The 4 letter words with definitions, separated alphabetically.
Now updated for CSW24. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
| haaf | (ON) in Orkney, a deep-sea fishing-ground > HAAFS. [ON haf, sea]. |
| haar | (ON) a raw sea-mist > HAARS. [ON harr, hoary]. |
| habu | (Japanese) a kind of poisonous snake > HABUS. |
| hack | To cut or chop roughly > HACKS, HACKING, HACKED. |
| hade | The angle between plane of a fault and vertical plane; (verb) to incline from vertical > HADES, HADING, HADED. |
| hadj | (Arabic) a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca > HADJES. Also HAJ, HAJJ. |
| hads | (3rd.) HAD, to hold. |
| haed | (Pt.) HAE, to have. |
| haem | The pigment combined with protein in haemoglobin > HAEMS. |
| haen | (Pt.) HAE, to have. |
| haes | (3rd.) HAE, to have. |
| haet | (Scots) a small amount, a whit > HAETS. |
| haff | (Ger.) a lagoon separated from sea by a long sand-bar > HAFFS. [Ger. Haff, bay]. |
| haft | (Verb) to set in a haft; to establish firmly > HAFTS, HAFTING, HAFTED. |
| hagg | (Scots) broken ground in a moss or bog, a place from which peat has been dug > HAGGS. Also HAG. |
| hags | (3rd.) HAG, to hack, hew. |
| haha | A sunken fence > HAHAS. |
| hahs | (Pl.) HAH, an interjection expressing surprise etc. |
| haik | (Arabic) an oblong cloth worn by Arabs on head or body > HAIKS or HAIKA. Also HAICK, HAIQUE, HYKE. |
| hail | To welcome > HAILS, HAILING, HAILED. |
| hain | (Scots) to enclose or protect with a fence or hedge; esp. to preserve (grass) from cattle > HAINS, HAINING, HAINED. [ON hegna, to enclose, protect]. |
| hair | (Verb) to provide hair for; to free from hair > HAIRS, HAIRING, HAIRED. |
| haji | (Arabic) a Muslim pilgrim to Mecca > HAJIS. Also HADJI, HAJJI, HADJEE. |
| hajj | (Arabic) a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca > HAJJES. Also HAJ, HADJ. |
| haka | (Maori) a ceremonial war-dance > HAKAS. |
| hake | A fish of the cod family > HAKES. |
| haku | (Maori) the kingfish > HAKUS. |
| hale | (Verb) to haul, pull > HALES, HALING, HALED; (adj.) healthy > HALER, HALEST. |
| half | One of two equal parts > HALVES or HALFS. |
| hall | A room serving as an entry area in a house or building > HALLS. |
| halm | A strawy stem > HALMS. Also HAULM. |
| halo | A ring of light; (verb) to surround with a halo > HALOS or HALOES, HALOING, HALOED. |
| halt | To stop > HALTS, HALTING, HALTED. |
| hame | (Scots) home; (verb) to home > HAMES, HAMING, HAMED. |
| hams | (3rd.) HAM, to overact. |
| hand | To present with the hand (the end of the forearm) > HANDS, HANDING, HANDED. |
| hang | To attach from above only > HANGS, HANGING, HANGED or HUNG. |
| hank | A series of rings or clips for attaching a jib or staysail to a stay; (verb) to catch, as on a loop > HANKS, HANKING, HANKED. |
| hant | To haunt > HANTS, HANTING, HANTED. |
| haos | (Pl.) HAO, a monetary unit of Vietnam. |
| haps | (3rd.) HAP, to happen, bechance. |
| hapu | (Maori) a subtribe > HAPUS. |
| hard | Not soft > HARDER, HARDEST; HARDLY. |
| hare | (Verb) to run like hare > HARES, HARING, HARED. |
| hark | To listen > HARKS, HARKING, HARKED. Also HARKEN, HEARKEN. |
| harl | (Scots) to drag along the ground > HARLS, HARLING, HARLED. |
| harm | To injure > HARMS, HARMING, HARMED. |
