he

he¹

/hee/; unstressed /ee/, pron., nom. he, poss. his, obj. him; pl. nom. they, poss. their or theirs, obj. them; n., pl. hes; adj.

pron.

1. the male person or animal being discussed or last mentioned; that male.

2. anyone (without reference to sex); that person: He who hesitates is lost.

n.

3. any male person or animal; a man: hes and shes.

adj.

4. male (usually used in combination): a he-goat.

[bef. 900; ME, OE he (masc. nom. sing.); c. D hij, OS he, OHG her he; see HIS, HIM, SHE, HER, IT¹]

Usage. Traditionally, the masculine singular pronouns HE¹, HIS, and HIM have been used generically to refer to indefinite pronouns like anyone, everyone, and someone (Everyone who agrees should raise his right hand) and to singular nouns that can be applied to either sex (painter, parent, person, teacher, writer, etc.): Every writer knows that his first book is not likely to be a bestseller. This generic use is often criticized as sexist, although many speakers and writers continue the practice.

Those who object to the generic use of HE have developed various ways of avoiding it. One is to use HE/SHE or SHE/HE (or he or she or she or he) or the appropriate case forms of these pairs: Everyone who agrees should raise his or her (or her or his or his/her or her/his) right hand. Forms blending the feminine and masculine pronouns, as s/he, have not been widely adopted, probably because of confusion over how to say them.

Another solution is to change the antecedent pronoun or noun from singular to plural so that the plural pronouns THEY, THEIR, and THEM can be used: All who agree should raise their right hands. All writers know that their first books are not likely to be bestsellers. See also they.

he²

/hay/, n.

1. the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

2. any of the sounds represented by this letter.

Also, heh.

[ < Heb he']

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▪ bronze work

Wade-Giles romanization  ho , also spelled  huo 

      type of ancient Chinese bronze vessel that was used to heat liquids and to serve wine.

      The he has a number of variations in silhouette, and its only unvarying characteristic is a tubular spout projecting prominently from the body. It usually has a domical lid and a vertical handle on the side opposite the spout, and it stands on three or four legs that are well-articulated with the shape of the body.

      The form of the he was derived from a Neolithic Period (c. 5000–2000 BC) pottery predecessor, but it was produced mostly during the Shang (18th–12th century BC) and Zhou (c. 1111–256/255 BC) dynasties. The decoration is generally quite imaginative, especially in the early periods, and it often exploits and complements the shape of the he. The he was also sometimes used to pour wine into the ground during special ceremonies.

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