THE
`
`AMERICAN
`HERITAGE
`DICTIONARY
`
`OF THE
`
`ENGLISH LANGUAGE
`
`THIRD EDITION
`
`HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
`Boston · New York · London
`
`1
`
`GOOGLE 1009
`
`

`
`Words are included in this Dictionary on the basis of their
`usage. Words that are lmown to have current trademark
`registrations are shown with an initial capital and are also
`identified as trademarks. No investigation has been made of
`common-law trademark rights in any word, because such
`investigation is impracticable. The inclusion of any word in
`this Dictionary is not, however, an expression of the
`Publisher's opinion as to whether or not it is subject to
`proprietary rights. Indeed, no definition in this Dictionary is
`to be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark.
`
`American Heritage and the eagle logo are registered
`trademarks of Forbes Inc. Their use is pursuant to a license
`agreement with Forbes Inc.
`
`Houghton Mifflin Company gratefully acknowledges Mead
`Data Central, Inc., providers of the LEXIS®/NEXIS® services,
`for its assistance in the preparation of this edition of
`The American Heritage Dictionary.
`
`Copyright© 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
`All rights reserved.
`
`No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any
`form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
`photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or
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`Houghton Mifflin Company unless such copying is expressly
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`Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2 Park Street,
`Boston, MA 02108.
`
`Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
`The Ame1ican heritage dictionary of the English language.
`-3rd ed.
`p.
`cm.
`ISBN 0-395-44895-6
`1. English language- Dictionaries.
`PE1628.A623
`1992
`423-dc20
`
`92-851
`CIP
`
`Manufactured in the United States of America
`
`2
`
`

`
`er
`
`Highland fling
`
`853
`
`high-toned
`
`and
`
`2vel,
`
`rec-
`
`1ent
`
`po-
`
`hcf
`
`hat
`mt, i
`fa· t
`I
`
`n.]
`
`er-
`ny
`
`.vs
`ty
`
`ke 1;
`
`'d
`
`)0
`
`~n-I ·to
`.g- I an
`
`Highland fling n. A lively folk dance originating in the High(cid:173)
`lands of Scotland.
`Highland Park. 1. A city of northeast Illinois, a residential
`suburb of Chicago on Lake Michigan. Population, 30,611. 2. A
`city of southeast Michigan surrounded by Detroit. It grew mainly
`after Henry Ford established an automobile factory here in 1909.
`Population, 27,909.
`High•lands (hIIJandz). A mountainous region of central and
`northern Scotland extending northwest and including the Gram(cid:173)
`pian Mountains. -High I land adj. -High1land•or n.
`high-lev•el (hIIJevlal) adj. 1. Made up of or carried out by
`persons having high rank or status: a high-level corporate brief(cid:173)
`ing. 2. Being at an elevated level in rank or importance: a high(cid:173)
`level official. 3. Computer Science. Of, relating to, or being a
`language, such as BASIC or Pascal, in which each instruction or
`statement corresponds to several instructions in machine lan(cid:173)
`guage. A high-level language is translated into machine language
`by a computer.
`high•life or high life (hYllrf') n.
`Informal. An extravagant
`or luxurious style of living. -highl-lif'er n.
`high·light (hilllt') n. 1. An area or a spot in a drawing, paint(cid:173)
`ing, or photograph that is strongly illuminated. 2. An especially
`significant or interesting detail or event. -highlight tr.v. -light•
`ed, -light•ing, -lights. 1. To give a highlight to (the subject of a
`painting, for example). 2.a. To make prominent; emphasize. b •
`To be a highlight of. 3. To mark important passages of text with
`a usually fluorescent marker as a means of memory retention or
`for later reference.
`high•light•er (hi/JI'tar) n. 1. A usually fluorescent marker
`used to mark important passages of text. 2. A cosmetic for em(cid:173)
`phasizing areas of the face, such as the eyes or cheekbones.
`high-low {hYll51) n. Games. 1. A poker game in which both
`high and low hands are eligible to win. 2. A signal chiefly in
`bridge for one's partner to lea<! a suit.
`high-low-jack {hI/J51jak1) n. Games. A card game in which
`points are scored for the high tmmp, low trump, jack of trumps,
`and either the ten of trumps or game.
`High Mass n. Roman Catholic Church. A mass in which the
`celebrant is assisted by a deacon and a subdeacon and accompa(cid:173)
`nied by acolytes, a thurifer, and a choir.
`high-mind•ed {hYlminldld) adj. Characterized by elevated
`ideals or conduct; noble. -highl-mindled•ly adv. -high/•
`mindled•ness n.
