imp. & p. p. of Have. [ OE. had, hafde, hefde, AS. hæfde. ] See Have. [ 1913 Webster ]

Had as lief,
Had rather,
Had better,
Had as soon, etc., with a nominative and followed by the infinitive without to, are well established idiomatic forms. The original construction was that of the dative with forms of be, followed by the infinitive. See Had better, under Better. [ 1913 Webster ]

And lever me is be pore and trewe.
[ And more agreeable to me it is to be poor and true. ] C. Mundi (Trans.). [ 1913 Webster ]

Him had been lever to be syke.
[ To him it had been preferable to be sick. ] Fabian. [ 1913 Webster ]

For him was lever have at his bed's head
Twenty bookes, clad in black or red, . . .
Than robes rich, or fithel, or gay sawtrie. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gradually the nominative was substituted for the dative, and had for the forms of be. During the process of transition, the nominative with was or were, and the dative with had, are found. [ 1913 Webster ]

Poor lady, she were better love a dream. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

You were best hang yourself. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

Me rather had my heart might feel your love
Than my unpleased eye see your courtesy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

I hadde levere than my scherte,
That ye hadde rad his legende, as have I. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

I had as lief not be as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

I had rather be a dog and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Ps. lxxxiv. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Heather; heath. [ Obs. ] Burton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The haddock. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. hadok, haddok, of unknown origin; cf. Ir. codog, Gael. adag, F. hadot. ] (Zool.) A marine food fish (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), allied to the cod, inhabiting the northern coasts of Europe and America. It has a dark lateral line and a black spot on each side of the body, just back of the gills. Galled also haddie, and dickie. [ 1913 Webster ]

Norway haddock, a marine edible fish (Sebastes marinus) of Northern Europe and America. See Rose fish. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. AS. heald inclined, bowed down, G. halde declivity. ] 1. The descent of a hill. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mining) The inclination or deviation from the vertical of any mineral vein. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Geol. & Mining) The deviation of a fault plane from the vertical.

☞ The direction of the hade is the direction toward which the fault plane descends from an intersecting vertical line. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. i. (Mining) To deviate from the vertical; -- said of a vein, fault, or lode. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. "a`,dhs, "A'idhs; 'a priv. + 'idei^n to see. Cf. Un-, Wit. ] The nether world (according to classical mythology, the abode of the shades, ruled over by Hades or Pluto); the invisible world; the grave. [ 1913 Webster ]

And death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them. Rev. xx. 13 (Rev. Ver.). [ 1913 Webster ]

Neither was he left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. Acts ii. 31 (Rev. Ver.). [ 1913 Webster ]

And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments. Luke xvi. 23 (Rev. Ver.). [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Ar. hajj, fr. hajja to set out, walk, go on a pilgrimage. ] The pilgrimage to Mecca, performed by Muslims. It is the duty of Moslems to make a journey to Mecca at least once ina lifetime, or if that is not possible, three journeys to one of the alternate sacred sites. [ Also spelled haj and hajj. ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. [ Ar. hājjī. See Hadj. ] [ Also spelled hajji and haji. ] 1. A Muslim who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca; -- used among Orientals as a respectful salutation or a title of honor. G. W. Curtis. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A Greek or Armenian who has visited the holy sepulcher at Jerusalem. Heyse. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Physics) any elementary particle that interacts strongly with other particles. [ WordNet 1.5 ]