Words that start with H

A hinge is a device for making something bend easily. Doors and some windows have hinges so you can open them. Chests and some other boxes have hinged lids, and laptop computers open with a hinge.
You can clearly see the hinge on the lid in the picture.

lan A hippopotamus, or hippo for short, is a large animal that lives in lakes and waterways in Africa. They live in large groups, and can live to 40 years old. A male hippo is called a bull, a female is called a cow and a baby hippo is called a calf.

Hirsute is the more formal word for hairy.

A hiss is a sharp noise made by animals like cats, snakes and geese when they are angry.
Air escaping at high speed from a small hole can also make a hissing noise, for example when you fill your tyres with air, you often hear hissing sounds.

You hit something when you connect with it, hard. Some examples are hitting a nail with a hammer, hitting a ball with a bat or hitting a target with an arrow.

A hobby is something that people do for fun rather than as their main job for money. Hobbies are often creative, like making quilts or gardening.

An animal's hock is the equivalent joint to our ankle. It is found half-way up their hind legs.

A hoe is a tool used for moving soil around. Hoes are typically used for tilling ground before planting out crops.

You hold something when it is securely in your hands. You might also hold something by supporting it, for example "that post is holding the roof up".

A hole punch is a small tool that makes neat, round holes in paper or thin card. You put paper in a slot and it cuts holes through the paper. They are usually used to make holes in paper to put them into binders.

Hole punches may make one, two or more holes at a time and there are types of hole punches designed for other materials too, like leather.