| humidity | Moisture; dampness; a moderate degree of wetness, which is perceptible to the eye or touch; used especially of the atmosphere, or of anything which has absorbed moisture from the atmosphere, as clothing. In hygrometrical reports (as of the United States Signal Service) complete saturation of the air is designated by Humidity 100, and its partial saturation by smaller numbers. Origin: Cf. F. Humidite. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| humifuse | <botany> Spread over the surface of the ground; procumbent. Origin: L. Humus ground + fusus, p.p. Of fundere to spread. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| humin | <chemistry> A bitter, brownish yellow, amorphous substance, extracted from vegetable mold, and also produced by the action of acids on certain sugars and carbohydrates. Synonym: humic acid, ulmin, gein, ulmic or geic acid, etc. Origin: L. Humus the earth, ground. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| humiri | <botany> A fragrant balsam obtained from Brazilian trees of the genus Humirium. Origin: From native name. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| humite | <chemical> A mineral of a transparent vitreous brown colour, found in the ejected masses of Vesuvius. It is a silicate of iron and magnesia, containing fluorine. Origin: Named after Sir A.Hume. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Hummelsheim | Eduard K.M.J., German ophthalmologist, 1868-1952. See: Hummelsheim's operation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Hummelsheim's operation | Transplantation of a normal ocular rectus muscle, to substitute for a paralysed muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hummer | 1. One who, or that which, hums; one who applauds by humming. 2. <zoology> A humming bird. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| humming | A sound like that made by bees; a low, murmuring sound; a hum. Hummingale, lively or strong ale. Humming bird, a hawk moth. See Hawk moth, under Hawk, the bird. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| humor | 1. Moisture, especially, the moisture or fluid of animal bodies, as the chyle, lymph, etc.; as, the humors of the eye, etc. The ancient physicians believed that there were four humors (the blood, phlegm, yellow bile or choler, and black bile or melancholy), on the relative proportion of which the temperament and health depended. 2. <medicine> A vitiated or morbid animal fluid, such as often causes an eruption on the skin. "A body full of humors." 3. State of mind, whether habitual or temporary (as formerly supposed to depend on the character or combination of the fluids of the body); disposition; temper; mood; as, good humor; ill humor. "Examine how your humor is inclined, And which the ruling passion of your mind." (Roscommon) "A prince of a pleasant humor." (Bacon) "I like not the humor of lying." (Shak) 4. Changing and uncertain states of mind; caprices; freaks; vagaries; whims. "Is my friend all perfection, all virtue and discretion? Has he not humors to be endured?" (South) 5. That quality of the imagination which gives to ideas an incongruous or fantastic turn, and tends to excite laughter or mirth by ludicrous images or representations; a playful fancy; facetiousness. "For thy sake I admit That a Scot may have humor, I'd almost said wit." (Goldsmith) "A great deal of excellent humor was expended on the perplexities of mine host." (W. Irving) Aqueous humor, Crystalline humor or lens, Vitreous humor. <anatomy> See Eye. Out of humor, dissatisfied; displeased; in an unpleasant frame of mind. Synonym: Wit, satire, pleasantry, temper, disposition, mood, frame, whim, fancy, caprice. See Wit. Origin: OE. Humour, OF. Humor, umor, F. Humeur, L. Humor, umor, moisture, fluid, fr. Humere, umere, to be moist. Alternative forms: humour. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| humor aquosus | <physiology> A transparent liquid contained in the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye, produced by the ciliary process it passes to the venous system via the canal of Schlemm. (27 Sep 1997) |
| humor vitreus | <ophthalmology> The gel-like substance that fills the eyeball between the lens and the retina. (11 Nov 1997) |
| humoral | <physiology> Of, relating to, proceeding from or involving a bodily humour now often used of endocrine factors as opposed to neural or somatic. (18 Nov 1997) |
| humoral antibodies | <immunology> Antibodies which are secreted by B lymphocytes circulating in the blood, in response to antigens found in body fluids. (06 Mar 1998) |
| humoral doctrine | The ancient Greek theory of the four body humors (blood, yellow and black bile, and phlegm) that determined health and disease. The humors were associated with the four elements (air, fire, earth, and water), which in turn corresponded to a pair of the qualities (hot, cold, dry, and moist). A proper and evenly balanced mixture of the humors was characteristic of health of body and mind; an imperfect balance resulted in disease. Temperament of body or mind also was supposed to be determined, e.g., sanguine (blood), choleric (yellow bile), melancholic (black bile), or phlegmatic (phlegm). Synonym: fluidism, humoralism, humorism. (05 Mar 2000) |