Buzz
Our modest letter H traces its roots back to an Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph, once thought to symbolize a series of fence posts, explaining H's crossbar-shaped form. From Ancient Egypt, H passed through the Semitic alphabets of the Middle East and into Ancient Greek, where it was called heta and originally represented a rough 'h' sound. However, over time, the Greek ‘h’ sound faded, transforming the letter H into eta, and it eventually came to represent a long 'eh' sound instead. To this day, modern Greek does not include an 'h' sound.
By the time Ancient Greek lost its 'h,' the Latin alphabet had already adopted the letter H, and it was from there that it found its way into the English language. Today, H is one of the most commonly used letters in our alphabet, largely due to its presence in high-frequency words like the, that, there, and they, making up roughly 5 percent of any given page of text, and about 4 percent of all words in a standard dictionary—this includes the 40 essential H-words presented here.
1. Habbercock
A vintage Scots term referring to something that serves as a constant source of irritation, often followed by ...
2. Habber-Glabber
… another term from the Scots dialect referring to reckless, hasty actions, likely stemming from the earlier word, glab, meaning “to seize impulsively.”
3. Hackslaver
To pause or falter in one's speech, often due to uncertainty or confusion.
4. Haemophobia
Fear the sight of blood? Then you might be haemophobic. Other H-phobias include hygrophobia (fear of damp or moist environments), homichlophobia (fear of fog), hippophobia (fear of horses), and hypegiaphobia (fear of having responsibilities).
5. Haigspeak
When politicians deliberately use complex, confusing language to obscure the true meaning of their statements, that's called Haigspeak. This term originated in the early 1980s, referring to General Al Haig, who served as U.S. Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan from 1981 to '82. Haig became notorious for his rambling, unclear speeches, so much so that one British ambassador to Washington even offered a prize for the best rendition of the Gettysburg Address in “Haigspeak.”
6. Halcyonine
In Ancient Greek mythology, the halcyon was a mythical bird believed to create its floating nest deep in the sea. For the two weeks the female halcyon sat on her nest, often said to begin around mid-December, a period of clear, calm, and dry weather was expected. This serene time became known as the halcyon days, a phrase still used today to describe moments of pure joy or tranquility. Today, the halcyon myth is associated with the kingfisher, a bird known for nesting in muddy riverbanks rather than the open sea. Anything described as halcyonine evokes the vibrant colors or peaceful nature of a kingfisher.
7. Half-Widow
An old American slang term referring to a wife whose husband is lazy or unproductive.
8. Haliography
A written account or description of the sea and its characteristics.
9. Handfast
In addition to referring to a firm grip, handfast can signify a formal agreement or a handshake sealing a deal. Shakespeare used the phrase to be in handfast to mean ‘to be in custody.’
10. Handsel
Handsel is an ancient English term, first recorded in the mid-10th century, with various meanings, most of which involve placing something into someone's hands. Simply put, a handsel is a gift or a reward, particularly one given for good luck at New Year or at the start of a new venture, such as moving into a new home or starting a new job.
Handsel can also refer to a down payment or first installment, the revenue from the first sale of a business or day of work, or the initial results of any new project or pursuit. As a verb, it means ‘to give a gift,’ ‘to be the first customer,’ or ‘to celebrate or inaugurate something new.’ To do something for good handsel means doing it for good fortune, and Handsel Monday is an old term for the first Monday of the year, historically when handsel gifts were exchanged.
11. Hang-Gallows
In 18th century slang, if you had a hang-gallows appearance, it meant you looked suspicious, as if you were someone destined to be hanged.
12. Hans-In-Kelder
Borrowed from Dutch in the 17th century, a Hans-in-Kelder refers to an unborn child still in its mother's womb. Also known as Jack in the cellar, it was often used as a toast to an expectant mother.
13. Happing
As a verb, hap means ‘to cover’ or ‘to wrap,’ which makes happing a 17th century term for bed linens or sheets.
14. Haptics
Originating from Greek, haptics is the field of science dedicated to the sense of touch. It is particularly relevant in the study of haptotropism, which explores how plants or their parts grow or move in response to contact, such as the tendrils of climbing plants or even, in rare cases, exploding cucumbers.
15. Hard-Weight
When you measure something and it falls just short of the required amount, that’s known as hard-weight.
16. Hawkary-Pawkery
A term for deception or trickery.
17. Hebdomad
Stemming from the Greek term for the number seven, a hebdomad refers to a week. If something happens hebdomadally, it takes place once every seven days.
18. Hebetate
To hebetate something is to make it dull or blunt. Something described as hebetative has this exact effect.
19. Hederaceous
If something is hederaceous, it resembles ivy, while if you're hederigerent, you're adorned with or covered in ivy. Additionally, if something is hordaceous, it resembles barley, whereas anything described as horeiform is shaped like a barleycorn.
20. Hedgehogged
Spiky, or covered in prickles. Fun fact: A baby hedgehog is called a hoglet.
21. Hedley-Medley
A chaotic mix.
22. Hempstring
In reference to something of little worth, hempstring was a term used in Tudor England to describe a person of no value or someone disreputable.
23. Hen-Fruit
No surprise here—that’s an old 19th-century nickname for an egg.
24. Hesitude
An ancient term for uncertainty or indecision.
25. Hidder-and-Shidder
A Tudor-era word for a mixed herd or flock comprising both male and female animals. Its literal meaning is “he-deer and she-deer.”
26. Hiemate
To hibernate in a specific place during the winter.
27. High-Stomached
A term coined by Shakespeare to describe someone who is particularly arrogant or self-important.
28. Histriomastix
A 17th-century term referring to a harsh theater critic, originating from the Greek meaning “scourge of actors.” The word gained prominence from the title of a scathing critique of England's stage actors, actresses, and theaters written by Puritan lawyer and pamphleteer William Prynne in the early 1630s. Unfortunately for Prynne, his Histriomastix angered Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I, who was known for her involvement in theater. For his critique, Prynne was severely punished: imprisoned in the Tower of London, fined £5000, pilloried, had his ears cut off, and was branded with the letters SL (for “seditious libeler”) on his face.
29. Hitherum-Ditherum
Thought to have originated from a regional variation of “hither and thither” (meaning “here and there”), hitherum-ditherum is an archaic Scots dialect term referring to the perfect weather for hanging laundry outside—a day when the wind blows from every direction.
30. Honestation
Derived from the verb honest meaning “to confer honor or dignity upon,” honestation refers to any positive or honorable trait or quality.
31. Horally
Anything that occurs horally takes place every hour. Similarly, something described as semihoral lasts for half an hour, and sesquihoral refers to an event that lasts for an hour and a half.
32. Hornswoggle
To hornswoggle someone is to deceive or trick them, often by taking advantage of their trust.
33. Horodix
Originating from the Greek for “hour-shower,” horodix was a formal term used in the 17th century for a clock.
34. Horrescent
If you are horrescent, it means you are trembling with fear. Similarly, something that is horriferous evokes intense terror or dread, while...
35. Horripilation
... is the scientific term for goosebumps, also referred to as piloerection.
36. Horrisonant
An adjective used to describe anything that sounds dreadful.
37. Horse-Godmother
A 16th-century insult directed at “a large, coarse-looking woman,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
38. Hufty-Tufty
A 16th-century term used to describe someone who is arrogantly self-important.
39. Humstrum
A term from Scots dialect that describes a mood of sulkiness.
40. Hylomania
Originating from the Greek word for “wood,” hylomania refers to an obsessive craving for material possessions.
