Part 971

Hy`po*sul*phur"ic (?), a. [Pref. hypo- + sulphuric.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or containing, sulphur in a lower state of oxidation than in the sulphuric compounds; as, hyposulphuric acid.

Hyposulphuric acid, an acid, H2S2O6, obtained by the action of manganese dioxide on sulphur dioxide, and known only in a watery solution and in its salts; -- called also dithionic acid. See Dithionic.

Hy`po*sul"phur*ous (?), a. [Pref. hypo- + sulphurous.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or containing, sulphur, all, or a part, in a low state of oxidation.

Hyposulphurous acid. (a) Thiosulphuric acid. [Obs.] (b) An acid, H2SO2, obtained by the reduction of sulphurous acid. It is not obtained in the free state, but in an orange-yellow water solution, which is a strong reducing and bleaching agent. Called also hydrosulphurous acid.

||Hy`po*tar"sus (?), n.; pl. Hypotarsi (#). [NL. See Hypo-, and ||Tarsus.] (Anat.) A process on the posterior side of the ||tarsometatarsus of many birds; the calcaneal process. -- ||Hy`po*tar"sal (#), a.

{ Hy*pot"e*nuse (?), Hy*poth"e*nuse (?) }, n. [L. hypotenusa, Gr. &?;, prob., subtending (sc. &?;), fr. &?; to stretch under, subtend; &?; under + &?; to stretch. See Subtend.] (Geom.) The side of a right-angled triangle that is opposite to the right angle.

Hy*poth"ec (?), n. [F. hypothËque. See Hypotheca.] (Scot. Law) A landlord's right, independently of stipulation, over the stocking (cattle, implements, etc.), and crops of his tenant, as security for payment of rent.

||Hy`po*the"ca (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?; a thing subject to some ||obligation, fr. &?; to put under, put down, pledge. See Hypothesis.] ||(Rom. Law) An obligation by which property of a debtor was made over ||to his creditor in security of his debt.

It differed from pledge in regard to possession of the property subject to the obligation; pledge requiring, simple hypotheca not requiring, possession of it by the creditor. The modern mortgage corresponds very closely with it. Kent.

Hy*poth"e*cate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hypothecated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Hypothecating (?).] [LL. hypothecatus, p. p. of hypothecare to pledge, fr. L. hypotheca pledge, security. See Hypotheca.] (Law) To subject, as property, to liability for a debt or engagement without delivery of possession or transfer of title; to pledge without delivery of possession; to mortgage, as ships, or other personal property; to make a contract by bottomry. See Hypothecation, Bottomry.

He had found the treasury empty and the pay of the navy in arrear. He had no power to hypothecate any part of the public revenue. Those who lent him money lent it on no security but his bare word.

Macaulay.

Hy*poth`e*ca"tion (?), n. [LL. hypothecatio.] 1. (Civ. Law) The act or contract by which property is hypothecated; a right which a creditor has in or to the property of his debtor, in virtue of which he may cause it to be sold and the price appropriated in payment of his debt. This is a right in the thing, or jus in re. Pothier. B. R. Curtis.

There are but few cases, if any, in our law, where an hypothecation, in the strict sense of the Roman law, exists; that is a pledge without possession by the pledgee.

Story.

In the modern civil law, this contract has no application to movable property, not even to ships, to which and their cargoes it is most frequently applied in England and America. See Hypothecate. B. R. Curtis. Domat.

2. (Law of Shipping) A contract whereby, in consideration of money advanced for the necessities of the ship, the vessel, freight, or cargo is made liable for its repayment, provided the ship arrives in safety. It is usually effected by a bottomry bond. See Bottomry.

This term is often applied to mortgages of ships.

Hy*poth"e*ca`tor (?), n. (Law) One who hypothecates or pledges anything as security for the repayment of money borrowed.

{ Hy*poth"e*nal (?), Hy*poth"e*nar (?), } a. [Pref. hypo- + thenar.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the prominent part of the palm of the hand above the base of the little finger, or a corresponding part in the forefoot of an animal; as, the hypothenar eminence.

Hy*poth"e*nar (?), n. (Anat.) The hypothenar eminence.

Hy*poth`e*nu"sal (?), a. Of or pertaining to hypothenuse. [R.]

Hy*poth"e*nuse (?), n. Same as Hypotenuse.

Hy*poth"e*sis (?), n.; pl. Hypotheses (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; foundation, supposition, fr. &?; to place under, &?; under + &?; to put. See Hypo-, Thesis.] 1. A supposition; a proposition or principle which is supposed or taken for granted, in order to draw a conclusion or inference for proof of the point in question; something not proved, but assumed for the purpose of argument, or to account for a fact or an occurrence; as, the hypothesis that head winds detain an overdue steamer.

An hypothesis being a mere supposition, there are no other limits to hypotheses than those of the human imagination.

J. S. Mill.

2. (Natural Science) A tentative theory or supposition provisionally adopted to explain certain facts, and to guide in the investigation of others; hence, frequently called a working hypothesis.

Syn. -- Supposition; assumption. See Theory.