II IE 3 



HIC'CCP or Htc'coroH, a spasmodic af- 

 fection of the stomach, oesophagus, and 

 muscles subservient to deglutition ; sin- 

 gultus. 



HIDAL'GO, a Spanish nobleman of the 

 lower class. 



HIDE. 1. In old law, a certain portion 

 of land. The quantity is not exactly 

 known. Some suppose it to have been 

 as much as could be tilled by one plough ; 

 others as much as was necessary to sup- 

 port a family ; others again make the 

 hide 60, and some as much as 100 acres. 



2. The skin of an animal, either raw 



or dressed ; generally applied to the un- 

 dressed skins of the larger domestic 

 animals. 



HIDE'BOUND, a disease common to ani- 

 mals and vegetables. Cattle are hide- 

 bound when the skin becomes dried, and 

 adheres firmly to the subjacent tissue, 

 and trees are hidebound when the bark 

 becomes so tight as to impede the growth. 



HI'ERA-PIC'RA, holy-bitter; itftf, holy, 

 and trixgo;, bitter. A pharmaceutical 

 powder, containing socotorine aloes and 

 white canella. 



Hi'ERARCHY,from hoof, holy, and f%r. 

 ruler. Holy government, rank, or sub- 

 ordination among holy beings. The term 

 is chiefly used to designate the govern- 

 ment established in a national church, de- 

 termining the rank, offices, &c., of the 

 clergy. 



HIEROFAL'CO, the generic name of the 

 gerfalcon (Falco candicans, Lin.). A bird 

 belonging to the accipitrine order and 

 diurnal family. It is one fourth larger 

 than the common falcon, and is the most 

 highly esteemed by falconers (see FALCO.) 

 Name from j'jjof , sacred, and falco, which 

 originated in the superstitious notions of 

 the Egyptians respecting certain birds of 

 prey. The English name gerfalcon is a 

 corruption of hierofalco. 



HIEROGLTPH'ICS, from hgo;, sacred, and 

 yXwip,to carve. 1. Mystical characters or 

 symbols in use among the ancient Egyp- 

 tians, both in their writings and inscrip- 

 tions, as signs of sacred and supernatural 

 things. The hieroglyphics were figures 

 of animals, parts of the human body, me- 

 chanical instruments, &c., which con- 

 tained a meaning known only to the ini- 

 tiated. 2. Pictures intended to express 



historical facts. 



HIEROGRAM'MATIC, from /?, sacred, 

 and yeatu,[tct, a letter. An epithet for that 

 species of writing practised by the priest- 

 hood, particularly of ancient Egypt. 



HiEROMXE'MON.from h^os, sacred, and 

 uavtiMat, memory. A magistrate in an- 

 cient Greece who presided over the sacred 

 rites and solemnities. 



HIKBO'NTMITES or JEHO'NTMITES, a reli- 



HI P 



gious order in Spain, named after it pa- 

 tron, St. Jerome. 



HIEROPHAN'TES, hfofenmt- Priest* 

 whose duty it was to teach the mysteries 

 and duties of religion. 



HIEROPH'YLAX, /a0uXaJ. An officer in 

 the Greek Church, who was guardian or 

 keeper of the holy utensils, vestments, 

 &c. The hierophylax answers to our ves- 

 try-keeper. 



HIGH CHURCH. Applied to the opinions 

 of parties who seek to exalt the ecclesias- 

 tical power. 



HIGH PRESSURE. See STEAM and STEAM 

 ENGINE. 



HIGH PRIEST, the head of the Jewish 

 priesthood. Moses conferred this dignity 

 on his brother Aaron, in whose family it 

 descended without interruption. 



HILARI TERM, the term of Courts, &c., 

 which begins on 23rd January. 



HILUM (Latin.) The eye of a seed; 

 the pile, point, or scar by which the seed 

 is attached to its seed-vessel. 



HIMAN'TOPUS, a sub-genus of birds. Or- 

 der Grallator ice ; family Longiro&tres ; ge- 

 nus Scolopax, Lin. Name from I^M.;, a 

 string, and frovf, a foot, in allusion to the 

 extreme length and tenuity of the legs. 



Hiu, a Hebrew measure of capacity, 

 equal to one gallon, two pints, English 

 measure. 



HINGE. The hinges of a door or gate are 

 the iron or brass ligaments on which it 

 turns. The hinge of a shell is the point by 

 which bivalve shells are united. It is 

 formed by the teeth of the one valve in- 

 serting themselves between those of the 

 other, or by the teeth of one valve fitting 

 into the cavities or sockets of the oppo- 

 site valve. It is on the peculiar construc- 

 tion of the hinge that the generic charac- 

 ter of bivalve shells is mainly founded, 

 in connection with the general form ot 

 the shell. 



HIP. 1. The articulation of the thigh 



with the pelvis. 2. The ripe fruit ot 



the dog-rose tree (.Rosa canina.) 3. A 



piece of timber at the corner of a roof. 

 Hips are much longer than rafters in con- 

 sequence of their slanting position, and 

 have commonly five planes. Workmen 

 call them corners, or principal rafters, or 

 sleepers, but sleepers are distinguished as 

 lying in the valleys, and join at top with 

 the hips. See HIP-ROOF. 



HIP-MOULDS, a term in carpentry for 

 the back of the hip or corner of a roof 

 also for the pattern by which the hip ox 

 a roof is set out. 



HIP-ROOP. When a roof of a building 

 is formed by equally inclined planes, ris- 

 ing from each side, it is called a hipped- 

 roof, and the ridges rising from the angles 

 of the walls are called hips, whereas if 

 the ridge runs out straight with, the face 



