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English Words Starting With H

5,990 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.

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Noun Verb Adjective Adverb Plural noun Combining form Verb (transitive)Verb (intransitive)Verb (ambitransitive)

heterosex
nounLow/Very Low
/ˌhɛt(ə)rə(ʊ)ˈsɛks/Sexual activity or behaviour between a man and a woman; also, sexual desire directed towards the opposite sex.
heterosexism
nounC1-C2
/ˌhetərəʊˈsɛksɪzəm/A system of attitudes, bias, or discrimination in favour of opposite-sex relationships and against same-sex relationships.
heterosexual
adjectivenounC1
/ˌhɛt(ə)rə(ʊ)ˈsɛkʃʊəl/A person who is sexually and romantically attracted to people of the opposite sex; relating to such attraction.
heterosexuality
nounB2
/ˌhɛt(ə)rəʊˌsɛkʃuˈæləti/The quality of being sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex.
heterosis
nounC2
/ˌhɛtəˈrəʊsɪs/A biological phenomenon where the offspring of two genetically different parents shows greater size, growth rate, fertility, or overall vigour compared to either parent.
heterospory
nounVery Rare
/ˌhɛt.ər.əʊˈspɔː.ri/A biological condition in which a plant produces two distinct types of spores, typically microspores (male) and megaspores (female).
heterostracan
nounExtremely Low
/ˌhɛtərəʊˈstreɪkən/A member of an extinct group of jawless, armored fish from the Paleozoic era.
heterostyly
nounC1-C2
/ˌhɛtərə(ʊ)ˈstʌɪli/A botanical condition where flowers of the same species have styles of different lengths.
heterotaxis
nounExtremely low (C2+ specialized vocabulary)
/ˌhɛtərəʊˈtæksɪs/An abnormal or irregular arrangement of parts, especially in anatomy or geology.
heterotopia
nounC2 / Very low
/ˌhɛt.ər.əʊˈtəʊ.pi.ə/A medical or biological term referring to the displacement or abnormal positioning of normal tissue in an organ or part.
heterotrich
nounC2+
/ˌhɛtərə(ʊ)ˈtrɪk/A ciliate protozoan characterized by having cilia of different types or lengths on its body.
heterotroph
nounC1/C2 (Academic/Specialised)
/ˈhɛt.ər.əʊ.trɒf/An organism that cannot synthesize its own food and must obtain organic carbon and nutrients by consuming other organisms or organic matter.
heterozygosis
nounLow
/ˌhɛtərəʊzaɪˈɡəʊsɪs/The state of being heterozygous; having two different alleles at a specific gene locus.
heterozygote
nounLow
/ˌhet.ər.əʊˈzaɪ.ɡəʊt/A diploid organism that carries two different alleles of a particular gene.
heth
nounExtremely Rare
/hɛθ/The eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet (ח).
hetman
nounC1
/ˈhɛtmən/A historical title for a military commander in Central and Eastern Europe, notably in Poland and Cossack Ukraine.
hetmanate
nounVery low frequency / Rare
/ˈhɛtməneɪt/The political office, period of rule, or territorial jurisdiction of a hetman (a historical military commander, particularly in Poland, Ukraine, and Cossack hosts).
hettie
adjectivenounVery low frequency (Rare/Obscure)
/ˈhɛti/A term of endearment or nickname, often a diminutive for female names like 'Henrietta' or 'Harriet'.
hetty
nounVery Low / Obscure
/ˈhɛti/A dimunitive or nickname for the female given name Harriet or Henrietta, often implying someone small, spirited, or from an earlier era.
heuchera
nounLow (Specialist/Technical)
/ˈhjuːkərə/a perennial plant of the saxifrage family, cultivated for its ornamental foliage and delicate flower spikes.

Showing 2821–2840 of 5990 words.