hesitant
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hes·i·tant /'hezɪtənt/ adj showing uncertainty or slowness about deciding to act; tending to hesitate: She's hesitant about making new friends. | his hesitant attempts to speak English —ly adv
hes·i·tate /'hezɪteɪt/ v 1 [I] to pause before taking an action or making a decision: Don't hesitate when you're crossing the road. | She hesitated for a moment, and then gave her agreement. 2 [T+to-v] to be unwilling to do something, especially because it is unpleasant or because one is uncertain whether it is right: If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask. | The government will not hesitate to take the severest measures against these terrorists. 3 he who hesitates is lost saying if you do not do something immediately, you may never again get the chance to do it —tatingly adv
hes·i·ta·tion /ˌhezɪ'teɪʃən/ n [C;U] (an example of) the act of hesitating: Without a moment's hesitation, she jumped into the river after the child. | I have no hesitation in recommending him for the job.
Hess, Ru·dolf /hes, 'ru:dɒlf|ǁ-a:lf/ (1894–1987) a German NAZI politician who was directly below HITLER in rank. In 1941 he made a secret flight to Scotland to try to arrange a peace agreement, but he was caught and made a prisoner. In 1946 he was judged to be guilty of WAR CRIMES, and was put in Spandau Prison in Berlin until his death.
Hes·se, Her·mann /'hesə, 'hɜ:mən||'hɜ:r-/ (1877–1962) a German writer and poet. His novels include Steppenwolf, The Glass Bead Game, and Siddhartha, and often deal with the deep struggles that go on in the human mind. He won the Nobel prize for literature in 1946.
hes·si·an /'hesiən||'heʃən/ BrE || burlap AmE — n [U] a type of thick rough cloth made from HEMP; SACKS used to be made of it: hessian floor/wall coverings
Hes·ton, Charl·ton /'hestən/ (1923–) a US film actor who often appeared in films as strong, brave leaders and kings. His films include The Ten Commandments (1956), Ben Hur (1959), and Planet of the Apes (1968). He is known for strongly supporting the rights of people to have guns, and he was president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003.
het /het/ adj → see HET UP
het·er·o·dox /'hetərədɒks||-dɑ:ks/ adj fml (of beliefs, practices etc) against accepted opinion, especially in religion; not ORTHODOX → compare UNORTHODOX
het·er·o·ge·ne·ous /ˌhetərə'dʒi:nɪəs/ also het·er·o·ge·nous /ˌhetə'rɒdʒənəs||-'rɑ:/ AmE — adj fml consisting of parts or members that are very different from one another; not HOMOGENEOUS: a heterogeneous mix of nationalities —ly adv —ity /ˌhetərəʊdʒə'ni:stɪi/ n [U]
het·er·o·sex·u·al /ˌhetərə'sekʃuəl/ adj, n (of or being) a person who is sexually attracted to people of the other sex → compare BISEXUAL, HOMOSEXUAL, LESBIAN —ly adv —ity /ˌhetərəsekʃu'ælɪti/ n [U]
het up /ˌhet 'ʌp/ adj [F[about]] infml, usually derog, especially BrE nervous, excited, and confused: There's no need to get so het up about it, it's only an examination.
heu·ris·tic /hjʊə'rɪstɪk/ adj fml 1 (of education) based on learning by one's own personal discoveries and experiences 2 helping one in the process of learning or discovery —ally /kli/ adv
heu·ris·tics /hjʊə'rɪstɪks/ n [P;U] (the study of) the use of experience and practical efforts to find answers to questions or to improve performance
hew /hju:/ v hewed, hewed or hewn /hju:n/ fml or lit 1 [I;T] to cut or cut down using an AXE or other cutting tool; CHOP: to hew down a tree/hew off a branch 2 [T+obj+adv/prep] to cut and shape out from a larger mass: to hew a canoe out of a tree trunk | to hew one's way through the forest —er n
hew·er /'hju:ər/ n hewers of wood and drawers of water BrE fml or humor a class of people used to doing the heaviest physical work
Hew·lett Pack·ard /ˌhju:lɪt 'pækə:d|ǁ-ɑ:rd/ trademark a US maker of computers and electronic equipment, especially printers, whose products are sold all over the world
hex¹ /heks/ n [(on)] especially AmE an evil curse which brings trouble: There seems to be a hex on this car – it's always breaking down.
