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high-and-mighty
was one of the first white Americans who went to live in the western US, where he became a MARSHAL (=someone who controls a particular area and makes sure that laws are obeyed). He was known for his skill at shooting, and for his love of gambling (GAMBLE), (=playing card games for money).
hick·ory /'hɪkəri/ n [C;U] (the hard wood of) a North American tree which bears nuts
hidden agenda n a secret intention to carry out actions that would be criticized or found unacceptable if they were spoken of openly: She came to the meeting with a hidden agenda to gain control of the budget. | What is the hidden agenda of the Democrats?
hide¹ /haɪd/ v hid /hɪd/, hidden /'hɪdn/ [(from)] 1 [T] to put or keep out of sight; prevent from being seen or found; CONCEAL: I hid the broken plate in the drawer. | The house was hidden from view by a row of tall trees. | Their conversation was recorded by a hidden microphone. 2 [I] to place oneself or be placed so as to be unseen: I'll hide behind the door. | (humor) Where's that book hiding? 3 [T] to keep (facts, feelings etc) from being known: I couldn't hide my disappointment. | I think she's hiding some important information. | There's a hidden meaning in this poem. 4 hide one's light under a bushel phrase from the Bible to hide, or be MODEST about, one's ability or skill: Come on, Bill, I know you're a good piano player — don't hide your light under a bushel!
hide² BrE || blind AmE — n a place from which a person can watch animals or birds, without being seen by them, especially in order to take photographs or shoot them
hide³ n 1 an animal's skin, especially when removed to be used for leather 2 not hide or/nor hair of infml no sign of: I haven't seen hide or hair of them for 20 years at least!
hide-and-'seek || also ,hide-and-go-'seek AmE — n [U] a children's game in which some hide and others search for them
hide·a·way /'haɪdəweɪ/ n infml a place, such as a house, where one can go to avoid people
hide·bound /'haɪdbaʊnd/ adj derog (of people) having fixed, unchangeable opinions; not willing to consider new ideas; NARROW-MINDED
Hi-de-Hi /ˌhaɪ diː 'haɪ/ a humorous British television programme from the 1980s about the people who worked at a holiday camp in southern England during the 1950s. The characters always said 'Hi-de-hi' as a cheerful greeting to the guests, especially over the TANNOY.
hid·e·ous /'hɪdiəs/ adj extremely ugly and/or shocking to the senses; REPUGNANT: a hideous face | a hideous scream | hideous wounds —ly adv —ness n [U]
hid·ing¹ /'haɪdɪŋ/ n infml 1 a) a beating: I'll give you a good hiding when we get home! b) a defeat: The English team got quite a hiding in Paris. 2 be on a hiding to nothing BrE infml to completely waste one's time with no chance of success: You're on a hiding to nothing if you think you can get her to change her mind.
hiding² n [U] the state of being hidden (in phrases like go into hiding, be in hiding)
hi·er·ar·chy /'haɪərɑːki/ n 1 [C;U] a system by which the members of an organization are grouped and arranged according to higher and lower ranks, especially official ranks: There's a very rigid hierarchy in the Civil Service. | the principle of hierarchy 2 [C+sing./pl. v] a) the group of people in an organization who have power or control: The party hierarchy has/have the final say on matters of policy. b) tech a group of ruling priests —chical /haɪə'rɑːkɪkəl/ adj —chically /kli/ adv
hieroglyphs
hi·e·ro·glyph /'haɪərəglɪf/ n a picture-like sign which represents a word, especially in the writing system of ancient Egypt —ic /ˌhaɪərə'glɪfɪk/ adj
hi·e·ro·glyph·ics /ˌhaɪərə'glɪfɪks/ n [P] a system of writing which uses hieroglyphs
hi-fi /'haɪ faɪ, ˌhaɪ 'faɪ/ n pl. hi-fis becoming old-fash 1 [C] a piece of high-quality ELECTRONIC equipment for playing recorded sound, usually including a record player: Have you seen our new hi-fi? | a hi-fi shop | a hi-fi system (=radio, TAPE DECK, record player, and often CD player in one unit, with suitable LOUDSPEAKERS) 2 [U] HIGH FIDELITY
Hig-gins, Professor Henry /'hɪgɪnz/ a character in the play PYGMALION by George Bernard SHAW, who teaches a poor girl called Eliza DOOLITTLE how to speak and behave like an UPPER-CLASS lady
hig·gle·dy-pig·gle·dy /ˌhɪgəldi 'pɪgəldi/ adj, adv infml in disorder; mixed together without system
-high → see WORD FORMATION TABLE
high¹ /haɪ/ adj 1 (not usually of living things) having a top that is some distance, especially a large distance, above the ground: How high is the wall/the mountain? | It's a very high building. | The water was waist-high. (=as high as one's waist) 2 [after n] measuring in height: four metres high | a building 20 storeys high 3 at a point well above the ground or above what is usual: That shelf is too high for me – I can't reach it. | The plane is high in the sky. 4 near the top of the set of sounds which the ear can hear: She sang a high note. | She has a very high voice. 5 above the usual level, amount, rate, or degree: I have a high opinion of her work. | the high cost of food | high blood pressure | a high salary | an area of high unemployment | a high-risk investment | high speed | high winds 6 of great rank, importance, or influence: She held high office in the last government. | He claims to have friends in high places. (=people in very important positions) | high society | I have it on the highest authority that he intends to resign. 7 [A] (of time) the mid-point or most important point of: high summer | It's high time we were going. (=We should go at once.) | (lit) high noon 8 showing goodness in morals and character; worthy of admiration: high principles | high moral standards 9 (of certain foods) not fresh; spoilt by age: The venison is high. → compare GAMY 10 [F] infml a) drunk b) [(on)] under the effects of drugs: high on marijuana → opposite LOW (for 1,3,4,5,6,8); see also HIGHER, HIGHLY
We use high (opposite low) for measurements of most things (not people), especially when we are thinking only of distance above the ground: a high shelf | a high mountain | You can see the city from the top of that high building. We use tall (opposite short) for people: a tall man and for ships: a tall ship. We can also use tall for things which are high and narrow, especially when we are thinking of the complete distance from top to bottom: a tall/high building | a tall/high tree
high² adv 1 to or at a high level in position, movements, or sound: She threw the ball high into the air. | The bird sang high and clearly. | The dollar stayed high after a busy day on the foreign exchanges. 2 to or at a high or important level in society, in an organization etc: He's risen high in the world. | You've got to aim high if you want to succeed. 3 high and dry in a helpless situation: They took all the money and left us high and dry. 4 high and low everywhere: We searched high and low but we couldn't find it anywhere. 5 high on the hog AmE slang well and richly: They've been living high on the hog since they struck oil.
high³ n 1 [C] a high point; the highest level: The price of oil reached a new high/an all-time high this week. 2 [U] especially bibl or lit a high place, especially heaven (in the phrase on high): The Lord looked down from on high. | (humor) These decisions are handed down to the workforce from on high. 3 [C] infml a state of great excitement and often happiness produced by or as if by a drug: She's on a high today. 4 [C] a weather condition with a high-pressure area; ANTICYCLONE 5 the high and mighty derog very rich and important people, especially the rulers of a country: The high and mighty just don't know what it's like to have to struggle to make a living.
high a·chiev·er n someone whose work is usually excellent or who usually succeeds, especially in school
high-and-'mighty adj infml derog too proud and certain of one's own importance; ARROGANT