| humorist | 1. <medicine> One who attributes diseases of the state of the humors. 2. One who has some peculiarity or eccentricity of character, which he indulges in odd or whimsical ways. "He [Roger de Coverley] . . . Was a great humorist in all parts of his life." (Addison) 3. One who displays humor in speaking or writing; one who has a facetious fancy or genius; a wag; a droll. "The reputation of wits and humorists." (Addison) Origin: Cf. F. Humoriste. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| humour | 1. <physiology> A normal functioning fluid or semifluid of the body (as the blood, lymph or bile) especially of vertebrates. 2. A secretion that is itself an excitant of activity (as certain hormones). (06 Mar 1998) |
| hump | 1. A protuberance; especially, the protuberance formed by a crooked back. 2. <zoology> A fleshy protuberance on the back of an animal, as a camel or whale. Origin: Cf. D. Homp a lump, LG. Hump heap, hill, stump, possibly akin to E. Heap. Cf. Hunch. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| humpback | 1. A crooked back; a humped back. 2. A humpbacked person; a hunchback. 3. <marine biology> Any whale of the genus Megaptera, characterised by a hump or bunch on the back. Several species are known. The most common ones in the North Atlantic are Megaptera longimana of Europe, and M. Osphyia of America; that of the California coasts is M. Versabilis. A small salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), of the northwest coast of America. Compare: Hunchback. (06 Mar 1998) |
| Humphry's ligament | <anatomy> The ligamentous band that passes anterior to the posterior cruciate ligament, extending between the posterior portion of the lateral meniscus and the upper end of the anterior cruciate ligament. Synonym: ligamentum meniscofemorale anterius, Humphry's ligament. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Humphry, Sir George | <person> English surgeon, 1820-1896. See: Humphry's ligament. (05 Mar 2000) |
| humulene cyclase | <enzyme> Catalyses the cyclization of farnesyl pyrophosphate; probably by intramolecular electrophilic attack by c-1 bearing the pyrophosphate ester on c-11 of the terminal double bond to give a humulyl cation which is stabilised by deprotonation at c-9 to form all-trans humulene; mw 57 kD Registry number: EC 5.- (26 Jun 1999) |
| humulin | 1. <chemistry> A bitter principle extracted from hops. 2. The fine yellow resinous powder found upon the strobiles or fruit of hops, and containing this bitter principle. Alternative forms: lupuline. Origin: Cf. F. Lupulin. See Lupuline. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| humulus | The dried fruits (strobiles) of Humulus lupulus (family Moraceae), a climbing herb of central and northern Asia, Europe, and North America; an aromatic bitter, mildly sedative, and a diuretic; primarily used in the brewing industry for giving aroma and flavor to beer. Synonym: hops. Origin: Mediev. L. (05 Mar 2000) |
| humus | <ecology> The part of dirt or soil which comes from organic matter, such as from dead and decaying plants and animal remains. (06 Mar 1998) |
| hun | One of a warlike nomadic people of Northern Asia who, in the 5th century, under Atilla, invaded and conquered a great part of Europe. Origin: L. Hunni, also Chunni, and Chuni; cf. AS. Hnas, Hne, OHG. Hni, G. Hunnen. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| hunchback | Nonmedical term for kyphosis or gibbus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hundred | 1. The product of ten mulitplied by ten, or the number of ten times ten; a collection or sum, consisting of ten times ten units or objects; five score. Also, a symbol representing one hundred units, as 100 or C. The word hundred, as well as thousand, million, etc, often takes a plural form. We may say hundreds, or many hundreds, meaning individual objects or units, but with an ordinal numeral adjective in constructions like five hundreds, or eight hundreds, it is usually intended to consider each hundred as a separate aggregate; as, ten hundreds are one thousand. 2. A division of a country in England, supposed to have originally contained a hundred families, or freemen. Hundred court, a court held for all the inhabitants of a hundred. Origin: OE. Hundred, AS. Hundred a territorial division; hund hundred + a word akin to Goth. Ga-rajan to count, L. Ratio reckoning, account; akin to OS. Hunderod, hund, D. Hondred, G. Hundert, OHG. Also hunt, Icel. Hundra, Dan. Hundrede, Sw. Hundra, hundrade, Goth. Hund, Lith. Szimtas, Russ. Sto, W. Cant, Ir. Cead, L. Centum, Gr, Skr. Cata. Cf. Cent, Century, Hecatomb, Quintal, and Reason. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Hung's method | A simple saline flotation method for concentrating helminth eggs in the faeces. See: flotation method. Synonym: Hung's method. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Hungary | A country in Central Europe, now a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Hungary water, a distilled "water," made from dilute alcohol aromatised with rosemary flowers, etc. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |