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**Hopper, Dennis** (1936-) an American film actor and DIRECTOR whose films include *Rebel Without A Cause, Easy Rider,* and *Blue Velvet*
**Hopper, Edward** (1882-1967) a US painter known for his REALISTIC paintings of everyday life. His work influenced the development of POP ART. ➔ see colour photo on page A29
**hop-scotch** /'hɒpskɒtʃ || 'hɑːpskɑːtʃ/ *n* [U] a children's game in which a stone is thrown onto numbered squares and each child HOPS and jumps from one to another. The game is usually played in the school yard or street, where squares are drawn with CHALK.
**Hor-ace** /'hɒreɪs || 'hɔːr-/ (65-8 BC) a Roman poet and writer of SATIRE (=literature making fun of stupid or evil people), whose work greatly influenced English poetry. His full Latin name was Quintus Horatius Flaccus.
**horde** /hɔːd || hɔːrd/ also **hordes** *pl.* — *n* [(off)] a large moving crowd, especially one that is noisy or disorderly: *a horde of children* | *Hordes of children were running round the building.*
**ho·ri·zon** /hə'raɪzən/ *n* **1** [the] the limit of one's view across the surface of the earth, where the sky seems to meet the earth or sea: *We could see a ship on the horizon.* | *The setting sun disappeared below the horizon.* | *(fig.)* *Business is good at the moment, but there are one or two problems on the horizon.* (=that can be expected in the future) **2** [C] also **horizons** *pl.* — the limit of one's ideas, knowledge, or experience: *This series of talks is intended to broaden our horizons.*
**hor·i·zon·tal¹** /ˌhɒrɪ'zɒntl̩ || ˌhɔːrɪ'zɑːntl̩/ *adj* in a flat position, along or parallel to level ground; level with the horizon: *a horizontal line/surface* ➔ compare VERTICAL —**-ly** *adv*
**horizontal²** *n* especially tech [C;(the) U] a horizontal line, surface, or position
**Hor·licks** /'hɔːlɪks || 'hɔːr-/ *trademark* a type of drink which is prepared by mixing powder with hot milk or water. It is popular in the UK and people usually drink it to help them relax before going to bed.
**hor·mone** /'hɔːməʊn || 'hɔːr-/ *n* any of several substances directed from organs of the body into the blood so as to influence growth, development etc
**hormone re'placement ,therapy** *abbrev.* **HRT** *n* [U] treatment given to some middle-aged women to help control certain unwanted effects of the MENOPAUSE. These women are given small quantities of female sex hormones.
**horn¹** /hɔːn || hɔːrn/ *n* **1** [C] a hard pointed part that grows, usually as one of a pair, on the heads of cattle, sheep, goats, and some wild animals ➔ see picture at DEER **2** [C] something which stands out from an animal's head like a horn, e.g. on a SNAIL **3** [U] the substance that horns are made of: *The knife has a horn handle.* **4** [C] *(often in comb.)* something, especially a container, originally made from a horn: *a drinking horn* (=a container for drinking from) **5** [C] **a)** any of a number of musical instruments consisting of a long metal tube, usually bent several times and played by blowing: *a hunting horn* ➔ see also ENGLISH HORN, FRENCH HORN, POST HORN **b)** *infml* any of the larger WIND INSTRUMENTS, especially a TRUMPET **6** [C] an apparatus, e.g. in a car, which makes a loud usually short warning sound: *The driver blew/sounded her horn when the child stepped in front of the car.* | *a ship's foghorn* ➔ compare SIREN; see picture at CAR **7** draw **in/full in one's horns** to reduce the amount of one's activities, spending etc **8** on the **horns of a dilemma** having to choose between two unpleasant things or courses of action ➔ see also ENGLISH HORN, FRENCH HORN, blow **one's own trumpet/horn** (BLOW¹), take the bull by the horns (BULL¹), lock horns (LOCK²) —**horned** /hɔːnd || hɔːr:rnd/ *adj* *horned cattle*
**horn²**
**horn in** *phr v* [(on)] to interrupt or come in where one is not wanted: *He horned in on our conversation.* | *She's always horning in though it's none of her business.*
**Horn, the** ➔ see CAPE HORN
**horn-bill** /'hɔːnˌbɪl || 'hɔːrn-/ *n* a bird with a horn-like growth on its beak
**Horn-blow-er, Ho-ra-ti-o** /'hɔːnbləʊə || 'hɔːrn-, hə'reɪʃiəʊ/ the chief character in the Hornblower stories by C.S. FORESTER. He was an officer in the British navy.
**Horn-by, Nick** /'hɔːnbɪl || 'hɔːrn-/ (1957-) a British writer. His novels *Fever Pitch* and *High Fidelity* were made into successful films, and they deal with his interests in football and music.
**hor·net** /'hɔːnɪt || 'hɔːr-/ *n* a large insect which can sting, related to the WASP
**'hornet's ,nest** *n* [C usually sing.] a lot of trouble and anger between people (especially in the phrase **stir up a hornet's nest**)
**,Horn of 'Africa, the** the part of East Africa that includes Somalia and some of Ethiopia
**,horn of 'plenty** *n* a CORNUCOPIA
**horn-pipe** /'hɔːnpap || 'hɔrn-/ *n* **1** a dance performed especially by sailors **2** the music for this dance
**,horn-'rimmed** *adj* (of glasses for the eyes) surrounded by an edge made of horn or a similar material
**horn-y** /'hɔːnɪ || 'hɔːrni/ *adj* **1** hard and rough: *The old gardener had horny hands.* **2** *taboo slang* sexually excited
**hor·o·scope** /'hɒrəskəʊp || 'hɑː-/ *n* a written or spoken description of someone's character, life, and future, which is gained by knowing the positions of the stars or PLANETS at the time of his/her birth and the effects these are said to have. Many people in Britain and the US read their horoscope each day in the paper, but few really believe it is true. ➔ see also ZODIAC
**Hor·o·witz, Vlad·i·mir** /'hɒrəvɪts, -wɪts || 'hɔːrəwɪts, ˈvlædʒmiːr/ (1904-89) a US PIANIST, born in Russia, who played CLASSICAL music
**hor-ren-dous** /hɒ'rendəs, hə- || hɑː-, hɔː-/ *adj* **1** really terrible; causing great fear **2** *infml* extremely unpleasant: *What horrendous weather!*—**ly** *adv*—**ness** *n* [U]
**hor·ri·ble** /'hɒrɪbəl || 'hɔːr-, 'hɑː-/ *adj*. **1** terrible: *a horrible accident* **2** *infml* very unkind or unpleasant; AWFUL: *What a horrible dress.* | *a horrible man* | *I have a horrible feeling we're going to miss the plane.*—**bly** *adv*
**hor-rid** /'hɒrɪd || 'hɔːr-, 'hɑː-/ *adj* [(to)] especially BrE very unkind or unpleasant; nasty: *Don't be horrid (to me)!*—**ly** *adv* —**ness** *n* [U]
**hor-rif-ic** /hɒ'rɪfɪk, hə- || hɔː-, hɑː-/ *adj* causing or intended to cause horror; horrifying: *The film showed the most horrific murder scenes.*—**ally** /kli/ *adv*
**hor·ri·fy** /'hɒrɪfaɪ || 'hɔːr-, 'hɑː-/ *v* [T] to shock greatly; fill with horror: *We were horrified to hear that she had been murdered.* | *horrifying news*—**ingly** *adv*
**hor·ror** /'hɒrə || 'hɔːr-, 'hɑː-/ *n* **1** [U] a feeling of great shock, anxiety, and dislike: *The news of the plane crash filled us with horror.* | *I cried out in horror as I saw him fall in front of the car.* **2** [C usually pl.; U] (an event, activity etc that has) the quality of causing this feeling: *It's hard to describe the horror of their lives.* | *the horrors of modern warfare* **3** [C] especially BrE an unpleasant person, usually a child: *The little horror never stops playing tricks on his parents.* **4 have a horror of** to hate; dislike very much: *I have a horror of snakes.* **5 the horrors** *infml* a state of extreme fear, worry, or sadness ➔ compare TERROR
**'horror ,film** *n* a cinema film in which frightening and often unnatural things happen, such as dead people coming to life, people turning into animals etc
**'horror-stricken** also **'horror-struck** *adj* filled with horror; deeply shocked: *We were horror-stricken to hear of her murder.*
**hors de com·bat** /ˌɔː də 'kɒmbɑː || ˌɔːr də 'kɑːmbɑː/ *adj, adv* [F] *Fr* unable to fight, because wounded: *(fig.)* *Their best player is hors de combat with a knee injury.*
**hors d'oeu·vre** /ˌɔː 'dɜːvɔː || ˌɔːr 'dɜːrv/ *n pl.* **d'oeuvres** /'dɔːvɔː || 'dɔːrvz/ SAVOURY food served in small amounts at the beginning of a meal instead of soup or another starter
**horse¹** /hɔːs || hɔːrs/ *n* **1** [C] a large strong four-legged animal with hard feet (HOOVES), which people ride on and use for pulling heavy things: *learning to ride a horse* | *A male horse is called a stallion, and a female horse is a mare.* | *We went to see the horse races.* ➔ see also BICYCLE (USAGE); see also FOAL, NEIGH **2** [C] an exercise apparatus for jumping over; VAULTING HORSE **3** [P] old use, especially BrE soldiers riding on horses; CAVALRY: *a regiment of horse* **4** [U] slang for HEROIN **5 a horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!** *quote* a phrase from Shakespeare's play *Richard III* said by the King when he