History

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: his=to=ry

CIDE DICTIONARY

History, n. [L. historia, Gr. 'istori`a history, information, inquiry, fr. 'istwr, "istwr, knowing, learned, from the root of to know; akin to E. wit. See Wit, and cf. Story.].

•  A learning or knowing by inquiry; the knowledge of facts and events, so obtained; hence, a formal statement of such information; a narrative; a description; a written record; as, the history of a patient's case; the history of a legislative bill.  [1913 Webster]
•  A systematic, written account of events, particularly of those affecting a nation, institution, science, or art, and usually connected with a philosophical explanation of their causes; a true story, as distinguished from a romance; -- distinguished also from annals, which relate simply the facts and events of each year, in strict chronological order; from biography, which is the record of an individual's life; and from memoir, which is history composed from personal experience, observation, and memory.  [1913 Webster]

  "Histories are as perfect as the historian is wise, and is gifted with an eye and a soul."  [1913 Webster]

  "For aught that I could ever read,
  Could ever hear by tale or history."  [1913 Webster]

  "What histories of toil could I declare!"  [1913 Webster]

  "Justly Cæsar scorns the poet's lays;
  It is to history he trusts for praise."  [1913 Webster]

  "No more yet of this;
  For 't is a chronicle of day by day,
  Not a relation for a breakfast."  [1913 Webster]

  "Many glorious examples in the annals of our religion."  [1913 Webster]

History piece, a representation in painting, drawing, etc., of any real event, including the actors and the action. -- Natural history, a description and classification of objects in nature, as minerals, plants, animals, etc., and the phenomena which they exhibit to the senses.

Syn. -- Chronicle; annals; relation; narration.

History, v. t. 

 To narrate or record.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

History, n. (pl. -ies)
1 a continuous, usu. chronological, record of important or public events.
2 a the study of past events, esp. human affairs. b the total accumulation of past events, esp. relating to human affairs or to the accumulation of developments connected with a particular nation, person, thing, etc. (our island history; the history of astronomy).
3 an eventful past (this house has a history).
4 a a systematic or critical account of or research into a past event or events etc. b a similar record or account of natural phenomena.
5 a historical play.

Idiom

make history
1 influence the course of history.
2 do something memorable.

Etymology

ME f. L historia f. Gk historia finding out, narrative, history f. histor learned, wise man, rel. to WIT(2)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

History

n. An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools.

Of Roman history, great Niebuhr's shown
'Tis nine-tenths lying. Faith, I wish 'twere known,
Ere we accept great Niebuhr as a guide,
Wherein he blundered and how much he lied.
Salder Bupp

THESAURUS

History

Clio, Muse of history, account, adventures, ancient history, annals, antiquity, autobiography, background, biographical sketch, biography, bygone days, bygone times, case history, catalog, chronicle, chronicles, chronology, confessions, correspondence, curriculum vitae, days gone by, days of yore, dead letter, dead past, depiction, description, diary, documentation, epic, experience, experiences, foretime, former times, fortunes, hagiography, hagiology, historiography, information, intelligence, inventory, journal, legend, letters, life, life and letters, life story, list, martyrology, memoir, memoirs, memorabilia, memorial, memorials, narration, narrative, necrology, news, obituary, old hat, past, past history, past times, photobiography, pipe roll, portrayal, profile, recapitulation, recent past, recital, record, recording, register, registry, relation, relic, remains, report, representation, resume, retailing, retelling, roll, rolls, roster, rota, saga, scroll, story, summary, table, tale, telling, the irrevocable Past, the past, theory of history, thou unrelenting past, times past, token, trace, version, vestige, yesterday, yesteryear

ROGET THESAURUS

History

Description

N description, account, statement, report, expose, specification, particulars, state of facts, summary of facts, brief, return, catalogue raisonne, guidebook, delineation, sketch, monograph, minute account, detailed particular account, circumstantial account, graphic account, narration, recital, rehearsal, relation, historiography, chronography, historic Muse, Clio, history, biography, autobiography, necrology, obituary, narrative, history, memoir, memorials, annals, saga, tradition, legend, story, tale, historiette, personal narrative, journal, life, adventures, fortunes, experiences, confessions, anecdote, ana, trait, work of fiction, novel, romance, Minerva press, fairy tale, nursery tale, fable, parable, apologue, dime novel, penny dreadful, shilling shocker relator, raconteur, historian, biographer, fabulist, novelist, descriptive, graphic, narrative, epic, suggestive, well-drawn, historic, traditional, traditionary, legendary, anecdotic, storied, described, furor scribendi, description, account, statement, report, expose, specification, particulars, state of facts, summary of facts, brief, return, catalogue raisonne, guidebook, delineation, sketch, monograph, minute account, detailed particular account, circumstantial account, graphic account, narration, recital, rehearsal, relation, historiography, chronography, historic Muse, Clio, history, biography, autobiography, necrology, obituary, narrative, history, memoir, memorials, annals, saga, tradition, legend, story, tale, historiette, personal narrative, journal, life, adventures, fortunes, experiences, confessions, anecdote, ana, trait, work of fiction, novel, romance, Minerva press, fairy tale, nursery tale, fable, parable, apologue, dime novel, penny dreadful, shilling shocker relator, raconteur, historian, biographer, fabulist, novelist, descriptive, graphic, narrative, epic, suggestive, well-drawn, historic, traditional, traditionary, legendary, anecdotic, storied, described, furor scribendi.

Record

N record, trace, vestige, relic, remains, scar, cicatrix, footstep, footmark, footprint, pug, track mark, wake, trail, scent, piste, monument, hatchment, slab, tablet, trophy, achievement, obelisk, pillar, column, monolith, memorial, memento, testimonial, medal, commemoration, record, note, minute, register, registry, roll, cartulary, diptych, Domesday book, catalogue raisonne, entry, memorandum, indorsement, inscription, copy, duplicate, docket, notch, muniment, deed, document, deposition, proces verbal, affidavit, certificate, notebook, memorandum book, memo book, pocketbook, commonplace book, portfolio, pigeonholes, excerpta, adversaria, jottings, dottings, gazette, gazetteer, newspaper, daily, magazine, almanac, almanack, calendar, ephemeris, diary, log, journal, daybook, ledger, cashbook, petty cashbook, professional journal, scientific literature, the literature, primary literature, secondary literature, article, review article, archive, scroll, state paper, return, blue book, statistics, compte rendu, Acts of, Transactions of, Proceedings of, Hansard's Debates, chronicle, annals, legend, history, biography, Congressional Records, registration, registry, enrollment, inrollment, tabulation, entry, booking, signature, recorder, journalism, recording, tape recording, videotape, compact disk, floppy disk, diskette, hard disk, Winchester disk, read-only memory, ROM, write once read mostly memory, WORM, on record, exegi monumentum aere perennium, read their history in a nation's eyes, records that defy the tooth of time.