📖 H — The English dictionary · page 40

hygienist — Everyday, meaning 1: A dental hygienist: a trained health worker who cleans people's teeth, removes hard tartar and teaches how to brush and floss.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Less often, any expert on hygiene and health, such as an occupational hygienist who checks workplaces are safe and clean.↗ Example: The hygienist cleaned my teeth and made them shiny.↗ · The hygienist showed me how to floss between my teeth.↗ · Mum has an appointment with the dental hygienist.↗ · My aunt trained for three years to become a hygienist.↗ · The hygienist said I should brush for two minutes, twice a day.↗ · A hygienist works alongside the dentist.↗

hymn — Everyday, meaning 1: A song of praise to God, sung in church, at assemblies or at religious events.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A song or piece praising something, as in «a hymn to freedom».↗ Example: We sang a hymn in assembly.↗ · The choir sang a beautiful hymn at the wedding.↗ · Open your hymn books at page twenty.↗ · Grandma's favourite hymn is played at Christmas.↗ · The anthem is like a hymn to the country.↗ · The teachers are singing from the same hymn sheet.↗

hyoid — Everyday, meaning 1: (biology) The hyoid bone is a small U-shaped bone in the front of the neck, under the tongue; it is the only bone in the body not joined to another bone.↗ Example: The hyoid bone sits in your neck below your jaw.↗ · The hyoid is the only bone not joined to any other bone.↗ · Muscles of the tongue are attached to the hyoid.↗ · The hyoid helps you swallow and talk.↗ · Scientists study the hyoid of Neanderthals to learn whether they could speak.↗ · You can feel your hyoid move when you swallow.↗

hype — Everyday, meaning 1: Lots of excited advertising or talk that makes something seem better or more important than it really is.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb) To make a big fuss about something to get people excited: they hyped the new game.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (slang) Hyped or hyped up means very excited: «I'm so hyped for the holidays!».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (slang, adjective) «Hype» can mean exciting or great: «that song is hype».↗ Example: There was so much hype about the new phone that people queued all night.↗ · The film did not live up to the hype.↗ · Don't believe the hype; read real reviews first.↗ · The coach hyped up the team before the final.↗ · I'm so hyped for the school trip tomorrow!↗ · The advert hyped the toy as «the best ever».↗ · That new song is hype!↗ (slang)↗ · Our media lesson showed how hype can make us want things we don't need.↗

hyperactive — Everyday, meaning 1: Hyperactive means much more active than normal, unable to keep still or stay calm.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In medicine, hyperactivity is a part of ADHD, a condition that makes it hard for some people to sit still and concentrate.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) Hyperactive is used jokingly about someone very excited, like after too many sweets.↗ Example: The puppy is hyperactive and runs around all day.↗ · My little brother gets hyperactive at birthday parties.↗ · Some children with ADHD are hyperactive and find it hard to sit still.↗ · After two fizzy drinks, Sam was totally hyper.↗ · The hyperactive squirrel raced up and down the tree.↗ · The teacher gave the hyperactive class a quick running game.↗

hyperactivity — Everyday, meaning 1: Hyperactivity means being much more active, restless and full of energy than usual, finding it very hard to sit still.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (medicine) Hyperactivity is part of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), a condition that affects attention and activity.↗ Example: ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.↗ · His hyperactivity made it hard to sit through long lessons.↗ · The teacher gave her movement breaks to help with hyperactivity.↗ · Many people believe sugar causes hyperactivity, but studies show little effect.↗ · Hyperactivity is only one part of ADHD.↗ · Some children with hyperactivity are brilliant at sport.↗

hyperbole — Everyday, meaning 1: Hyperbole is a huge exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally, used to make a point or be funny, like «I've told you a million times».↗ Example: «I'm so hungry I could eat a horse» is hyperbole.↗ · «I've told you a million times» is an example of hyperbole.↗ · The poet used hyperbole to show how much she loved him.↗ · Find the hyperbole in the paragraph.↗ · The advert's claim to be «the best in the universe» is hyperbole.↗ · «This bag weighs a ton!» she said, using hyperbole.↗