| harn | A coarse linen fabric > HARNS. 'Her cutty sark, o' Paisley harn'. ('Tam o'Shanter'). |
| haro | In Channel Islands, a cry announcing legal redress > HAROS. Also HARROW. |
| harp | A musical instrument played by plucking strings stretched from a curved neck to an inclined soundboard; (verb) to play the harp > HARPS, HARPING, HARPED. |
| hart | The male of the red deer esp. when over five years old > HARTS. |
| hash | A mixed dish of meat and vegetables in small pieces; (verb) to make a hash > HASHES, HASHING, HASHED. |
| hask | (Spenser) a fish-basket > HASKS. |
| hasp | To fasten with a hasp > HASPS, HASPING, HASPED. |
| hass | an oatmeal pudding made with sheep's gullet > HASSES. |
| hast | (3rd pers.) HAVE. |
| hate | To loathe > HATES, HATING, HATED. |
| hath | (3rd. pers.) HAVE. |
| hats | (3rd.) HAT, to provide with or cover with a hat. |
| haud | (Scots) to hold > HAUDS, HAUDING, HUDDEN. Also HAULD. |
| hauf | (Scots) half > HAUFS. |
| haul | To pull with force > HAULS, HAULING, HAULED. |
| haun | (Scots) a hand > HAUNS. |
| haut | (Fr.) high; elevated; hence, haughty; proud. Also HAUGHT, HAULT. |
| have | (Noun) a wealthy person > HAVES. |
| hawk | A bird of prey; a carpenter's tool; (verb) to fly a hawk > HAWKS, HAWKING, HAWKED. |
| hawm | (Dial.) to lounge about > HAWMS, HAWMING, HAWMED. |
| haws | (3rd.) HAW, to make the sound haw. |
| hays | (3rd.) HAY, to make hay. |
| haze | To subject to a humiliating initiation > HAZES, HAZING, HAZED. |
| hazy | Like a haze > HAZIER, HAZIEST; HAZILY. |
| head | To be chief of > HEADS, HEADING, HEADED. |
| heal | To make sound or whole > HEALS, HEALING, HEALED. |
| heap | To pile up > HEAPS, HEAPING, HEAPED. |
| hear | To perceive by the ear > HEARS, HEARING, HEARD. |
| heat | To make hot > HEATS, HEATING, HEATED or HET. |
| hebe | (Greek) a member of a genus of shrubby plants > HEBES. [Gk. hebe, youth]. |
| hech | An exclamation of surprise. |
| heck | The lower part of a door, an inner door, a grating > HECKS. Also HAIK, HAKE. |
| heed | To pay attention to > HEEDS, HEEDING, HEEDED. |
| heel | To supply with a heel (the raised part of a shoe) > HEELS, HEELING, HEELED. |
| heft | To lift; to feel the weight of > HEFTS, HEFTING, HEFTED. |
| hehs | (Pl.) HEH, a Hebrew letter. |
| heid | (Scots) head > HEIDS. |
| heil | (Ger.) interjection > hail!; (verb) to salute > HEILS, HEILING, HEILED. |
| heir | (Verb) to inherit > HEIRS, HEIRING, HEIRED. |
| held | (Pt.) HOLD, to have in one's possession. |
| hele | (Spenser) to hide, conceal > HELES, HELING, HELED. |
| hell | (Verb) to hide, conceal > HELLS, HELLING, HELLED. |
| helm | A helmet; (verb) to steer, manage > HELMS, HELMING, HELMED. |
| helo | A helicopter > HELOS. |
| help | To give assistance to > HELPS, HELPING, HELPED or HOLP, HOLPEN. |
| heme | An iron-bearing component of hemoglobin > HEMES. |
| hemp | A plant yielding a coarse fibre and an oil > HEMPS. |
| hems | (3rd.) HEM, to form a hem on. |
| hend | (Arch.) to seize, grasp > HENDS, HENDING, HENDED. Also HENT. |
| hens | (3rd.) HEN, to challenge to a daring act. |
| hent | (Shakesp.) to seize, take > HENTS, HENTING, HENTED. Also HEND. |
| heps | (Pl.) HEP, a rosehip. |
| hept | (Spenser) heaped. |
| herb | A seed-bearing plant whose aerial parts do not persist above ground at the end of the growing season > HERBS, HERBED. |
| herd | To bring together in a herd (a group of animals) > HERDS, HERDING, HERDED. |
| here | This place > HERES. |
| herl | The barb of a father > HERLS. |
| herm | A head of Hermes on a square stone post > HERMS. Also HERMA. |
| hern | (Dial.) heron > HERNS. |
| hero | A brave man > HEROES; a sandwich or HOAGIE > HEROS. |
| hers | The possessive case of the pronoun SHE. |
| hery | (Spenser) to praise, regard as holy > HERIES, HERYING, HERIED. Also HERYE, HERRY. |
| hesp | (Scots) to hasp > HESPS, HESPING, HESPED. |
| hest | Command; precept; injunction > HESTS. Also HEAST, HEASTE. |
| hete | (Spenser) to promise, command, name > HETES, HETING, HOTE. Also HIGHT. |
| heth | (Hebrew) a Hebrew letter > HETHS. Also CHETH, HET, KHET, KHETH. |
| hets | (Pl.) HET, a Hebrew letter. |
| hewn | (PaP.) HEW, to cut with blows. |
| hews | (3rd.) HEW, to cut with blows. |
| heys | (Pl.) HEY, a winding country dance. |
| hick | A person from the country, a yokel > HICKS. |
| hide | To conceal > HIDES, HIDING, HID, HIDDEN; to remove the hide from > HIDES, HIDING, HIDED. |
| hied | (Pt.) HIE, to hasten. |
| hies | (3rd.) HIE, to hasten. |
| high | Elevated > HIGHER, HIGHEST; HIGHLY; (verb) to ascend; to raise higher > HIGHS, HIGHING, HIGHED. |
| hike | To walk a long distance > HIKES, HIKING, HIKED. |
| hila | (Pl.) HILUM, a mark where a seed was attached to its stalk. |
| hild | (Spenser) held. No -S. |
| hili | (Pl.) HILUS, an indentation in the surface of an organ. |
| hill | (Verb) to rise into a mound > HILLS, HILLING, HILLED. |
| hilt | (Verb) to provide with a hilt > HILTS, HILTING, HILTED. |
| hims | (Pl.) HIM, a male. |
| hind | The female of the red deer in or after its third year > HINDS. |
| hing | (Hindi) asafoetida, a fetid gum resin > HINGS. |
| hins | (Pl.) HIN, a Hebrew liquid measure. |
| hint | To suggest indirectly > HINTS, HINTING, HINTED. |
| hioi | (Maori) a plant of the mint family > HIOIS. |
| hips | (3rd.) HIP, to carry on the hip. |
| hipt | (Pt.) HIP, to carry on the hip. |
| hire | To engage the services of for payment > HIRES, HIRING, HIRED. |
| hish | A by-form of HISS > HISHES, HISHING, HISHED. |
| hisn | (Dial.) his. |
| hiss | To make a sibilant sound > HISSES, HISSING, HISSED. |
| hist | (Arch.) an expression used to attract attention; (verb) to urge or summon with such an interjection > HISTS, HISTING, HISTED. |
| hits | (3rd.) HIT, to strike. |
| hive | (Verb) to put into a hive > HIVES, HIVING, HIVED. |
| hiya | (Coll.) a greeting. |
| hizz | To hiss > HIZZES, HIZZING, HIZZED. |
| hmmm | an interjection expressing thoughtful consideration. |
| hoar | Grey, esp. with age; (verb) to cover with hoar > HOARS, HOARING, HOARED. Also HORE. |
| hoas | (Pl.) HOA, to say HOA. |
| hoax | To deceive > HOAXES, HOAXING, HOAXED. |
| hobo | A tramp; (verb) to travel as a hobo > HOBOS or HOBOES, HOBOING, HOBOED. |
| hobs | (3rd.) HOB, to furnish with hobnails. |
| hock | (Noun) a white Rhine wine; (verb) to pawn > HOCKS, HOCKING, HOCKED. |
| hods | (3rd.) HOD, to bob or jog. |
| hoed | (Pt.) HOE, to use a hoe. |
| hoer | One who hoes > HOERS. |
| hoes | (3rd.) HOE, to use a hoe. |
| hogg | A yearling sheep > HOGGS. Also HOG, HOGGET. |
| hogh | (Spenser) = HOE, promontory > HOGHS. |
