Chapter Hereto to Herpetic of H by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Heroess
(He"ro*ess) n. A heroine. [Obs.] Dryden.

Heroic
(He*ro"ic) a. [F. héroïque, L. heroïcus, Gr. .]

1. Of or pertaining to, or like, a hero; of the nature of heroes; distinguished by the existence of heroes; as, the heroic age; an heroic people; heroic valor.

2. Worthy of a hero; bold; daring; brave; illustrious; as, heroic action; heroic enterprises.

3. (Sculpture & Painting) Larger than life size, but smaller than colossal; — said of the representation of a human figure.

Heroic Age, the age when the heroes, or those called the children of the gods, are supposed to have lived. — Heroic poetry, that which celebrates the deeds of a hero; epic poetry. — Heroictreatment or remedies (Med.), treatment or remedies of a severe character, suited to a desperate case. — Heroic verse (Pros.), 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.

Syn. — Brave; intrepid; courageous; daring; valiant; bold; gallant; fearless; enterprising; noble; magnanimous; illustrious.

Heroical
(He*ro"ic*al) a. Heroic. [R.] Spectator. — He*ro"ic*al*ly, adv. — He*ro"ic*al*ness, n.

Heroicness
(He*ro"ic*ness) n. Heroism. [R.] W. Montagu.

Heroicomic
(He`ro*i*com"ic He`ro*i*com"ic*al) a. [Cf. F. héroïcomigue. See Heroic, and Comic.] Combining the heroic and the ludicrous; denoting high burlesque; as, a heroicomic poem.

Heroine
(Her"o*ine) n. [F. héroïne, L. heroina, Gr. fem. of . See Hero.]

1. A woman of an heroic spirit.

The heroine assumed the woman's place.

Dryden.

2. The principal female person who figures in a remarkable action, or as the subject of a poem or story.

Heroism
(Her"o*ism) n. [F. héroïsme.] The qualities characteristic of a hero, as courage, bravery, fortitude, unselfishness, etc.; the display of such qualities.

Heroism is the self-devotion of genius manifesting itself in action.

Hare.

Syn. — Heroism, Courage, Fortitude, Bravery, Valor, Intrepidity, Gallantry. Courage is generic, denoting fearlessness or defiance of danger; fortitude is passive courage, the habit of bearing up nobly under trials, danger, and sufferings; bravery is courage displayed in daring acts; valor is courage in battle or other conflicts with living opponents; intrepidity is firm courage, which shrinks not amid the most appalling dangers; gallantry is adventurous courage, dashing into the thickest of the fight. Heroism 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. Courage.

Heron
(Her"on) n. [OE. heiroun, heroun, heron, hern, OF. hairon, F. héron, OHG. heigir; cf. Icel. hegri, Dan. heire, Sw. häger, and also G. häher jay, jackdaw, OHG. hehara, higere, woodpecker, magpie, D. reiger heron, G. reiher, AS. hragra. Cf. Aigret, Egret.] (Zoöl.) Any wading bird of the genus Ardea and allied genera, of the family Ardeidæ. The herons have a long, sharp bill, and long legs and toes, with the claw of the middle toe toothed. The common European heron (Ardea cinerea) is remarkable for its directly ascending flight, and was formerly hunted with the larger falcons.