hyperbolic — Everyday, meaning 1: Hyperbolic language exaggerates on purpose, making things sound much bigger, better or worse than they really are, like «I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (maths) Hyperbolic means to do with a hyperbola, a special open curve with two separate branches.↗ Example: «This bag weighs a ton» is a hyperbolic way of saying it is heavy.↗ · The advert made hyperbolic claims about the miracle shampoo.↗ · Her hyperbolic story said the spider was the size of a dinner plate.↗ · We underlined all the hyperbolic phrases in the poem.↗ · He gave hyperbolic praise: «the greatest sandwich in history».↗ · A hyperbola is a curve, and things to do with it are called hyperbolic.↗

hyperlink — Everyday, meaning 1: A hyperlink is a word, picture or button on a web page or document that you click to go to another page, website or file.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb) To hyperlink something means to make it into a link.↗ Example: Click the hyperlink to watch the video.↗ · Hyperlinks are usually blue and underlined.↗ · I added a hyperlink to our class website.↗ · Don't click hyperlinks in strange emails.↗ · Hover over a hyperlink to see where it goes.↗ · She hyperlinked the title to the source.↗

hyphen — Everyday, meaning 1: A hyphen is a short line (-) used to join words or parts of words together, as in «well-known» or «twenty-one».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A hyphen is also used at the end of a line when a word is split and goes on to the next line.↗ Example: Twenty-one has a hyphen in it.↗ · Put a hyphen in «well-known» when it comes before a noun.↗ · The word was too long, so the printer split it with a hyphen.↗ · My name is double-barrelled, with a hyphen in the middle.↗ · Is «e-mail» written with a hyphen or without?↗ · A man-eating shark is different from a man eating shark!↗ · Re-enter has a hyphen so the two e's do not run together.↗ · The teacher circled the missing hyphen.↗

hyphenation — Everyday, meaning 1: The use of a short line (a hyphen, -) to split or join words, such as at the end of a line.↗ Example: The hyphen shows hyphenation at the end of the line.↗ · The editor checked the hyphenation.↗

hypnosis — Everyday, meaning 1: Hypnosis is a deeply relaxed, dreamlike state in which a person focuses closely and may follow suggestions more easily.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Hypnosis is also the act of putting someone into this state.↗ Example: The doctor used hypnosis to help him stop smoking.↗ · In the cartoon, the villain used hypnosis with a swinging watch.↗ · People under hypnosis are very relaxed, but still aware.↗ · The magician pretended to use hypnosis on a volunteer.↗ · She tried hypnosis to help with her fear of flying.↗ · The snake in the film used hypnosis to make the boy sleepy.↗

hypnotise — Everyday, meaning 1: To hypnotise someone means to put them into a deep, calm, dreamy state in which they pay close attention and may follow suggestions.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To be hypnotised by something means to be so fascinated by it that you cannot look away: «hypnotised by the flames».↗ Example: The magician claimed he could hypnotise anyone in the audience.↗ · The cat was hypnotised by the fish swimming in the tank.↗ · We sat hypnotised by the fireworks.↗ · In the cartoon, the snake hypnotised the boy with its swirly eyes.↗ · Some people see a hypnotist to help them stop smoking.↗ · The music was so beautiful it almost hypnotised me.↗

hypnotised — Everyday, meaning 1: Put into a sleep-like state in which a person is very relaxed and open to suggestions (hypnosis).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: So fascinated by something that you cannot stop watching it: hypnotised by the screen.↗ Example: The magician said he had hypnotised a man from the audience.↗ · The cat was hypnotised by the fish in the tank.↗ · We sat hypnotised by the fireworks.↗ · In the cartoon, the snake hypnotised the boy with its eyes.↗ · She stared at the screen as if hypnotised.↗ · Some doctors use hypnosis to help people stop smoking.↗

hypo — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal, health) A hypo is a short word for hypoglycaemia: when the sugar in a person's blood, especially someone with diabetes, falls too low, making them shaky, sweaty, pale or confused.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) Hypo can be short for a hypodermic needle (a syringe).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: As a prefix, «hypo-» means «under» or «below», as in «hypothermia» (body too cold).↗ Example: Lily felt shaky and said she was having a hypo.↗ · Her hypo kit has jelly sweets and juice.↗ · When someone has a hypo, give them sugar quickly and tell a teacher.↗ · He keeps glucose tablets in his bag in case of a hypo.↗ · Hypothermia means the body is too cold — «hypo» means under.↗ · The nurse explained what a hypo feels like.↗

