Descriptionary

hoist with one's own petard a Shakespearean met­aphor for getting hurt with one's own offenses or weapons. The metaphor refers to a bomb (petard) blowing up in one's face. The company polluted the river surreptitiously at night, but then were hoist with their own petard as fishermen downstream sued for the massive fish kills they caused.

holier-than-thou adj. (HO lee er than THOW) self- righteous; taking a superior, moralizing stance. When­ever anyone cops that annoying, holier-than-thou atti­tude, I remind them that only those who are without sin can rightfully cast stones.

holistic adj. (ho LIS tik) consisting of a whole or integrated approach, as opposed to that comprising individual components. Holistic medicine looks at the mind and the body in order to more fully understand the disease process.

Holy Grail n. a metaphor for any fervently sought after object, goal, etc., so-named after the cup sup­posedly used by Jesus at the Last Supper, the subject of numerous medieval quests. The Holy Grail of auto manufacturers is a car that will produce zero emissions and travel one hundred miles on a single gallon of gas.

homage n. (AW mij) that which is shown or given in order to honor someone. We paid homage to our city's philanthropists by giving them a dinner and awards.

homogeneous adj. (ho mo JEE nee us) made of similar elements. Some nations are composed of only one ethnic group and are therefore described as homogenous.

hubris n. (HYOO bris) arrogant pride. Ralph pre­sumed that the vote for most eligible bachelor would go to him; such hubris was rather nauseating.

humility n. (hyoo MIL i tee) modesty; the absence of pride or arrogance. Joan never expected to win, and she accepted the award with great embarrass­ment and humility.

hyperbole n. (hi PUR bul ee) exaggeration, as a fig­ure of speech. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" is a statement illustrating the use of hyperbole.

hypochondriac n. (hi poh KON dree ak) one who chronically imagines himself to be sick when in reality he is not; one overly concerned with his health. My friend is the worst hypochondriac I've ever known; he is sure that he is suffering from cancer, beriberi, and Lyme disease, all at the same time.

hypothetical adj. (hi puh THET uh kul) supposi­tional; unproven; assumed; theoretical. The profes­sor asked us to imagine a hypothetical situation in which humans could travel faster than the speed of light.

iconoclast n. (iye KON uh KLAST) one who dis­respects and attacks society's revered beliefs, institu­tions, public figures, etc. The famous atheist earned her reputation as an iconoclast when she forced prayer to be removed from schools.