1. [n]  a narcotic that is considered a hard drug; a highly addictive morphine derivative
2. [n]  the 8th letter of the Roman alphabet
3. [n]  a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
4. [n]  the constant of proportionality relating the energy of a photon to its frequency; approximately 6.626 x 10\-34 joule-second
5. [n]  a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

H
The story of a troubled 12-year-old child, Benjamin Moorhouse, who is strangely attached to a stuffed letter H, which he names Elliot. In this debut novel, Shepard explores this boy`s condition through the eyes of his mother, his psychiatrist, and camp counselors, none of whom recognize what may be a form of fragile genius. Burdened with rituals that dictate how he executes everything from his first kiss to preparing a meal, Benjamin engages with the world in a strangely fascinating manner that, if disturbed, may end in his self-destruction.

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1. \H\ ([=a]ch),
   the eighth letter of the English alphabet, is classed among
   the consonants, and is formed with the mouth organs in the
   same position as that of the succeeding vowel. It is used
   with certain consonants to form digraphs representing sounds
   which are not found in the alphabet, as sh, th, [th], as in
   shall, thing, [th]ine (for zh see [sect]274); also, to modify
   the sounds of some other letters, as when placed after c and
   p, with the former of which it represents a compound sound
   like that of tsh, as in charm (written also tch as in catch),
   with the latter, the sound of f, as in phase, phantom. In
   some words, mostly derived or introduced from foreign
   languages, h following c and g indicates that those
   consonants have the hard sound before e, i, and y, as in
   chemistry, chiromancy, chyle, Ghent, Ghibelline, etc.; in
   some others, ch has the sound of sh, as in chicane. See
   {Guide to Pronunciation}, [sect][sect] 153, 179, 181-3,
   237-8.
   Note: The name (aitch) is from the French ache; its form is
         from the Latin, and this from the Greek H, which was
         used as the sign of the spiritus asper (rough
         breathing) before it came to represent the long vowel,
         Gr. [eta]. The Greek H is from Ph[oe]nician, the
         ultimate origin probably being Egyptian. Etymologically
         H is most closely related to c; as in E. horn, L.
         cornu, Gr. ke`ras; E. hele, v. t., conceal; E. hide, L.
         cutis, Gr. ky`tos; E. hundred, L. centum, Gr.
         'e-kat-on, Skr. [.c]ata.
   {H piece} (Mining), the part of a plunger pump which contains
      the valve.
   

2. \H\ (h[add]). (Mus.)
   The seventh degree in the diatonic scale, being used by the
   Germans for B natural. See {B}.
   

1. A simple markup language intended for quick conversion of existing text to hypertext.

2. A method of marking common words to call attention to the fact that they are being used in a nonstandard, ironic, or humorous way. Originated in the fannish catchphrase "Bheer is the One True Ghod!" from decades ago. H-infix marking of "Ghod" and other words spread into the 1960s counterculture via underground comix, and into early hackerdom either from the counterculture or from SF fandom (the three overlapped heavily at the time). More recently, the h infix has become an expected feature of benchmark names (Dhrystone, Rhealstone, etc.); this follows on from the original Whetstone (the name of a laboratory) but may have been influenced by the fannish/counterculture h infix.

[Jargon File]

1. The heat in a system.
2. Hydrogen is a gas element which has an atomic number of 1 and an atomic weight of 1.0079. It combines with oxygen to form water (H₂0) and is present in all organic compounds. A few types of bacteria can metabolize atmospheric hydrogen (H₂). Hydrogen gas itself is not poisonous, but when it mixes with air it can easily ignite or explode.

   Hydrogen was discovered by Henry Cavendish in 1766 and was named by Lavoisier. There are two main isotopes of hydrogen: deuterium (²H) and tritium (³H, which is radioactive and is used in some glow-in-the-dark paints and as a tracer in biological studies).