hypocrisy — Everyday, meaning 1: Pretending to be good or kind when you are not; saying one thing and doing another.↗ Example: His hypocrisy was clear when he said sorry and then cheated again.↗ · Her hypocrisy fooled no one.↗

hypocrite — Everyday, meaning 1: A person who says that others should behave in a good way but does not behave that way themselves, or pretends to be good when they are not.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (Bible) Jesus called some religious leaders hypocrites for praying to be seen rather than from the heart.↗ Example: He tells us not to eat sweets, but he eats them all the time — what a hypocrite!↗ · It would be hypocritical to shout at others for shouting.↗ · Jesus told people not to pray like the hypocrites, just to be seen.↗ · She didn't want to be a hypocrite, so she started recycling too.↗ · Calling someone a hypocrite is a strong accusation.↗ · The story's hero discovers the king is a hypocrite.↗ · A hypocrite deceives no one but himself.↗ · This also shall be my salvation, that a hypocrite cannot come before Him.↗ (Writings JOB.13.16, JPS 1917)↗

hypocritical — Everyday, meaning 1: Pretending to be good or sorry when you are not; not sincere.↗ Example: The hypocritical monkey said sorry, but he was lying.↗ · Hypocritical prayers are easily seen through.↗

hypothermia — Everyday, meaning 1: A dangerous illness when your body gets much too cold, so it cannot keep its normal warm temperature.↗ Example: The lost hiker had hypothermia.↗ · Cold water can give you hypothermia very fast.↗ · Wear layers and a hat to avoid hypothermia.↗ · Strong shivering can be a sign of hypothermia.↗ · Get someone with hypothermia out of wet clothes and into a warm blanket.↗ · Swimmers in cold seas wear wetsuits to stop hypothermia.↗

hypothesis — Everyday, meaning 1: (science) An idea or guess that explains something and that you can test with an experiment or observation.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) Any idea suggested as a starting point for thinking, which may or may not be true.↗ Example: My hypothesis is that plants grow faster in sunlight.↗ · We tested our hypothesis with a fair test.↗ · The results did not support the hypothesis.↗ · A good hypothesis can be proved wrong by an experiment.↗ · Scientists made a new hypothesis after the surprise result.↗ · Write your hypothesis before you start the experiment.↗

hyrax — Everyday, meaning 1: A small furry plant-eating mammal of Africa and the Middle East, looking like a big guinea pig or rabbit without long ears; it lives among rocks or in trees.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Also called the «rock hyrax», «dassie» (South Africa) or «coney» (in the Bible).↗ Example: A hyrax was sunning itself on a warm rock.↗ · The hyrax is a distant cousin of the elephant.↗ · In South Africa the hyrax is called a dassie.↗ · The Bible says the conies make their homes in the rocks.↗ · Hyraxes live in groups and keep watch for eagles.↗ · The hyrax has rubbery pads on its feet for gripping rocks.↗

hyssop — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A small bushy plant with fragrant leaves, used in old times as a herb and for sprinkling.↗ Example: And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.↗ (Torah LEV.14.49, JPS 1917)↗ · And the priest shall take cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.↗ (Torah NUM.19.6, JPS 1917)↗ · then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two living clean birds, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.↗ (Torah LEV.14.4, JPS 1917)↗ · Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.↗ (Writings PSA.51.9, JPS 1917)↗ · And he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.↗ (Prophets 1KI.5.13, JPS 1917)↗

hysterical — Everyday, meaning 1: So upset, frightened or excited that you cannot control your feelings, for example screaming or crying wildly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) Extremely funny: «the film was hysterical».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Laughing so much you cannot stop: hysterical laughter.↗ Example: The joke was so hysterical that I fell off my chair.↗ · She became hysterical when she saw the spider.↗ · We were in hysterics watching the cat chase its tail.↗ · Stay calm in a fire drill; getting hysterical makes things worse.↗ · The crowd went hysterical when the band came on stage.↗ · The toddler was hysterical because he lost his teddy.↗ · Dad told a hysterical story about his first day at work.↗