H definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary (2025)

Table of Contents

H h in British English 1 h in British English 2 H in British English h. in British English H in American English 1 H in American English 2 H in American English 3 h in American English 1 h in American English 2 h in American English 3 h in American English 1 h in American English 2 H in American English H in American English 1 H in American English 2 H in American English 3 H in American English 4 H in American English 5 h. in American English H. in American English Word lists with

COBUILD frequency band

H

also h (eɪtʃ ) (plural H's, h's)

1.variable noun A1

H is the eighth letter of the English alphabet.

H or h is an abbreviation for words beginning with h, such as 'hour', 'height', ' hospital', and 'hard'.

h in British English 1

or H (eɪtʃ )

nounWord forms: plural h's, H's or Hs

the eighth letter and sixth consonant of the modern English alphabet

a speech sound represented by this letter, in English usually a voiceless glottal fricative, as in hat

something shaped like an H

(in combination)

an H-beam

COBUILD frequency band

h in British English 2

symbol for

1. physics

Planck constant

hecto-

3. chess See algebraic notation

COBUILD frequency band

H in British English

symbol for

1. chemistry

hydrogen

2. physics

magnetic field strength

Hamiltonian

3. electronics

henry or henries

4. thermodynamics

enthalpy

(on Brit pencils, signifying degree of hardness of lead) hard

Compare B (sense 9)

6. slang

heroin

abbreviation for

Hungary (international car registration)

COBUILD frequency band

h. in British English

or H.

abbreviation for

harbour

height

hour

husband

COBUILD frequency band

H in American English 1

harbor

hard

hardness

height

5. Physics

henry

the horizontal component of terrestrial magnetism

6. Slang

heroin

high

8. Baseball

hit(s)

hot (on water faucets)

10.

hour(s)

11.

hundred(s)

12.

husband

Also, for 2-4, 5 b, , 7, 8, 10, & 12, h

COBUILD frequency band

H in American English 2

Anthropology

homo

Word origin

COBUILD frequency band

H in American English 3

Chemistry

hydrogen

COBUILD frequency band

h in American English 1

(eɪtʃ ) or H (eɪtʃ )

nounWord forms: plural h's or H's

the eighth letter of the English alphabet: from the Greek eta, a borrowing from the Phoenician

any of the speech sounds that this letter represents, as, in English, the (h) of hat

a type or impression for h or H

the eighth in a sequence or group

an object shaped like H

adjective

of h or H

eighth in a sequence or group

shaped like H

COBUILD frequency band

h in American English 2

hecto-

COBUILD frequency band

h in American English 3

Chemistry

Planck's constant

COBUILD frequency band

h in American English 1

abbreviation

hard

COBUILD frequency band

h in American English 2

symbol

Physics See Planck's constant

COBUILD frequency band

H in American English

(eitʃ) h (eitʃ)

nounWord forms: plural H's or Hs, h's or hs

the eighth letter of the English alphabet, a consonant

any spoken sound represented by the letter H or h, as in hot or behave

something having the shape of an H

a written or printed representation of the letter H or h

a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter H or h

COBUILD frequency band

H in American English 1

abbreviation

hard

2.Grammar

head

3.Electricity

henry

4.slang

heroin

high

COBUILD frequency band

H in American English 2

symbol

the eighth in order or in a series

2.(sometimes lc)

the medieval Roman numeral for 200

Compare Roman numerals

3.Chemistry

hydrogen

4.Biochemistry

histidine

5.Physics

enthalpy

horizontal component of the earth's magnetic field

c. See magnetic intensity

6.Music

the letter used in German to indicate the tone B

COBUILD frequency band

H in American English 3

symbol

Chemistry

protium

Also: 1H, Ha

COBUILD frequency band

H in American English 4

symbol

Chemistry

deuterium

Also: 2H, Hb

COBUILD frequency band

H in American English 5

symbol

Chemistry

tritium

Also: 3H, Hc

COBUILD frequency band

h. in American English

abbreviation

harbor

hard

hardness

heavy sea

height

hence

high

8.Baseball

hit; hits

horns

10.

hour; hours

11.

hundred

12.

husband

Also: H

COBUILD frequency band

H. in American English

abbreviation

(in prescriptions)

an hour

Word origin

[‹ L hōra]

Word lists with

international car registration letters