habeas corpus 
Habeas Corpus Act, an English statute of 1679 (31 Car. 
II. , c. 2) regulating the issue anil return of writs of habeas 
corpus and proceedings thereon, the right to which had 
been previously conceded by the Petition of Right (3 Car. 
I., c. l)and the statute of 1640 (16 Car. I.,c. 10). There 
are also statutes of the United States and of the several 
States, generally modeled upon the British actj securing 
the like remedy and regulating its exercise. Habeas 
corpus ad testlflcandum, a writ used to bring a pris- 
oner into court to testify as a witness : now obsolete. 
habeck (lia'bek), n. 1. An implement used in 
dressing cloth. E. H. Knight. 2. In her., the 
conventional representation of this implement. 
It is a two-pronged instrument, and appears, 
when used as a bearing, in a form nearly like 
the brace > in printing. 
habena (ha-be'na), n. ; pi. habeiice (-ne). [L., 
a thong, strap, rein, etc., a strip of diseased 
flesh, < habere, hold, have: see habit, have.'] 
1. In anat., a filament in the brain which runs 
from the cpnarium forward on the optic thal- 
amus on either side, forming the peduncle of 
the pineal body. Also called habenula. 2. In 
surg., a form of bandage designed to keep the 
sides of a wound together. 
habenar (ha-be'nar), o. [< habetia + -ar 3 .] In 
anat., pertaining 'to the habena. 
Habenaria (hab-e-na'ri-a), . [NL. (Willde- 
now, 1805), < L. ' 
liabeiia, a thong, 
strap, rein : see 
habena.~\ A 
large genus of 
terrestrial tu- 
berous - rooted 
orchidaceous 
plants, embra- 
cing about 400 
species, wide- 
ly distributed 
throughout the 
temperate and 
warmer regions 
of both hemi- 
spheres. It is 
distinguished from 
the nearest related 
genera by its ses- 
sile polymorphous 
petals, which are 
not longer than the 
sepals. It belongs 
to the tribe Ophry- 
dece of the natural 
order Orchidtac, 
and consists of 
leafy herbs with 
racemose or spiked 
flowers. Eighteen 
species are found in the northeastern United States, in- 
cluding the beautiful fringed orchids, of which H.fimbri- 
ata is the most showy. 
habendum (ha-ben'dum), n.; pi. liabenda (-da). 
[So called from beginning, in L. form, with ha- 
bendum et tenendum, 'to have and to hold': ha- 
bendum, ace. ger. of habere, have, hold, possess: 
see habit, have.'] In law, that clause of a deed 
(commencing with the words " to have and to 
hold") which was devised and originally used 
to define and determine the estate or interest 
granted by the deed. It still has that effect if the 
granting part of the deed fails to do this, but it is not now 
allowed effect so far as it may be repugnant to the grant- 
ing part. 
habenryt, n. A barbican ; a corner turret. 
habenula (ha-ben'u-la), . ; pi. habenula (-le). 
[L., a small strip of diseased flesh which is cut 
out from the body, lit. a little strap, dim. of 
habena, a strap: see habena."] In anat., same 
as habena, 1 Habenula perforata, the termination 
of the spiral lamina of the cochlea. 
habenular (ha-ben'u-lar), a. [< habenula + 
-o'3.] In anat., pertaining to the habenula or 
habena: as, the habenular ganglion, 
haberdash (hab'er-dash), r. i. [Formed from 
the noun haberdasher.] To deal or traffic in 
small or petty wares. [Rare.] 
What mean dull souls, in this high measure, 
To haberdash 
In earth's base wares, whose greatest treasure 
Is dross and trash? 
Quarles, Emblems, ii. 5. 
haberdasht (hab'er-dash), n. [< haberdash, .] 
Peddlers' merchandise ; petty wares. Nares. 
They turne out ther trashe. 
And shew ther haberdashe, 
Ther pylde pedlarye. 
Papysticall Exhortation. 
haberdasher (hab'er-dash-er), n. [Early mod. 
E. also habberdasher, haberdassher ; < ME. hab- 
erdassher, haberdasshere, habirdasshere, habur- 
dassher, haburdaissher, found only in the pas- 
sage quoted from Chaucer, and once, early in 
Fringed Orchid (Habenaria ftmttriata). 
a, flower. 
