Emily Dickinson Lexicon

HAFT, n. [Sax. hæft, a haft, and hæftan, to seize; G. heft; D. heft; Dan. hefte; from the root of have, or of L. capio, W. hafiaw, to snatch.]

A handle; that part of an instrument or vessel which is taken into the hand, and by which it is held and used. It is used chiefly for the part of a sword or dagger by which it is held; the hilt.

HAFT, v.t.

To set in a haft; to furnish with a handle.

HAFT'ER, n. [W. hafiaw, to catch.]

A caviller; a wrangler. [Not in use.] Barret.

HAG, n. [In Sax hægesse is a witch, fury or goblin, answering to the Hecate of mythology. In W. hagyr, ugly, is from hag, a gash, from the root of hack. In Russ. ega is a foolish old woman, a sorceress. See Hagard.]

1. An ugly old woman; as, an old hag of threescore. Dryden.
2. A witch; a sorceress; an enchantress. Shak.
3. A fury; a she-monster. Crashaw.
4. A cartilaginous fish, the Gastrobranchus, which enters other fishes and devours them. It is about five or six inches long, and resembles a small eel. It is allied to the lamprey. Cyc.
5. Appearances of light and fire on horses' manes or men's hair, were formerly called hags. Blount.

HAG, v.t.

1. To harass; to torment. Butler.
2. To tire; to weary with vexation.

HAG'ARD, a. [G. hager, lean; W. hag, a gash; hacciaw, to hack. See Hack.]

1. Literally, having a ragged look, as if hacked or gashed. Hence, lean; meager; rough; having eyes sunk in their orbits; ugly.
2. Wild; fierce; intractable; as, a hagard hawk.

HAG'ARD, n. [See Hag. This and the other derivatives of hag ought to be written with a single g.]

1. Any thing wild and intractable. Shak.
2. A species of hawk. Walton.
3. A hag.

HAG'ARD-LY, adv.

In a hagard or ugly manner; with deformity. Dryden.

HAG'BORN, a.

Born of a hag or witch. Shak.

HAG'GARD, n. [Sax. haga, a little field, and geard, a yard.]

A stack-yard. Howell.

HAG'GESS, n. [from hack.]

1. A mess of meat, generally pork, chopped and inclosed in a membrane. Johnson.
2. A sheep's head and pluck minced. Entick.

HAG'GLE, v.i.

To be difficult in bargaining; to hesitate and cavil. [See Higgle.]

HAG'GLE, v.t. [W. hag, a gash or cut. It is a diminutive from the root of hack.]

To cut into small pieces; to notch or cut in an unskillful manner; to make rough by cutting; to mangle; as, a boy haggles a stick of wood. Suffolk first died, and York all haggled o'er, / Comes to him where in gore he lay insteep'd. Shak.

HAG'GLED, pp.

Cut irregularly into notches; made rough by cutting; mangled.

HAG'GLER, n.

1. One who haggles.
2. One who cavils, hesitates, and makes difficulty in bargaining.

HAG'GLING, ppr.

Hacking; mangling; caviling and hesitating in bargaining.

HAG'I-AR-CHY, n. [Gr. αγιος and αρχη.]

The sacred government; government of holy orders of men. Southey.

HAG-I-OG'RA-PHA, n. [plur. infra.]

The sacred writings, the scriptures. Encyc.

HAG-I-OG'RA-PHAL, a.

Pertaining to hagiography, – which see.

HAG-I-OG'RA-PHER, n. [See the next word.]

A writer of holy or sacred books.

HAG-I-OG'RA-PHY, n. [Gr. άγιος, holy, and γραφη, a writing.]

Sacred writings. The Jews divide the books of the Scriptures into three parts; the Law, which is contained in the first five books of the Old Testament; the Prophets, or Nevim; and the Cetuvim, or writings, by way of eminence. The latter class is called by the Greeks Hagiographa, comprehending the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ruth, Esther, Chronicles, Canticles, Lamentations, and Ecclesiastes.

HAG-I-OL'O-GIST, n.

One who writes or treats of the sacred writings.

HAG-I-OL'O-GY, n.

The history or description of the sacred writings. Quart. Rev.

HAG'ISH, a.

Of the nature of a hag; deformed; ugly; horrid. Shak.

HAG'ISH-LY, adv.

In a hagish manner.