Marsh \Marsh\, n. [OE. mersch, AS. mersc, fr. mere lake. See
   Mere pool, and cf. Marish, Morass.]
   A tract of soft wet land, commonly covered partially or
   wholly with water; a fen; a swamp; a morass. [Written also
   marish.]
   [1913 Webster]

   Marsh asphodel (Bot.), a plant (Nartheeium ossifragum)
      with linear equitant leaves, and a raceme of small white
      flowers; -- called also bog asphodel.

   Marsh cinquefoil (Bot.), a plant (Potentilla palustris)
      having purple flowers, and found growing in marshy places;
      marsh five-finger.

   Marsh elder. (Bot.)
   (a) The guelder-rose or cranberry tree (Viburnum Opulus).
   (b) In the United States, a composite shrub growing in salt
       marshes (Iva frutescens).

   Marsh five-finger. (Bot.) See Marsh cinquefoil (above).
      

   Marsh gas. (Chem.) See under Gas.

   Marsh grass (Bot.), a genus (Spartina) of coarse grasses
      growing in marshes; -- called also cord grass. The tall
      Spartina cynosuroides is not good for hay unless cut
      very young. The low Spartina juncea is a common
      component of salt hay.

   Marsh harrier (Zool.), a European hawk or harrier (Circus
      aeruginosus); -- called also marsh hawk, moor hawk,
      moor buzzard, puttock.

   Marsh hawk. (Zool.)
   (a) A hawk or harrier (Circus cyaneus), native of both
       America and Europe. The adults are bluish slate above,
       with a white rump. Called also hen harrier, and mouse
       hawk.
   (b) The marsh harrier.

   Marsh hen (Zool.), a rail; esp., Rallus elegans of
      fresh-water marshes, and Rallus longirostris of
      salt-water marshes.

   Marsh mallow (Bot.), a plant of the genus Althaea (
      Althaea officinalis) common in marshes near the
      seashore, and whose root is much used in medicine as a
      demulcent.

   Marsh marigold. (Bot.) See in the Vocabulary.

   Marsh pennywort (Bot.), any plant of the umbelliferous
      genus Hydrocotyle; low herbs with roundish leaves,
      growing in wet places; -- called also water pennywort.
      

   Marsh quail (Zool.), the meadow lark.

   Marsh rosemary (Bot.), a plant of the genus Statice
      (Statice Limonium), common in salt marshes. Its root is
      powerfully astringent, and is sometimes used in medicine.
      Called also sea lavender.

   Marsh samphire (Bot.), a plant (Salicornia herbacea)
      found along seacoasts. See Glasswort.

   Marsh St. John's-wort (Bot.), an American herb (Elodes
      Virginica) with small opposite leaves and flesh-colored
      flowers.

   Marsh tea. (Bot.). Same as Labrador tea.

   Marsh trefoil. (Bot.) Same as Buckbean.

   Marsh wren (Zool.), any species of small American wrens of
      the genus Cistothorus, and allied genera. They chiefly
      inhabit salt marshes.
      [1913 Webster]

High \High\, a. [Compar. Higher; superl. Highest.] [OE.
   high, hegh, hey, heh, AS. he['a]h, h?h; akin to OS. h?h,
   OFries. hag, hach, D. hoog, OHG. h?h, G. hoch, Icel. h?r, Sw.
   h["o]g, Dan. h["o]i, Goth. hauhs, and to Icel. haugr mound,
   G. h["u]gel hill, Lith. kaukaras.]
   1. Elevated above any starting point of measurement, as a
      line, or surface; having altitude; lifted up; raised or
      extended in the direction of the zenith; lofty; tall; as,
      a high mountain, tower, tree; the sun is high.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Regarded as raised up or elevated; distinguished;
      remarkable; conspicuous; superior; -- used indefinitely or
      relatively, and often in figurative senses, which are
      understood from the connection; as
      (a) Elevated in character or quality, whether moral or
          intellectual; pre["e]minent; honorable; as, high aims,
          or motives. "The highest faculty of the soul."
          --Baxter.
      (b) Exalted in social standing or general estimation, or
          in rank, reputation, office, and the like; dignified;
          as, she was welcomed in the highest circles.
          [1913 Webster]

                He was a wight of high renown.    --Shak.
      (c) Of noble birth; illustrious; as, of high family.
      (d) Of great strength, force, importance, and the like;
          strong; mighty; powerful; violent; sometimes,
          triumphant; victorious; majestic, etc.; as, a high
          wind; high passions. "With rather a high manner."
          --Thackeray.
          [1913 Webster]

                Strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
                                                  --Ps. lxxxix.
                                                  13.
          [1913 Webster]

                Can heavenly minds such high resentment show?
                                                  --Dryden.
          [1913 Webster]
      (e) Very abstract; difficult to comprehend or surmount;
          grand; noble.
          [1913 Webster]

                Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
                                                  --Shak.
          [1913 Webster]

                Plain living and high thinking are no more.
                                                  --Wordsworth.
      (f) Costly; dear in price; extravagant; as, to hold goods
          at a high price.
          [1913 Webster]