2672 
the 14th century, in a Latin document; per- 
haps, through an unrecorded AF. form, with 
formative -er (E. -er 2 , denoting an agent), < AF. 
hiijiertus, a sort of stuff, mentioned once in a 
legal document, and the supposed source of the 
collective term, AF. haberdashrie (> E. haber- 
dashery), mentioned along with wool, wadmal, 
mercery, canvas, felt, fur, etc., as subject to 
duty (Liber Albus, ed. Eiley, pp. 225, 231). The 
origin of AF. hapertas is unknown ; Skeat and 
others connect it with Icel. hapurtask, defined 
as " scruta f ri vola " (Gudmundus Andrea?. 1683; 
Haldorsen, 1814), i. e. trumpery, riffraff, sup- 
posed by Skeat to have meant orig. ' peddlers' 
wares, or the contents of a peddler's bag,' < 
Icel. haprtask, hafrtask, a haversack, < luifr, 
oats (see haver 2 ), + task, a pouch, pocket, = 
G. tasche, a pouch, pocket, scrip ; cf . haversack. 
But Cleasby, who does not give hapurtask at 
all, indicates that the Icel. haprtask, hafrtask, 
haversack, is quite recent, his only reference 
being a collection of mod. poems published in 
1852. The ME. word is more prob. of LG. ori- 
gin.] 1. A dealer in small wares ; specifically, 
a dealer in small articles of dress and in rib- 
bons, trimmings, thread, pins, needles, etc. 
An haberdasshere [var. haberdasher, etc.] and a carpenter, 
A webbe, a deyere, and a tapicer, 
And they were clothed alle In oo [one] ly vere, 
Of a solempne and a gret fraternite. 
Chaucer, Gen. Prol. to C. T., 1. 861. 
Because these cunning men are like haberdashers of 
small wares, it is not amiss to Bet forth their shop. 
Bacon, Essays. 
There was a haberdasher's wife of email wit near him, 
that railed upon me. Shak., Hen. VIII., v. ::. 
To match this saint there was another, 
As busy and perverse a brother, 
An haberdasher of small wares 
In politics and state affairs. 
S. Butler, Hudibras, III. ii. 423. 
2f. A dealer in hats ; a hatter. 
The haberdasher heapeth wealth by hattes. 
Oasmigne, Fruits of War, st. 64. 
Haberdasher, a hatter, or seller of hats; also a dealer 
in small wares. Phillijis, 1706. 
3. A schoolmaster. [North. Eng.] 
haberdashery (hab'er-dash-er-i), n. ; pi. haber- 
dasheries (-iz). [< ME. (AF.) haberdashrie; < 
haberdasher + -y*."] 1. The goods and wares 
sold by a haberdasher ; the business of a haber- 
dasher. 
They [the trader and the mechanic] usually appear no 
less absurd, and succeed no less unhappily, in writing 
verses, or composing orations, than the student would 
appear in making a shoe, or retailing cheese and haber- 
dashery. V. Knox, Essays, Iv. 
2. A haberdasher's shop. [Rare.] 
A walking haberdashery 
Of feathers, lace, and fur. 
Scott, Bridal of Triermain, ii. 
haberdash-waret, n. Haberdashery. 
He set vp his shop with haberdash ware, 
As one that would be a thriuing man. 
The Wife Lapped in Morels Skin, 1. 596. 
haberdepoiset, An obsolete form of avoir- 
dupois. 
haberdinet (hab'er-den or -din), n. [< OF. ha- 
bonlean; also labordean (Cotgrave), MD. abber- 
daen, xlabberdaen, D. abberdaan, also labber- 
daan, LG. labberddn, > G. labberdan, laberdan; 
origin obscure.] The common cod; especially, 
the dried salt cod. 
The spotted Cod whereof Baberdine is made. 
Cotyrave. 
I would . . . headlong hurl myself into that abyss of 
waves, ere I would touch the skin of such rough haber- 
dine. Jiiddleton, Spanish Gypsy, iv. 3. 
And warn him not to cast his wanton eyne 
On grosser bacon or salt haberdine. 
Bp. Hall, Satires, IV. iv. 81. 
habere facias possessionem (ha-be're fa'shi- 
as po-ses-i-6'nem). [So called from beginning, 
in L. form, with these words, lit. 'cause (such 
a one) to have possession': L. habere, to have; 
facias, 2d pers. sing. subj. (with impv, force) 
of facere, make, cause ; possessionem, ace. of 
possessio(n-), possession.] In law, a writ for 
the execution of a judgment in an action to re- 
cover lands, directing the sheriff to put the suc- 
cessful party in possession. 
habergeont, haber jount, n. See haubergeon. 
haberjectt, A kind of cloth made in very 
early times in England, said to be a cloth of a 
mixed color, and also to have been worn chiefly 
by monks. Drapers' Diet. 
And one breadth of dyed cloth, russets, and haber jccts : 
that is to say, two yards within the lists. 
Quoted in Ewjlish (Olds (E. E. T. S.X p. 364. 
habilitator 
Habia (ha'bi-a), n. [NL., also Abia; of H. 
Amer. origin.] 1. In ontilh.: (a) A genus of 
tanagrine birds: same asSaltator. < 'iirin; 1817. 
(4) A genus of fringilline birds. Habia luiln- 
rk-iuna is the rose-breasted grosbeak. Hiiclmi- 
bach, 1850. Also called Xnnn-lndiu. 2. [I. c.] 
