Part 810

Her"it*a*ble (?), a. [OF. hÈritable. See Heritage, Hereditable.] 1. Capable of being inherited or of passing by inheritance; inheritable.

2. Capable of inheriting or receiving by inheritance.

This son shall be legitimate and heritable.

Sir M. Hale.

Heritable rights (Scots Law), rights of the heir; rights to land or whatever may be intimately connected with land; realty. Jacob (Law Dict.).

Her"it*age (?), a. [OE. heritage, eritage, OF. heritage, eritage, F. hÈritage, fr. hÈriter to inherit, LL. heriditare. See Hereditable.] 1. That which is inherited, or passes from heir to heir; inheritance.

Part of my heritage, Which my dead father did bequeath to me.

Shak.

2. (Script.) A possession; the Israelites, as God's chosen people; also, a flock under pastoral charge. Joel iii. 2. 1 Peter v. 3.

Her"it*ance (?), n. [OF. heritance.] Heritage; inheritance. [R.]

Robbing their children of the heritance Their fathers handed down

Southey.

Her"it*or (?), n. [Cf. LL. her&?;ator, fr. L. heres an heir.] A proprietor or landholder in a parish. [Scot.]

Herl (?), n. (Zoˆl.) Same as Harl, 2.

Her"ling, Hir"ling (&?;), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Zoˆl.) The young of the sea trout. [Prov. Eng.]

||Her"ma (?), n.; pl. HermÊ (#). [L.] See Hermes, 2.

Her*maph`ro*de"i*ty (?), n. Hermaphrodism. B. Jonson.

Her*maph"ro*dism (?), n. [Cf. F. hermaphrodisme.] (Biol.) See Hermaphroditism.

Her*maph"ro*dite (?), n. [L. hermaphroditus, Gr. &?;, so called from the mythical story that Hermaphroditus, son of Hermes and Aphrodite, when bathing, became joined in one body with Salmacis, the nymph of a fountain in Caria: cf. F. hermaphrodite.] (Biol.) An individual which has the attributes of both male and female, or which unites in itself the two sexes; an animal or plant having the parts of generation of both sexes, as when a flower contains both the stamens and pistil within the same calyx, or on the same receptacle. In some cases reproduction may take place without the union of the distinct individuals. In the animal kingdom true hermaphrodites are found only among the invertebrates. See Illust. in Appendix, under Helminths.

Her*maph"ro*dite, a. Including, or being of, both sexes; as, an hermaphrodite animal or flower.

Hermaphrodite brig. (Naut.) See under Brig. Totten.

{ Her*maph`ro*dit"ic (?), Her*maph`ro*dit"ic*al (?), } a. (Biol.) Partaking of the characteristics of both sexes; characterized by hermaphroditism. -- Her*maph`ro*dit"ic*al*ly, adv.

Her*maph"ro*dit*ism (?), n. (Biol.) The union of the two sexes in the same individual, or the combination of some of their characteristics or organs in one individual.

{ Her`me*neu"tic (?), Her`me*neu"tic*al (?), } a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to interpret: cf. F. hermÈneutique.] Unfolding the signification; of or pertaining to interpretation; exegetical; explanatory; as, hermeneutic theology, or the art of expounding the Scriptures; a hermeneutic phrase.

Her`me*neu"tic*al*ly, adv. According to the principles of interpretation; as, a verse of Scripture was examined hermeneutically.

Her`me*neu"tics (?), n. [Gr. &?; (sc. &?;).] The science of interpretation and explanation; exegesis; esp., that branch of theology which defines the laws whereby the meaning of the Scriptures is to be ascertained. Schaff- Herzog Encyc.

Her"mes (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.] 1. (Myth.) See Mercury.

Hermes Trismegistus [Gr. 'Ermh^s trisme`gistos, lit., Hermes thrice greatest] was a late name of Hermes, especially as identified with the Egyptian god Thoth. He was the fabled inventor of astrology and alchemy.