| hogs | (3rd.) HOG, to use selfishly. |
| hoha | (NZ) bored, annoyed. |
| hohs | (Pl.) HOH, an interjection calling attention, expressing surprise etc. |
| hoik | To hitch up, to jerk upwards > HOIKS, HOIKING, HOIKED. Also HOICK. |
| hois | (3rd.) HOI, to urge, incite. |
| hoka | (Maori) red cod > HOKA. No -S. |
| hoke | To overact a part in a play > HOKES, HOKING, HOKED. |
| hoki | A food fish with white flesh > HOKIS. |
| hold | To have in one's possession > HOLDS, HOLDING, HELD, HILD, HOLDEN. |
| hole | To make a hole (a cavity in a solid) > HOLES, HOLING, HOLED. |
| holk | (Scots) to dig, burrow > HOLKS, HOLKING, HOLKED. Also HOWK. |
| holm | A river island > HOLMS. |
| holo | (Short for) hologram > HOLOS. |
| holp | (Obs.) helped. |
| hols | (Coll.) holidays. N.B. no HOL*. |
| holt | The lair or den of an animal, esp. an otter > HOLTS. |
| holy | Perfect in a moral sense > HOLIER, HOLIEST; HOLILY; (noun) a holy object > HOLIES. |
| homa | (Persian) a sacred plant of the ancient Persians > HOMAS. Also HOM. |
| home | To return to one's home (place of residence) > HOMES, HOMING, HOMED. |
| homo | (Lat.) man generically > HOMINES; (sl.) a homosexual > HOMOS. |
| homs | (Pl.) HOM, a sacred plant of the ancient Persians. |
| homy | Home-loving > HOMIER, HOMIEST. Also HOMEY. |
| hond | (Obs.) hand > HONDS. |
| hone | To sharpen > HONES, HONING, HONED. |
| hong | (Noun) (Chinese) a Chinese warehouse or foreign mercantile house in China. (Verb) (obs) to hang > HONGS, HONGING but no HONGED*. |
| honk | To make a sound like a horn, or as of wild geese > HONKS, HONKING, HONKED. |
| hons | (Pl.) HON, honey. |
| hood | A flexible covering for the head and back of the neck; (verb) to cover with or as with a hood > HOODS, HOODING, HOODED. |
| hoof | The hard covering of animal's foot > HOOVES; (verb) to dance > HOOFS, HOOFING, HOOFED. |
| hook | To catch with a hook (a bent piece of metal) > HOOKS, HOOKING, HOOKED. |
| hoon | (Aust. slang) a lout, a yob > HOONS. |
| hoop | To fasten with a hoop (a circular band of metal) > HOOPS, HOOPING, HOOPED. |
| hoor | a Scots and Irish form of whore; a difficult or unpleasant thing > HOORS. |
| hoot | To make a sound like an owl > HOOTS, HOOTING, HOOTED. Also HOUT, WHOOT. |
| hope | To have a desire or expectation > HOPES, HOPING, HOPED. |
| hops | (3rd.) HOP, to leap on one leg. |
| hora | (Hebrew) an Israeli dance > HORAS. Also HORAH. |
| hore | Grey, esp. with age. Also HOAR. |
| hork | to spit > HORKS, HORKING, HORKED. |
| horn | To form a horn (a hard, bonelike projection of the head) > HORNS, HORNING, HORNED. |
| hors | (Fr.) out of the combat; disabled from fighting. |
| hose | Stockings or socks > HOSEN; (verb) to spray with water > HOSES, HOSING, HOSED. |
| hoss | (Sl.) horse > HOSSES. |
| host | To entertain socially > HOSTS, HOSTING, HOSTED. |
| hote | (Spenser) pt. of HIGHT, to command or call. |
| hots | (Sl.) sexual desire. |
| houf | (Scots) a place where one is often found, a haunt; (verb) to go to such a place > HOUFS, HOUFING, HOUFED. 'The corby left her houf in the rock' (James Hogg, 'Kilmeny'). Also HOWFF, HOUFF, HOWF. |
| hour | Sixty minutes > HOURS. Also HOWRE. |
| hout | To make a sound like an owl > HOUTS, HOUTING, HOUTED. Also HOOT, WHOOT. |