A bird of the genus Kaltator, a group of South 
American tauagrine birds of partly greenish 
colors, with large beak, short rounded wings, 
and longer rounded tail. 
habilable (hab'i-la-bl), . [< F. habiller, clothe 
(see habiliment), + -<ihl<.'] Capable of being 
clothed. [Rare.] 
The whole habitable and habilable globe. 
Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, L 5. 
habilatory (hab'i-la-to-ri), to. [< F. habiller, 
clothe (see habiliment), + -at-ory.~\ Pertaining 
or relating to habiliments or clothing. [Rare.] 
The arcana of habilatory art. Bulwer, Pelham, Ixxix. 
For indeed is not the dandy culottic, habilatory, by law 
of existence ; a cloth-animal V 
Carlyle, French Rev., III. vii. 2. 
habile (hab'il), a. [< OF. habile, F. habile = 
Pr. habil, abilh = Sp. Pg. habil = It. abile, < L. 
habilis, suitable, fit, proper, apt, expert, < ha- 
bere, have, hold, etc. : see able 1 , liable, a doublet 
of habile.'] Able; apt; skilful; handy. [Rare.] 
Habile and ready to every good work. 
Walker, Lady Warwick (1678X p. 119. 
It seems paradoxical that so A//',;/, a speaker, so keen 
and ready a wit, should do so little damage among his op- 
ponents. Harper's Mag., LXV. 174. 
habiliment (ha-bil'i-ment), n. [Formerly also 
abiliment (and by apheresis biliment, q. v.); < 
ME. habilyment, < OF. habillement (ML. habili- 
mentum, habilamentwn), < habiller, dress, clothe, 
< habile, able, ready, fit : see habile.] 1. A gar- 
ment; clothing: usually in the plural: as, the 
habiliments of war; fashionable habiliments. 
He unawares the fairest Una found, 
Straunge lady, in so straunge habiliment, 
Teaching the Satyres. Spenser, F. Q., I. vi. 30. 
She [Lot's wife] laments 
To lose her lewels and habilliments. 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, ii., The Vocation. 
[He] came down to breakfast dressed in the habiliments 
of the preceding day. liurhain, Ingoldsby Legends, I. 41. 
2f. A border, as of gold, pearls, etc., in ancient 
dress. Halliwell. See biliment. 
habilimented (ha-bil'i-men-ted), a. Having 
habiliments; clothed. 
I there a chimney-sweepers wife have seene, 
Habilimented like the diamond queeiie. 
John Taylor, Works (1630). 
habilitate (ha-bil'i-tat), .; pret. and pp. habili- 
tated, ppr. habilitating. [Formerly also 061/1- 
tate, q. v.; < ML. habilitatus, pp. of Itabilitare 
(> It. abilitare = Sp. Pg. habilitar = Pr. habili- 
tar, abilitar = OF. habiliter, habileter, F. habili- 
ter), make suitable or fit, qualify, < habilis, suit- 
able, fit, apt, able: see habile, liability.] I. 
trans. If. To qualify; entitle. Bacon. 2. In 
parts of the United States acquired from Mexi- 
co-to furnish with means to work a mine. 
II. intrans. To acquire certain necessary 
qualifications, as for an office ; specifically (from 
German habilitiren), to qualify as teacher in a 
German university. 
Having habilitated in 1839 at Kiel, he [Otto Jahn] in 1S42 
became professor-extraordinary of archaeology and philol- 
ogy at Greifswald. Eiu-yc. Brit., XIII. 543. 
He [Lassalle] meant to habilitate as a privat docent when 
he returned. Roe, Contemporary Socialism, p. 67. 
habilitatet (ha-bil'i-tat), a. [< ML. habilitatus, 
pp.: see the verb.] Qualified; entitled. 
Divers persons . . . were attainted, and thereby not le- 
gall, nor habilitate to serue in Parliament. 
Bacon, Hist. Hen. VII., p. 12. 
habilitation (ha-bil-i-ta'shqn), n. [< ML. ha- 
bilitatio(n-), qualification, ^ habilitare, qualify: 
see habilitate."] If. Qualification. 
It importeth most that a nation do profess arms as their 
principal honour, study, and occupation; for the things 
which we have formerly spoken of are but habtlitatwns 
towards arms ; and what is habilitation without intention 
and act? Bacon, True Greatness of Kingdoms and 
[Estates (ed. 1887). 
2. In the western mining districts of the United 
States, the supplying of money or other prop- 
erty by a capitalist to the owner or proprietor 
of a mine, for its development or working. 
habilitator (ha-bil'i-ta-tor), n. [= Sp. habili- 
tador, a qualifier, one wlio makes fit or able ; < 
ML. habilitator, < habilitare, qualify : see habili- 
tate.'] In the western mining districts of the 
United States, one who advances money or 
property for working a mine, under contract 
with its proprietors. See habilitation. 
