Heinous
(Hei"nous) a. [OF. haïnos hateful, F. haineux, fr. OF. haïne hate, F. haine, fr. haïr to hate; of
German origin. See Hate.] Hateful; hatefully bad; flagrant; odious; atrocious; giving great offense; — applied
to deeds or to character.
It were most heinous and accursed sacrilege.
Hooker.
How heinous had the fact been, how deserving
Contempt!
Milton. Syn. — Monstrous; flagrant; flagitious; atrocious.
— Hei"nous*ly, adv. — Hei"nous*ness, n.
Heir
(Heir) n. [OE. heir, eir, hair, OF. heir, eir, F. hoir, L. heres; of uncertain origin. Cf. Hereditary,
Heritage.]
1. One who inherits, or is entitled to succeed to the possession of, any property after the death of its
owner; one on whom the law bestows the title or property of another at the death of the latter.
I am my father's heir and only son.
Shak. 2. One who receives any endowment from an ancestor or relation; as, the heir of one's reputation or
virtues.
And I his heir in misery alone.
Pope. Heir apparent. (Law.) See under Apparent. — Heir at law, one who, after his ancector's death,
has a right to inherit all his intestate estate. Wharton — Heir presumptive, one who, if the ancestor
should die immediately, would be his heir, but whose right to the inheritance may be defeated by the
birth of a nearer relative, or by some other contingency.
Heir
(Heir) v. t. To inherit; to succeed to. [R.]
One only daughter heired the royal state.
Dryden. Heirdom
(Heir"dom) n. The state of an heir; succession by inheritance. Burke.
Heiress
(Heir"ess), n. A female heir.
Heirless
(Heir"less) a. Destitute of an heir. Shak.
