| heroic | 1. Of or pertaining to, or like, a hero; of the nature of heroes; distinguished by the existence of heroes; as, the heroic age; an heroic people; heroic valor. 2. Worthy of a hero; bold; daring; brave; illustrious; as, heroic action; heroic enterprises. 3. Larger than life size, but smaller than colossal; said of the representation of a human figure. Heroic Age, the age when the heroes, or those called the children of the gods, are supposed to have lived. Heroic poetry, that which celebrates the deeds of a hero; epic poetry. <medicine> Heroic treatment or remedies, the verse of heroic or epic poetry, being in English, German, and Italian the iambic of ten syllables; in French the iambic of twelve syllables; and in classic poetry the hexameter. Synonym: Brave, intrepid, courageous, daring, valiant, bold, gallant, fearless, enterprising, noble, magnanimous, illustrious. Origin: F. Heroique, L. Heroicus, Gr. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| heroin | Semisynthetic drug derived from morphine. Discovered in 1874, it was introduced commercially in 1898 by the bayer company in germany. The name heroin was coined from the german heroisch meaning heroic, strong. Heroin is stronger (more potent) than morphine. (12 Dec 1998) |
| heroin dependence | Strong dependence, both physiological and emotional, upon heroin. (12 Dec 1998) |
| heroin esterase | <enzyme> Hydrolyzes heroin to yield morphine; n-terminal amino acid sequence given in first source Registry number: EC 3.1.1.- Synonym: 3,6-diacetylmorphine esterase, acetylmorphine carboxyesterase (26 Jun 1999) |
| heroine | 1. A woman of an heroic spirit. "The heroine assumed the woman's place." (Dryden) 2. The principal female person who figures in a remarkable action, or as the subject of a poem or story. Origin: F. Heroine, L. Heroina, Gr, fem. Of . See Hero. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| heroism | The qualities characteristic of a hero, as courage, bravery, fortitude, unselfishness, etc.; the display of such qualities. "Heroism is the self-devotion of genius manifesting itself in action." (Hare) Synonym: Heroism, Courage, Fortitude, Bravery, Valor, Intrepidity, Gallantry. Courage is generic, denoting fearlessness or defiance of danger; fortitude is passive courage, the habit of bearing up nobly under trials, danger, and sufferings; bravery is courage displayed in daring acts; valor is courage in battle or other conflicts with living opponents; intrepidity is firm courage, which shrinks not amid the most appalling dangers; gallantry is adventurous courage, dashing into the thickest of the fight. Heroism may call into exercise all these modifications of courage. It is a contempt of danger, not from ignorance or inconsiderate levity, but from a noble devotion to some great cause, and a just confidence of being able to meet danger in the spirit of such a cause. Cf. Courage. Origin: F. Heroisme. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| heron | <zoology> Any wading bird of the genus Ardea and allied genera, of the family Ardeidae. The herons have a long, sharp bill, and long legs and toes, with the claw of the middle toe toothed. The common European heron (Ardea cinerea) is remarkable for its directly ascending flight, and was formerly hunted with the larger falcons. There are several common American species; as, the great blue heron (Ardea herodias); the little blue (A. Coerulea); the green (A. Virescens); the snowy (A. Candidissima); the night heron or qua-bird (Nycticorax nycticorax). The plumed herons are called egrets. <botany> Heron's bill, a plant of the genus Erodium; so called from the fancied resemblance of the fruit to the head and beak of the heron. Origin: OE. Heiroun, heroun, heron, hern, OF. Hairon, F. Heron, OHG. Heigir; cf. Icel. Hegri, Dan. Heire, Sw. Hager, and also G. Haher jay, jackdaw, OHG. Hehara, higere, woodpecker, magpie, D. Reiger heron, G. Reiher, AS. Hragra. Cf. Aigret, Egret. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| heronshaw | <zoology> A heron. [Written variously hernshaw, harnsey, etc. Origin: OF. Heroncel, dim. Of heron. See Heron. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Herophilus | <person> Herophilus of Chalcedon is the early "Father of Anatomy" and Galen remarked that he was the first to have dissected human and animal bodies. Pliny states Herophilus was the first man to search for the cause of disease by human dissection, and goes on to say that Pharaoh Ptolemy witnessed some of these dissections. Celsus gave Herophilus credit for using prisoners condemned to die as subjects of study immediately previous to their last breath, by order of the sovereign. He was the first to accurately differentiate nerves, tendons, and arteries from veins. He divided motor from sensory nerves. He taught that the brain was the seat of the intelligence. He recognised pulsations in arteries and counted them with the aid of a clepshydra or water-clock. Herophilus gave us the name of the first part of the small intestine, the duodenum, which means "12 fingers long." He also named the prostate gland which means "guard" of the bladder. His name is attached to the confluence of the venous sinuses in the occipital region of the cerebrum (the torcular of Herophili). This keen anatomist described the liver, pancreas, salivary glands, chyliferous vessels, and genital organs from which he wrote at least nine treatises. Is there any wonder that he is referred to as the early Father of Anatomy ! Lived: 300-344 B.C. (15 Nov 1997) |
| herpangina | A disease caused by types of coxsackievirus and marked by vesiculopapular lesions about 1 to 2 mm in diameter which are present around the fauces and soon break down to form grayish yellow ulcers; accompanied by sudden onset of fever, loss of appetite, dysphagia, pharyngitis, and sometimes abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Origin: G. Herpes, vesicular eruption, + L. Angina, quinsy, fr. Ango, to strangle (05 Mar 2000) |
| herpes | <dermatology> Any inflammatory skin disease caused by a herpes virus and characterised by the formation of clusters of small vesicles. When used alone, the term may refer to herpes simplex or to herpes zoster. Origin: L., Gr. Herpes = a spreading cutaneous eruption, from herpein = to creep (18 Nov 1997) |
| herpes B encephalomyelitis | A frequently lethal disease of humans caused by infection with a normally latent monkey herpesvirus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| herpes catarrhalis | <virology> The Herpes simplex virus is responsible for several different infections in humans: gingivostomatitis (in children), pharyngitis, oral and lip lesions (recurrent Herpes simplex type 1), proctitis, (type 2) and genital herpes (type 2). (27 Sep 1997) |
| herpes circinatus bullosus | <dermatology> A chronic disease of the skin characterised by severe itching, extensive eruption of vesicles (blisters) and papules which occur in groups. May be associated with an occult malignancy in the elderly patient. Treatment includes sulpha-based antibiotics. In some cases this condition may be associated with malabsorption. Relapses are common. (27 Sep 1997) |
| herpes corneae | <ophthalmology, pathology> Inflammation of the cornea (and conjunctiva) due to herpes virus type I, a characteristic finding on physical examination of the eye (cornea) is a dendritic pattern (crystalline or tree-like pattern). (27 Sep 1997) |