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habitat (n) – The region where a plant or animal naturally grows or lives

hacienda (n) – A large estate or plantation in Spanish-speaking countries

haggle (v) – To bargain

Haiti (n) – A country in the Caribbean bordering the Dominican Republic

half-hitch (n) – A single turn of line around an object with the end being led back through the rope loop; the basis upon which many nautical knots are constructed

halyard (n) – A rope used for raising and lowering a flag or sail

handlining (n) – A fishing technique using a spool of line, hook, and bait

hardtack (n) – A hard biscuit or bread made with flour and water

harness (n) – In nautical terms, safety gear or tackle that is worn by sailors and connected to the ship; it prevents a sailor from being washed overboard or from falling while climbing aloft

harpoon (n) – A barbed spear with a line attached to it, used for spearing whales or other large sea animals

harpooner (n) – One who fishes or hunts with a harpoon

hatch (n) – A covered opening in a ship's deck through which cargo can be lowered or entrance made to a lower deck

hatchery (n) – A place for hatching eggs, especially those of fish or poultry

hatchling (n) – A recently hatched bird, fish, turtle, etc.

haul (v) – To pull on a line, such as a halyard

hawsepipe (n) – Tube through which an anchor chain is led overboard through the ship’s side (see "up the hawsepipe")

hawsepiper (n) – Someone who has achieved rank by coming "up the hawsepipe"

head (n) – The bathroom (or sink, shower and toilet) aboard a boat

head torch (n) – A lamp, similar to a flashlight, that is worn on one’s head in order to keep both hands free while working; also called a head lamp

head up (v) – To turn toward the wind

heading (n) – The horizontal direction in which a moving ship is pointed, usually expressed as a compass reading in degrees

headrig (n) – The part of the rigging attached to the bowsprit of a ship

headsail (n) – Any sail set forward of the foremast

headsails (n) – A group of sails made up of the jib, jib topsail, and the jumbo

headwaters (n) – The beginning or source waters of a large stream or river

headway (n) – Forward movement of a boat

headwind (n) – A wind blowing towards the bow of the boat

heave to (v) – To stop the forward movement of a ship by bringing the vessel’s bow into the wind and keeping it there

heavenly body (n) – A star, planet, moon or sun used by sailors in navigation

heaving line (n) – Length of small rope used in throwing to or from a vessel for hauling a heavier rope, such as a hawser

hectare (n) – A unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters; 2.47 acres

heel (v) – To lean or tilt to one side, as a ship or boat in a high wind

helm (n) – The steering apparatus of a ship such as a wheel or tiller

helm (v) – To steer

helmsman (n) – The person who is at the wheel steering the ship

helmsmanship (n) – The skill of being able to properly steer a boat or ship

hemisphere (n) – Any of the halves of the earth; northern and southern hemispheres are divided by the equator, while eastern and western hemispheres are divided along a meridian

hepatitis A (n) – A disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV); good personal hygiene, proper sanitation and/or a vaccine can help to prevent disease transmission

herb (n) – Any seed plant whose stem decays each season; as distinguished from a shrub or tree whose woody stem lives from one season to the next

herbarim (n) – A collection of dried samples of plants

herbicide (n) A chemical used to destroy or inhibit the growth of plants, especially weeds

herbivore (n) – An organism that eats only plants

herbivorous (adj) – Plant-eating

herbivory (n) – The consumption or eating of plants

hermatypic coral (n) – Coral which forms in reefs and lives in symbiotic relationships with zooxanthellae

heterotrophic (adj) – Eating other organisms

hibernate (v) – To be in a dormant, resting state

hierarchy (n) – A group of people or things arranged in order of rank, grade or class

hieroglyphics (n) – The picture script of the ancient Egyptians

high pressure (adj) – Having high barometric pressure; usually associated with fair weather

high tide (n) – The highest level to which the tide rises within the daily tidal cycle

Hispaniola (n) – A large island in the West Indies, located between Cuba and Puerto Rico and divided between Haiti and the Dominican Republic

histogram (n) – A bar chart in which different quantities are represented by vertical or horizontal rectangles

hitch (n) – A type of knot used as a temporary fastening

hoist (v) – To lift or raise, especially to raise into position on a ship

hold (n) – The interior of a ship below decks, especially the lower decks where cargo is stored

holistic (adj) – Concerned with or dealing with whole or integrated systems rather than their parts

homestay (n) – A part of a student’s experience in which s/he is hosted by a local family

homogeneity (n) – The quality of being the same or similar in nature

homogeneous (adj) –The same or similar in kind or nature

hone (v) – To perfect or make more intense or effective

hook (n) – Anchor

horde (n) – A large group or crowd; a swarm

Horn, Cape (n) – The cape of Horn Island, located in Tierra del Fuego, Chile, which is the southernmost point of South America; the ocean surrounding this area is traditionally one of the stormiest in the world

horn shark (n) – Horn sharks are named for the white spines at the front of both dorsal fins. During the day, these sharks are found in caves and crevices

hornpipe (n) – A variety of lively dance music, named for the traditional sailor’s instrument upon which it was originally played

horsepower (n) – A unit for measuring the power of engines and motors, equal to 746 watts or the force required to raise 33,000 pounds at the rate of one foot per minute

hostel (n) – An inn

hot spot (n) – In geologic terms, a place of great heat on the Earth’s surface, caused by heat rising from the Earth’s extremely hot core to the Earth’s outermost layer; this heat activates the liquid lava just under the Earth’s crust, which then breaks through the Earth’s surface, spills over and hardens into volcanic rock, sometimes leaving behind an active volcano

hue (n) – The degree of lightness, darkness, strength, etc. of a color

hull (n) – The body of a boat

humidity (n) – The amount or degree of moisture in the air

hurricane (n) – A storm originating in the tropics that has sustained winds equal to or greater than 74 miles per hour (64 knots)

hustler (n) – One who obtains money aggressively or dishonestly

hydrated (adj) – Having the correct water ratio in one’s body

hydration (n) – The process by which one maintains the correct water ratio in one’s body (e.g., by drinking water)

hydrographer (n) – One who studies the characteristic features (as flow and/or depth) of bodies of water; one who charts (maps) bodies of water

hydrothermal (adj) – Concerning the action of hot water in producing, dissolving and/or otherwise changing the distribution of minerals in the earth’s crust

hygiene (n) – The science of health and its maintenance; cleanliness

hygienic (adj) – Promoting health; sanitary

hypocrisy (n) – A deception as to the real character of someone

hypotenuse (n) – The longest side of a right triangle, located opposite the right (90 degree) angle

hypothermia (n) – A subnormal body temperature

hypothesis (n) – An unproved theory used to explain certain facts or provide a basis for further investigation

hypothesize (v) – To make a hypothesis

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