Part 5260

<i>Dryden.</i>

<h1>Heroic</h1> <Xpage=688>

<hw>He*ro"ic</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>h\'82ro\'8bque</ets>, L. <ets>hero\'8bcus</ets>, Gr. <?/.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Of or pertaining to, or like, a hero; of the nature of heroes; distinguished by the existence of heroes; <as>as, the <ex>heroic</ex> age; an <ex>heroic</ex> people; <ex>heroic</ex> valor.</as></def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Worthy of a hero; bold; daring; brave; illustrious; <as>as, <ex>heroic</ex> action; <ex>heroic</ex> enterprises.</as></def>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Sculpture & Painting)</fld> <def>Larger than life size, but smaller than colossal; -- said of the representation of a human figure.</def>

<cs><col>Heroic Age</col>, <cd>the age when the heroes, or those called the children of the gods, are supposed to have lived.</cd> -- <col>Heroic poetry</col>, <cd>that which celebrates the deeds of a hero; epic poetry.</cd> -- <mcol><col>Heroic</col> <col>treatment &or; remedies</col></mcol> <fld>(Med.)</fld>, <cd>treatment or remedies of a severe character, suited to a desperate case.</cd> -- <col>Heroic verse</col> <fld>(Pros.)</fld>, <cd>the verse of heroic or epic poetry, being in English, German, and Italian the iambic of ten syllables; in French the iambic of twelve syllables; and in classic poetry the hexameter.</cd></cs>

<syn>Syn. -- Brave; intrepid; courageous; daring; valiant; bold; gallant; fearless; enterprising; noble; magnanimous; illustrious.</syn>

<h1>Heroical</h1> <Xpage=688>

<hw>He*ro"ic*al</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Heroic.</def> <mark>[R.]</mark> <i>Spectator</i>. -- <wordforms><wf>He*ro"ic*al*ly</wf>, <tt>adv.</tt> -- <wf>He*ro"ic*al*ness</wf>, <tt>n.</tt></wordforms>

<hr> <page="689"> Page 689<p>

<h1>Heroicness</h1> <Xpage=689>

<hw>He*ro"ic*ness</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>Heroism.</def> <mark>[R.]</mark>

<i>W. Montagu.</i>

<h1>Heroicomic, Heroicomical</h1> <Xpage=689>

<hw><hw>He`ro*i*com"ic</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>He`ro*i*com"ic*al</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>,<hw> <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>h\'82ro\'8bcomigue</ets>. See <er>Heroic</er>, and <er>Comic</er>.]</ety> <def>Combining the heroic and the ludicrous; denoting high burlesque; <as>as, a <ex>heroicomic</ex> poem</as>.</def>

<h1>Heroine</h1> <Xpage=689>

<hw>Her"o*ine</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>h\'82ro\'8bne</ets>, L. <ets>heroina</ets>, Gr. <?/, fem. of <?/. See <er>Hero</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>A woman of an heroic spirit.</def>

<blockquote>The <b>heroine</b> assumed the woman's place. <i>Dryden.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The principal female person who figures in a remarkable action, or as the subject of a poem or story.</def>

<h1>Heroism</h1> <Xpage=689>

<hw>Her"o*ism</hw> <tt>(?; 277)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>h\'82ro\'8bsme</ets>.]</ety> <def>The qualities characteristic of a hero, as courage, bravery, fortitude, unselfishness, etc.; the display of such qualities.</def>

<blockquote><b>Heroism</b> is the self-devotion of genius manifesting itself in action. <i>Hare.</i></blockquote>

<syn>Syn. -- <er>Heroism</er>, <er>Courage</er>, <er>Fortitude</er>, <er>Bravery</er>, <er>Valor</er>, <er>Intrepidity</er>, <er>Gallantry</er>.</syn> <usage> <i>Courage</i> is generic, denoting fearlessness or defiance of danger; <i>fortitude</i> is <i>passive</i> courage, the habit of <i>bearing up</i> nobly under trials, danger, and sufferings; <i>bravery</i> is courage displayed in daring acts; <i>valor</i> is courage in battle or other conflicts with living opponents; <i>intrepidity</i> is <i>firm</i> courage, which shrinks not amid the most appalling dangers; <i>gallantry</i> is <i>adventurous</i> courage, dashing into the thickest of the fight. <i>Heroism</i> may call into exercise all these modifications of courage. It is a contempt of danger, not from ignorance or inconsiderate levity, but from a noble devotion to some great cause, and a just confidence of being able to meet danger in the spirit of such a cause. Cf. <er>Courage</er>.</usage>

<h1>Heron</h1> <Xpage=689>

<hw>Her"on</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>heiroun</ets>, <ets>heroun</ets>, <ets>heron</ets>, <ets>hern</ets>, OF. <ets>hairon</ets>, F. <ets>h\'82ron</ets>, OHG. <ets>heigir</ets>; cf. Icel. <ets>hegri</ets>, Dan. <ets>heire</ets>, Sw. <ets>h\'84ger</ets>, and also G. <ets>h\'84her</ets> jay, jackdaw, OHG. <ets>hehara</ets>, <ets>higere</ets>, woodpecker, magpie, D. <ets>reiger</ets> heron, G. <ets>reiher</ets>, AS. <ets>hr&amac;gra</ets>. Cf. <er>Aigret</er>, <er>Egret</er>.]</ety> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>Any wading bird of the genus <spn>Ardea</spn> and allied genera, of the family <spn>Ardeid\'91</spn>. The herons have a long, sharp bill, and long legs and toes, with the claw of the middle toe toothed. The common European heron (<spn>Ardea cinerea</spn>) is remarkable for its directly ascending flight, and was formerly hunted with the larger falcons.</def>

<note>&hand; There are several common American species; as, the great blue heron (<spn>Ardea herodias</spn>); the little blue (<spn>A. c\'d2rulea</spn>); the green (<spn>A. virescens</spn>); the snowy (<spn>A. candidissima</spn>); the night heron or qua-bird (<spn>Nycticorax nycticorax</spn>). The plumed herons are called <stype>egrets</stype>.</note>

<cs><col>Heron's bill</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>a plant of the genus <spn>Erodium</spn>; -- so called from the fancied resemblance of the fruit to the head and beak of the heron.</cd></cs>

<h1>Heroner</h1> <Xpage=689>