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Howe, Irving 1920-1993.
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American social critic and editor who founded the magazine Dissent (1953).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Howe, Gordon Known as "Gordie." 1928-2016.
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Canadian hockey player. A right wing who played mainly for the Detroit Red Wings (1946-1971), he led the National Hockey League in scoring six times and holds the all-time record for most games played (1,767).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Howe (hou), Elias 1819-1867.
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American inventor and manufacturer who designed early sewing machines (1845 and 1846) and subsequently won patent-infringement suits against a number of manufacturers, including Isaac M. Singer.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Howe, Sir William Fifth Viscount Howe. 1729-1814.
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British general in America. Although he defeated George Washington in a number of battles, he could not force a surrender and returned to England in 1778.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Howe, Richard Earl Howe. 1726-1799.
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British admiral who conducted naval operations in America (1776-1778) and defeated the French at Ushant (1794).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Howe, Julia Ward 1819-1910.
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American writer and feminist who was active in the women's suffrage movement. She wrote "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (1862) and edited Woman's Journal (1870-1890).
(click for a larger image)
Julia Ward Howe
photographed in 1908

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.