hex² v [T] especially AmE to put an evil curse on, especially to cause harm or bad luck
hex³ adj infml hexadecimal: What's the hex code for 128?
hex·a·dec·i·mal /ˌheksə'desɪməl/ also hex infml — adj tech based on the number 16, and using 0–9 as in decimal numbers and A–F to represent 10–15. Hexadecimal numbers have many uses in computers.
hex·a·gon /'heksəgən||-gɑ:n/ n a shape with six sides —al /hek'sægənəl/ adj
hex·a·gram /'heksəgræm/ n a six-pointed star made up from two three-sided shapes (TRIANGLES)
hex·am·e·ter /hek'sæmɪtər/ n a line of poetry with six main beats
hey /heɪ/ interj infml (a shout used to call attention or to express surprise, interest etc): Hey! Where are you going?
hey·day /'heɪdeɪ/ n [(the) S] the time of greatest power, influence, success, or popularity: The 1930s were the heyday of the big Hollywood musical. | In her heyday she was one of the highest-paid actresses in the country.
He·yer, Geor·gette /'heɪər, ˌdʒɔ:'dʒet||ˌdʒɔ:r-/ (1902–74) a British writer of popular historical love stories, usually set at the beginning of the 19th century
hey pres·to /ˌheɪ 'prestəʊ/ interj infml, esp BrE (used by someone performing a magic trick) Here is the result of my trick!
Hey·sel Sta·di·um Di·sas·ter, the /ˌhaɪsəl 'steɪdiəm dɪˌzɑ:stə, ˌheɪ-||-ˌzæstər/ the death of 39 people at a football ground in Belgium in 1985, which happened when English football supporters started fights and caused a wall to fall down. Because of this, English teams were not allowed to play in European competitions for several years.
Hez·bo·llah /ˌhezbʊ'lɑ:/ also Hizbollah a military group of SHIITE Muslims that supports Iran and opposes attempts to establish peace between Israel and the Arab countries nearby
HGV /ˌeɪtʃ dʒi: 'vi:/ n BrE abbrev. for heavy goods vehicle; a TRUCK or other large road vehicle used for moving goods
,HGV 'licence n BrE official written permission to drive a large vehicle, given after passing a special test
hi /haɪ/ interj infml (used as a greeting): Hi, Barbara, how are you?
HI written abbrev. for HAWAII
hi·a·tus /haɪ'eɪtəs/ n [C usually sing.] 1 fml a) a break or interruption: Talks between the two countries have resumed after a six-year hiatus. b) a space where something is missing, especially in a piece of writing 2 tech a pause between (or lack of a sound which joins) two vowel sounds
Hi·a·wath·a /ˌhaɪə'wɒθə||-'wɔ:-/ a Native American chief who, in the 16th century, helped to unite the IROQUOIS tribes into a single group called the Five Nations. He is the subject of a long poem by LONGFELLOW called The Song of Hiawatha (1855), and many Americans know the lines:
...By the shore of gitche Gumee,
By the shining Big-Sea-Water,
Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis...
hi·ber·nate /'haɪbəneɪt||-ər-/ v [I] (of some animals) to be or go into a state like a long sleep during the winter: Squirrels and hedgehogs hibernate. —nation /ˌhaɪbə'neɪʃən||-ber-/ n [U] They've gone into hibernation.
hi·bis·cus /haɪ'bɪskəs/ n [C;U] a tropical plant with large bright flowers
hic·cup¹, hic·cough /'hɪkʌp, -kəp/ n [often pl.] 1 (a sudden sharp sound caused by) a movement in the chest which stops the breath: In the middle of the church service there was a loud hiccup from my son. | an attack of hiccups 2 [(in)] a small delay or interruption: There's been a slight hiccup in the schedule due to a computer failure.
hiccup² v [I] to have hiccups: I couldn't stop hiccuping.
hick /hɪk/ n especially AmE infml, often derog an uneducated person from the country; YOKEL → compare REDNECK
hick·ey /'hɪki/ n pl. hickeys AmE a red mark on the neck or elsewhere on the body caused by sucking the skin. They are usually seen on young people (TEENAGERS) who get them from a boyfriend or girlfriend: Where did Janet get that gigantic hickey?
Hick·ok, Wild Bill /'hɪkɒk||-ɑ:k/ (1837–76) a US soldier who