`high muckamuck n. Slang. An important, often overbearing
`person. [From Chinook Jargon hayo makamak, plenty to eat.]
`
`WORD HISTORY: Perhaps one would not immediately associate
`the word high muckamuck with Chinook Jargon, but it seems that
`English has borrowed the term. This pidgin language, which com(cid:173)
`bines worc!s from English, French, Nootka, Chinook, and the Sa(cid:173)
`lishan languages, was formerly used by Native Americans and fur
`traders in the Pacific Northwest. In this language hayo makamak
`meant "plenty to eat 11 and is recorded in that sense in English
`contexts, the first one dated 1853, in which the phrase is spelled
`Hiou Muckamuck. In 1856 we find the first recorded instance of
`the word meaning "pompous person, person of importance," in the
`Democratic State Journal published in Sacramento: "The
`professors -
`the high 'Muck-a-Mucks' -
`tried fusion, and pro(cid:173)
`duced confusion." In this passage the Chinook Jargon term has
`been Anglicized in accord with its new meaning.
`
`high-necked (hI'nekt') adj. Having a high neckline: a high-
`11ecked sweater.
`high•ness {hYlnls) n. 1. The quality or condition of being high.
`2. Highness. Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of
`address for a prince or princess: Her Royal Highness the P1incess
`Margaret.
`high noon n. 1. Exactly noon. 2. The highest or most ad(cid:173)
`vanced stage or period: the high noon of her creativity.
`high-oc•tane {hilokltan) adj. 1. Having a high octane num(cid:173)
`ber and thus good antiknock properties and high efficiency: high(cid:173)
`octane gas. 2. Slang. High-powered; dynamic: a high-octane
`sales manager; a high-octane marketing plan.
`high-pitched (hYlpkhtl) adj. 1. High in pitch, as a voice or
`musical tone. 2. Steeply sloped, as a roof. 3. Marked by or indi(cid:173)
`cating intense emotion: a high-pitched debate.
`high place n.
`In early Semitic religions, a place of worship
`built usually on top of a hill.
`High Point. A city of north-central North Carolina southwest of
`Greensboro. Settled before 1750, it is a furniture-manufacturing
`center. Population, 63,808.
`high-pow•ered {h!lpoulard) also high·pow•er (-pou'ar)
`adj. Having great power or energy; dynamic: She's on a high(cid:173)
`power career track.
`high-pres•sure (hllpreshlar) adj. 1. Of or relating to pres(cid:173)
`sures higher than normal, especially higher than atmospheric
`pressure. 2. Informal. a. Using aggressive, persistent persuasive
`tactics: a high-pressure salesperson. b. Full of great stress or
`-sured,
`tension: a high-pressure job. -high-pressure tr.v.
`•sur•ing, -sures. Informal. To attempt to sell (something) or
`persuade (someone) by using aggressive, persistent tactics.
`high priest n. 1. Judaism. A chief male priest, especially of the
`ancient Levitical priesthood. 2. Mormon Church. A male priest
`
`of the Melchizedek order. 3. The head or chief proponent, as of
`a movement or doctrine. -high priesthood n.
`high priestess n. The female head or chief proponent, as of a
`movement or doctrine: the high priestess of modern art.
`high profile n. An intentionally conspicuous, well-publicized
`presence or stance: "needs to maintain a high profile in his pm(cid:173)
`(hY' prolfil)
`fession" (Tracy Keenan Wynn). -high1-pro1file
`adj.
`high relief n. Sculptural relief in which the modeled forms
`project from the background by at least half their depth. Also
`called alto-relievo.
`high-res•o•iu•tion (hI'rez'o-loo'shan) adj. 1. Relating to
`an image that has fine detail. 2. Computer Science. Relating to
`an output device, such as a printer, whose images contain a large
`number of pixels and are therefore sharp and detailed.
`high-rise (hYlriz') adj. 1. a. Indicating or being a multistoried
`building equipped with elevators: a high-rise apartment building.
`b. Of, relating to, or marked by multistoried buildings: a high-rise
`fire; a high-1'ise district. 2. Of, relating to, or being a bicycle with
`small wheels, a banana-shaped seat, and high handlebars.
`-high-rise or high risen. 1. A multistoried building equipped
`with elevators. 2. A high-rise bicycle.
`high-risk (hITrlskl) adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characterized by
`risk: a high-risk business. 2. Being particularly subject to pa(cid:173)
`ten ti al danger or hazard: a high-rislc surgical procedure.
