Horyu Temple Japanese Horyu-ji Vhor-yu-je\ Buddhist complex near Nara, Japan, comprising the oldest known wood buildings in the world. The temple was founded by Prince Shotoku in 607 during the Asuka period, destroyed by fire in 670, and reconstructed c. 680-708. It retains the chu-mon (middle gate) of the roofed cloister enclosing the rectangular temple precinct, a five-storied pagoda, and a kondd (main hall).
Hosea Mio-'za-o, ho-'ze-3\ (fl. 8th century bc) First of the 12 Minor Prophets in the Hebrew scriptures, traditional author of the book of Hosea. (His prophecy is part of a larger book, The Twelve, in the Jewish canon.) He began to prophesy during the reign of Jeroboam II and continued until near the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 bc. The book is an allegory in which the prophet is presented as a man married to a harlot or an adulterous wife. This troubled relationship stands for the betrayal of God by Israel, which has “played the harlot” by dallying with Canaan- ite religion.
hosiery Knit or woven coverings for the feet and legs, worn inside shoes. In the 8th century bc, Hesiod referred to linings for shoes; the Romans wrapped their feet, ankles, and legs in long strips of leather or woven cloth. Knitted socks were discovered in Egyptian tombs of the 3rd-6th century ad. The first knitting machine was invented in England in the 16th century. Full-fashioned stockings were knitted flat, then shaped and seamed up the back by hand. In the 19th century, seamless stockings, mostly of cotton, were knitted on circular machines, but they did not fit well; seamless hose did not become popular until the 1940s, when nylon replaced silk for dress hose. Pantyhose were introduced in the 1960s.
hospice Home or hospital for relieving physical and emotional suffer¬ ing of dying persons. In patients expected to live only months or weeks, hospice care offers an alternative to aggressive life-prolonging measures, which often only increase discomfort and isolation. Hospices provide a sympathetic environment in which prevention (not just control) of physi¬ cal pain has top priority, along with patients’ emotional and spiritual needs. Care may be provided in a health facility, on an outpatient basis, or at home.
hospital Institution for diagnosing and treating the sick or injured, hous¬ ing them during treatment, examining patients, and managing childbirth. Outpatients, who can leave after treatment, come in for emergency care or are referred for services not available in a private doctor’s office. Hos¬ pitals may be public (government-owned) or private (profit-making or not-for-profit); in most nations except the U.S., most are public. They may also be general, accepting all types of medical or surgical cases, or spe¬ cial (e.g., children’s hospitals, mental hospitals), limiting service to a single type of patient or illness. However, general hospitals usually also have specialized departments, and special hospitals tend to become affili¬ ated with general hospitals.
Hospitallers See Knights of Malta, Teutonic Order
hosta Vha-sts, 'ho-staN Any of about 40 species of hardy herbaceous perennials, also called plantain lily, of the genus Hosta , in the uly family, native to eastern Asia. They prefer light shade but will grow under a vari¬ ety of conditions. They are frequently grown for their conspicuous foli¬ age, which may be light to dark green, yellow, blue, or variegated. The ribbed leaves grow in a cluster at the base, and stalks bearing clusters of tubular white or bluish-purple flowers emerge from the leaves.
hot rod Automobile rebuilt or modified for high speed, fast accelera¬ tion, or sporty appearance. A wide range of automobiles may be called hot rods, including some of those used in drag racing as well as those used in recreational cruising. They may be composed of used or new parts. Some are intended primarily for exhibition.
hot spot Region of the Earth’s upper mantle that up wells to melt through the crust to form a volcanic feature. Most voLCANOes that cannot be ascribed either to a subduction zone or to seafloor spreading at midocean ridges are attributed to hot spots. The 5% of known world volcanoes not closely related to such plate margins (see plate tectonics) are regarded as hot-spot volcanoes. Hawaiian volcanoes are the best examples of this type, occurring near the centre of the northern portion of the Pacific Plate. A chain of extinct volcanoes or volcanic islands (and seamounts), such as the Hawaiian chain, can form over millions of years where a lithos¬ pheric plate moves over a hot spot. The active volcanoes all lie at one end of the chain or ridge, and the ages of the islands or the ridge increase with their distance from those sites of volcanic activity.
Horus offering a libation, bronze statue, 22nd dynasty (c. 800 bc); in the Louvre, Paris.
GIRAUDON/ART RESOURCE
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hot spring or thermal spring Spring that issues water at tempera¬ tures substantially higher than the air temperature of the surrounding region. Most hot springs result from the interaction of groundwater with magma or with solid but still-hot igneous rocks. Some, however, are not related to volcanic activity. In such cases, deep circulation of water is thought to carry the water to the lower parts of the Earth’s crust, where the temperature of the rocks is high.
Hot Springs National Park National park, central Arkansas, U.S. Established in 1921, it occupies an area of 9 square mi (23 sq km). It is centred on 47 thermal springs, from which more than 850,000 gallons (3,200,000 litres) of water, with an average temperature of 143 °F (62 °C), flow daily. The springs, long used by the Indians and probably vis¬ ited by Hernando de Soto in 1541, drew Spanish and French visitors in search of health benefits in the 1700s. The city of Hot Springs (pop., 2000: 35,750), a health and tourist resort and boyhood home of U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton, was settled in 1807 and incorporated in 1876.
hotel Building that provides lodging, meals, and other services to the traveling public on a commercial basis. Inns have existed since ancient times (e.g., along the Roman road system during the Roman Empire) to serve merchants and other travelers. Medieval European monasteries operated inns to guarantee haven for travelers in dangerous regions. The spread of travel by stagecoach in the 18th century stimulated the devel¬ opment of inns, as did the Industrial Revolution. The modem hotel was largely the result of the railroads; when traveling for pleasure became widely popular, large hotels were often built near railroad stations. In 1889 the Savoy Hotel in London set a new standard, with its own electricity and a host of special services; the Statler Hotel in Buffalo, N.Y. (1908), another landmark, catered to the growing class of business travelers. After World War II, new hotels tended to be larger and were often built near airports. Hotel chains became common, making purchasing, sales, and reservations more efficient. Hotels fall into three categories: transient hotels; resort hotels, intended primarily for vacationers; and residential hotels, essentially apartment buildings offering room and meal service. See also motel.
Hottentot See Khoikhoi
Houdini \hu-'de-ne\, Harry orig. Erik Weisz (b. March 24, 1874, Budapest, Hung.—d. Oct. 31, 1926,
Detroit, Mich., U.S.) U.S. magician.
The son of a rabbi who emigrated from Hungary to the U.S. and settled in Wisconsin, he became a trapeze performer at an early age. In 1882 he moved to New York City, where he played in vaudeville shows without much success. From about 1900 he earned an international reputation for his daring feats of escape from locked boxes, often submerged, while shackled in chains and hand¬ cuffed. His success depended on his great strength and agility and his unusual skill in manipulating locks.