| hove | (Spenser) to hover, loiter > HOVES, HOVING, HOVED. |
| howe | A hill, a burial-mound > HOWES. |
| howf | (Scots) a place where one is often found, a haunt; (verb) to haunt, frequent > HOWFS, HOWFING, HOWFED. Also HOWFF, HOUF, HOUFF. |
| howk | (Scots) to dig, burrow > HOWKS, HOWKING, HOWKED. Also HOLK. |
| howl | To cry like a dog > HOWLS, HOWLING, HOWLED. |
| hows | (Pl.) HOW, a method of doing something. |
| hoya | A plant of genus Hoya, the wax-plant > HOYAS. |
| hoys | (Pl.) HOY, a small fishing vessel. |
| hubs | (Pl.) HUB, the centre of a wheel > HUBS. |
| huck | A durable fabric > HUCKS. |
| hued | Having a HUE. |
| huer | A lookout man in pilchard fishing > HUERS. |
| hues | (Pl.) HUE, colour. |
| huff | To breathe heavily > HUFFS, HUFFING, HUFFED. |
| huge | Very large > HUGER, HUGEST; HUGELY. |
| hugs | (3rd.) HUG, to embrace. |
| hugy | Huge, vast. No comp! |
| huhu | (Maori) a New Zealand beetle > HUHUS. |
| huia | (Maori) a New Zealand bird akin to a crow > HUIAS. |
| huic | An interjection to encourage hounds. |
| huis | (Pl.) HUI, a Maori gathering. |
| hula | (Hawaiian) a sinuous Polynesian dance with rhythmic hip movements > HULAS. |
| hule | (Nahuatl) a Central American rubber tree > HULES. Also ULE. |
| hulk | (Verb) to appear impressively large > HULKS, HULKING, HULKED. |
| hull | (Shakesp.) to drift on the sea like a wrecked ship > HULLS, HULLING, HULLED. |
| huma | (Urdu) a mythical bird similar to the phoenix, supposed to bring luck to any person over whom it hovers on its restless flights > HUMAS. [Pers. & Urdu huma, phoenix.] |
| humf | (Scots) to carry something heavy or awkward > HUMFS, HUMFING, HUMFED. Also HUMPH. |
| hump | To arch into a hump (a rounded protuberance) > HUMPS, HUMPING, HUMPED. |
| hums | (3rd.) HUM, to make a sound like bees. |
| hung | (Pp.) HANG, to attach from above only. |
| hunh | An interjection requesting repeating of an utterance. |
| hunk | A large piece > HUNKS. |
| huns | (Pl.) HUN, a barbarous and destructive person. |
| hunt | To pursue for food or sport > HUNTS, HUNTING, HUNTED. |
| hups | (3rd.) HUP, to shout 'hup'. |
| hurl | To throw with great force > HURLS, HURLING, HURLED. |
| hurt | To injure > HURTS, HURTING, HURT. |
| hush | To quiet > HUSHES, HUSHING, HUSHED. |
| husk | To remove the husk (the outer covering) from > HUSKS, HUSKING, HUSKED. |
| huso | (Ger.) the great sturgeon > HUSOS. [OHG huso]. |
| huss | A kind of dogfish > HUSSES. |
| huts | (3rd.) HUT, to quarter (troops) in a hut. |
| hwan | A monetary unit of S. Korea > HWAN. No -S. |
| hwyl | (Welsh) divine inspiration in oratory > HWYLS. |
| hyed | (Pt.) HYE, to hie, hurry. |
| hyen | (Shakesp.) a hyena > HYENS. |
| hyes | (3rd.) HYE, to hie. |
| hyke | (Arabic) an oblong cloth worn by Arabs on head or body > HYKES. Also HAIK, HAIQUE, HAICK. |
| hyla | A kind of tree-frog > HYLAS. [NL, from Gk. hule, wood]. |
| hyle | (Greek) wood; matter > HYLES. [Gk. hyle]. |
| hymn | A song of praise, esp to God, but also to a nation, etc.; (verb) to sing a hymn > HYMNS, HYMNING, HYMNED. |
| hype | Exaggeration, build-up; (verb) to exaggerate > HYPES, HYPING, HYPED. |
| hypo | (Coll.) to inject with a hypodermic needle > HYPOS, HYPOED, HYPOING. |
| hyps | (3rd.) HYP, to render melancholy. |
| hyte | (Scots) insane. Also GYTE. |