`high• road or high road (hi' rod') n. 1. a. The easiest or
`surest path or course: the highro<Ld to happiness. b. The most
`positive, diplomatic, or optimistic course. 2. Chiefly B1'itish. A
`main road; a highway.
`high roller n. Slang. 1. One who spends freely and extrava(cid:173)
`gantly, as for luxuries or entertainment. 2w One who gambles
`rashly or for high stakes. 3. An organization, such as a large
`corporation, that spends or invests liberally or rashly. -high1-
`roll1ing {hilrO'llng) adj.
`high school n. Abbr. HS, H.S. A secondary school that usually
`includes grades 9 through 12 or 10 through 12. -highi-school'
`(hYlskool') adj. -high school'er n.
`high seas pl.n. The open waters of an ocean or a sea beyond the
`limits of the territorial jurisdiction of a country: piracy on the
`high seas.
`high sign n.
`In/annal. An often prearranged secret sign or
`signal intended especially to warn or inform: gave me the high
`sign that it was time to leave.
`high-sound• ing (hr 1soun1 ding) adj. Pretentiously impres(cid:173)
`sive; pon1pous: high-sounding oratory.
`high-speed (hilsped'} adj. 1. Operated or designed for op(cid:173)
`eration at high speed: a high-speed food pmcessor. 2. Taking
`place at high speed: a high-speed chase. 3. Having a speed of
`50-500 frames per second, as movie film, to record events that
`occur too rapidly for usual photography.
`high-spir•il•ed (hYlsplrll-tld) adj. 1. Having a proud or un(cid:173)
`broken spirit: a high-spirited horse. 2. Vivacious; lively: a high(cid:173)
`spirited tune. -highi-spirlit•ed•ly adv. -highi-spirlif•ed•
`ness n.
`high-stick·ing {hilstrkTlng) n. Sports. The act of carrying
`the blade of an ice hockey stick at a height ruled illegal.
`high street n. Chiefly British. A main street.
`high-strung (hllstriingl) adj. Tending to be very nervous and
`easily excited.
`high style n. The latest in trend-setting fashion or design, usu(cid:173)
`ally intended for or adopted by an exclusive clientele. Also called
`high fashion. -highi-stylel (hllstll) adj.
`hight (hrt) adj. Archaic. Named or called.
`[Middle English,
`past participle of highten, hihten, to call, be called, from hehte,
`hight, past tense of hoten, from Old English hdtan. See kei- 2 in
`Appendix.]
`high•tail (hrital') intr.v. -tailed, -tail•ing, -tails. Slang. To
`go as fast as possible, especially in retreating: hightailed out of
`town. [From those animals that raise their tails when fleeing.]
`high tea n. Chiefly British. A fairly substantial meal that in(cid:173)
`cludes tea and is served in the late afternoon or early evening.
`high tech (tek) Informal. n. 1. High technology. 2. A style of
`interior decoration marked by the use of industrial materials,
`equipment, or design. -high tech also hi-loch (hlltekl) adj. Of,
`relating to, or resembling high technology.
`high technology n. Technology that involves highly ad(cid:173)
`vanced or specialized systems or devices. -high I-tech• noll o •
`gy (hiltek-noJla-je) adj.
`high-ten•sion (hllten'shan) adj. Abbr. HT Having a high
`voltage.
`high-test (h11test1) adj. 1. Of or relating to highly volatile
`high-octane gasoline. 2. Meeting exacting requirements.
`high-tick•et (hiltlklit) adj.
`In/annal. Very expensive: "de(cid:173)
`veloping a boundless appetite for high-ticket travel" (Eileen Keer(cid:173)
`doja).
`high tide n. 1. Abbr. HT a. The tide at its fullest, when the
`water reaches its highest level. b. The time at which this tide
`occurs. 2. A point of culmination; a climax. ~attributive. Often
`used to modify another noun: a high tide mark; a high tide de(cid:173)
`parture.
`high-toned (hYlt5ndl) adj. 1. Intellectually, morally, or so-
`
`high relief
`
`a pat
`a pay
`ar care
`a father
`e pet
`e be
`I pit
`1 pie
`ir pier
`b pot
`6 toe
`6 paw
`
`oi boy
`au out
`oo took
`6b boot
`U cut
`iir urge
`th thin
`th this
`hw which
`zh vision
`a about, item
`+ regionalism
`Stress marks: 1 (primary);
`' (secondary), as in
`dictionary ( dlk I sho-ner 1 e)
`
`3