h

1 of 4

noun

plural h's or hs ˈā-chəz How to pronounce h (audio)
often capitalized, often attributive
1
a
: the 8th letter of the English alphabet
b
: a graphic representation of this letter
c
: a speech counterpart of orthographic h
2
: a graphic device for reproducing the letter h
3
: one designated h especially as the eighth in order or class
4
: something shaped like the letter H

h

2 of 4

abbreviation (1)

1
half
2
harbor
3
hard; hardness
4
hect-; hecto-
5
height
6
high
7
hit
8
horse
9
hour
10
humidity
11
hundred
12
husband

H

3 of 4

abbreviation (2)

1
Hamiltonian
2
henry
3
heroin

H

4 of 4

symbol

hydrogen

Examples of h in a Sentence

Noun The word “hand” begins with an h. The word “hand” begins with h.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of h was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near h

Cite this Entry

“H.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/h. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

h

noun
ˈāch
often capitalized
: the eighth letter of the English alphabet

Medical Definition

h

1 of 3 abbreviation
1
height
2
[Latin hora] hour
used in writing prescriptions
see qh

H

2 of 3 abbreviation
heroin

H

3 of 3 symbol
hydrogen

More from Merriam-Webster on h

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!