Hyades, hī′a-dēz, Hyads, hī′adz, n. a cluster of five stars in the constellation of the Bull, supposed by the ancients to bring rain when they rose with the sun. [Gr. hyades, explained by the ancients as from hyein, to rain; more prob.=little pigs, hys, a pig.]
Hyæna, Hyena, hī-ē′na, n. a bristly-maned quadruped of the dog kind, so named from its likeness to the sow.—Laughing hyæna, the tiger-wolf or spotted hyæna of South Africa, emitting at times a sound somewhat like hysterical laughter. [L.,—Gr. hyaina—hys, a sow.]
Hyaline, hī′a-lin, adj. glassy: consisting of or like glass.—n. a glassy transparent surface.—n. Hyales′cence, the process of becoming glassy.—adj. Hyales′cent.—ns. Hy′alite, a variety of opal like colourless gum; Hyalīt′is, inflammation of the vitreous humour; Hyalog′raphy, the art of engraving on glass.—adj. Hy′aloid, hyaline, transparent. [Gr. hyalinos—hyalos, glass, prob. Egyptian.]
Hybernate, &c. See Hibernate, &c.
Hyblæan, hi-blē′an, adj. pertaining to ancient Hybla in Sicily, noted for its honey.
Hybrid, hī′brid, or hib′-, n. an animal or plant produced from two different species: a mongrel: a mule: a word formed of elements from different languages.—adjs. Hy′brid, Hyb′ridous, produced from different species: mongrel.—adj. Hy′bridisable.—n. Hybridisā′tion.—v.t. and v.i. Hy′bridise, to cause to interbreed, and to interbreed.—-ns. Hybridis′er; Hy′bridism, Hybrid′ity, state of being hybrid. [Fr.,—L. hibrida, a mongrel.]
Hydatid, hī′dā-tid, n. a watery cyst or vesicle sometimes found in animal bodies.—n. Hy′datism, the sound caused by the fluctuation of pus in an abscess.—adj. Hyd′atoid, watery, aqueous. [Gr. hydatis, a watery vesicle—hydōr, hydatos, water.]
Hydra, hī′dra, n. (myth.) a water-serpent with many heads, which when cut off were succeeded by others: any manifold evil: a genus of fresh-water polyps remarkable for their power of multiplication by being cut or divided.—adjs. Hy′dra-head′ed, difficulty to root out, springing up vigorously again and again; Hy′droid, like the hydra. [L.,—Gr. hydra—hydōr, water, akin to Sans. udras, an otter.]
Hydragogue, hī′dra-gōg, n. a very active purgative, such as jalap. [Gr. hydōr, water, agōgos, leading, agein, to lead.]
Hydrangea, hī-dran′je-a, n. a genus of shrubby plants with large heads of showy flowers, natives of China and Japan. [Gr. hydōr, water, anggeion, vessel.]