                If they must be good at so high a rate, they
                know they may be safe at a cheaper. --South.
      (g) Arrogant; lofty; boastful; proud; ostentatious; --
          used in a bad sense.
          [1913 Webster]

                An high look and a proud heart . . . is sin.
                                                  --Prov. xxi.
                                                  4.
          [1913 Webster]

                His forces, after all the high discourses,
                amounted really but to eighteen hundred foot.
                                                  --Clarendon.
          [1913 Webster]

   3. Possessing a characteristic quality in a supreme or
      superior degree; as, high (i. e., intense) heat; high (i.
      e., full or quite) noon; high (i. e., rich or spicy)
      seasoning; high (i. e., complete) pleasure; high (i. e.,
      deep or vivid) color; high (i. e., extensive, thorough)
      scholarship, etc.
      [1913 Webster]

            High time it is this war now ended were. --Spenser.
      [1913 Webster]

            High sauces and spices are fetched from the Indies.
                                                  --Baker.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Cookery) Strong-scented; slightly tainted; as, epicures
      do not cook game before it is high.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. (Mus.) Acute or sharp; -- opposed to grave or low; as,
      a high note.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. (Phon.) Made with a high position of some part of the
      tongue in relation to the palate, as [=e] ([=e]ve), [=oo]
      (f[=oo]d). See Guide to Pronunciation, [sect][sect] 10,
      11.
      [1913 Webster]

   High admiral, the chief admiral.

   High altar, the principal altar in a church.

   High and dry, out of water; out of reach of the current or
      tide; -- said of a vessel, aground or beached.

   High and mighty arrogant; overbearing. [Colloq.]

   High art, art which deals with lofty and dignified subjects
      and is characterized by an elevated style avoiding all
      meretricious display.

   High bailiff, the chief bailiff.

   High Church, & Low Church, two ecclesiastical parties in
      the Church of England and the Protestant Episcopal Church.
      The high-churchmen emphasize the doctrine of the apostolic
      succession, and hold, in general, to a sacramental
      presence in the Eucharist, to baptismal regeneration, and
      to the sole validity of Episcopal ordination. They attach
      much importance to ceremonies and symbols in worship.
      Low-churchmen lay less stress on these points, and, in
      many instances, reject altogether the peculiar tenets of
      the high-church school. See Broad Church.

   High constable (Law), a chief of constabulary. See
      Constable, n., 2.

   High commission court, a court of ecclesiastical
      jurisdiction in England erected and united to the regal
      power by Queen Elizabeth in 1559. On account of the abuse
      of its powers it was abolished in 1641.

   High day (Script.), a holy or feast day. --John xix. 31.

   High festival (Eccl.), a festival to be observed with full
      ceremonial.

   High German, or High Dutch. See under German.

   High jinks, an old Scottish pastime; hence, noisy revelry;
      wild sport. [Colloq.] "All the high jinks of the county,
      when the lad comes of age." --F. Harrison.

   High latitude (Geog.), one designated by the higher
      figures; consequently, a latitude remote from the equator.
      

   High life, life among the aristocracy or the rich.

   High liver, one who indulges in a rich diet.

   High living, a feeding upon rich, pampering food.

   High Mass. (R. C. Ch.) See under Mass.

   High milling, a process of making flour from grain by
      several successive grindings and intermediate sorting,
      instead of by a single grinding.

   High noon, the time when the sun is in the meridian.

   High place (Script.), an eminence or mound on which
      sacrifices were offered.

   High priest. See in the Vocabulary.

   High relief. (Fine Arts) See Alto-rilievo.

   High school. See under School.

   High seas (Law), the open sea; the part of the ocean not in
      the territorial waters of any particular sovereignty,
      usually distant three miles or more from the coast line.
      --Wharton.

   High steam, steam having a high pressure.

   High steward, the chief steward.

   High tea, tea with meats and extra relishes.

   High tide, the greatest flow of the tide; high water.

   High time.
      (a) Quite time; full time for the occasion.
      (b) A time of great excitement or enjoyment; a carousal.
          [Slang]

   High treason, treason against the sovereign or the state,
      the highest civil offense. See Treason.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: It is now sufficient to speak of high treason as
         treason simply, seeing that petty treason, as a
         distinct offense, has been abolished. --Mozley & W.

   High water, the utmost flow or greatest elevation of the
      tide; also, the time of such elevation.

   High-water mark.
      (a) That line of the seashore to which the waters
          ordinarily reach at high water.
      (b) A mark showing the highest level reached by water in a
          river or other body of fresh water, as in time of
          freshet.

   High-water shrub (Bot.), a composite shrub (Iva
      frutescens), growing in salt marshes along the Atlantic
      coast of the United States.

   High wine, distilled spirits containing a high percentage
      of alcohol; -- usually in the plural.

   To be on a high horse, to be on one's dignity; to bear
      one's self loftily. [Colloq.]

   With a high hand.
      (a) With power; in force; triumphantly. "The children of
          Israel went out with a high hand." --Ex. xiv. 8.
      (b) In an overbearing manner, arbitrarily. "They governed
          the city with a high hand." --Jowett (Thucyd. ).

   Syn: Tall; lofty; elevated; noble; exalted; supercilious;
        proud; violent; full; dear. See Tall.
        [1913 Webster]