v.i. Histor′icise, to make, or represent as, historic.—ns. Historic′ity, historical character; Historiette′, a short history or story.—v.t. Histor′ify, to record in history.—n. Historiog′rapher, a writer of history: a professed or official historian.—adjs. Historiograph′ic, -al, pertaining to the writing of history.—adv. Historiograph′ically.—ns. Historiog′raphy, the art or employment of writing history; Historiol′ogy, the knowledge or study of history.—Historical method, the study of a subject in its historical development; Historical painting, the painting of historic scenes, or scenes in which historic figures are introduced; Historical present, the present tense used for the past, to add life and reality to the narrative, as in 'cometh' in Mark, v. 22.—Ancient history, the history of the world down to the fall of Rome, 476 A.D.; Medieval history, the history of the period between the fall of Rome and the beginning of the 16th century; Modern history, history since the beginning of the 16th century; Natural history, originally an expression including all the concrete sciences, now the science of living things: (in frequent use) zoology, esp. in so far as that is concerned with the life and habits of animals; Profane, Secular, history, the history of secular affairs as opposed to Sacred history, which deals with the events in the Bible narrative. [L.,—Gr. historiahistōr, knowing; cf. eidenai, to know, L. vidēre, Sans. vid, Eng. wit.]

Histrionic, -al, his-tri-on′ik, -al, adj. relating to the stage or stage-players: befitting a theatre: feigned.—ns. His′trio, His′trion, a stage-player.—adv. Histrion′ically.—ns. Histrion′icism, His′trionism, the acts or practice of stage-playing or of pantomime.—n.pl. Histrion′ics, play-acting.—v.i. His′trionise, to act, play a part. [L. histrionicushistrio, an actor, primary form hister, a player.]

Hit, hit, v.t. to touch or strike: to reach: to suit: fit: conform to.—v.i. to come in contact: to chance luckily: to succeed:—pr.p. hit′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. hit.—n. a lucky chance, a surprising success: a stroke: a happy turn of thought or expression: at backgammon, a move that throws one of the opponent's men back to the entering point, a game won after one or two men are removed from the board.—n. Hit′ter.—adj. Hit′ty-miss′y, random, hap-hazard.—Hit below the belt, to deal a blow disallowable in the rules of the ring: to do an injury to another unfairly; Hit it off(with), to agree with some one; Hit off, to imitate, to describe; Hit-or-miss, reckless, hap-hazard; Hit out, to strike out with the fist; Hit the nail on the head (see Nail); Hit upon, to come upon, discover.—Hard hit, one gravely affected by some trouble, or by love. [A.S. hyttan, app. Ice. hitta, to light on, to find; Sw. hitta, to find, Dan. hitte, to hit upon.]

Hitch, hich, v.i. to move by jerks, as if caught by a hook: to be caught by a hook: to be caught or fall into.—v.t. to hook: to catch: to fasten, tether, esp. to make fast a rope.—n. a jerk: a catch or anything that holds: an obstacle: a sudden halt: (naut.) a species of knot by which one rope is connected with another, or to some object—various knots are the Clove-hitch, Timber-hitch, Blackwall-hitch, &c.—n. Hitch′er.—adv. Hitch′ily.—adj. Hitch′y.—Hitch up, to harness a horse to a vehicle. [Ety. dub.; prob. the same as itch.]

Hithe, hīth, n. a small haven. [A.S. hýð.]

Hither, hith′ėr, adv. to this place.—adj. toward the speaker: nearer.—v.i. to come—chiefly in phrase, 'to hither and thither'=to go to and fro.—adj. Hith′ermost, nearest on this side.—n. and adj. Hith′erside, the nearer side.—advs. Hith′erto, to this place or time: as yet; Hith′erward, towards this place.—Hither and thither, back and forward: to and from. [A.S. hider; Goth. hidrê, Ice. hêðra.]

Hitopadesa, hit-ō-pa-dē′sa, n. a famous collection of fables and stories in Sanskrit literature, a popular summary in four books of the Panchatantra.