Hade

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The angle at which a geological fault plane or mineral vein leans away from the vertical ; an old-fashioned past tense form of the verb to have
2. The steepness of a fault surface measured from the upright, as a deviation from vertical ; a dated form of the past tense of possess
3. How far a rock fracture or ore vein tilts from straight up and down ; an archaic past form meaning did possess or owned

Etymology: The tilting sense of "hade", the angle a fault or mineral vein leans from the vertical, probably began as a dialect form of "head". Medieval Worcestershire records include bynames such as "atte Haden" and "atte Haveden", forms that trace back to the Old English plural "hēafdum" of "hēafod", meaning "head". Sundby's argument for this origin is the most widely accepted, though not certain. A different older English word, also spelled hade, came from Old English "hād" and meant rank, condition, or nature. It shares a root with the suffix "-hood", but there is no firm evidence linking it to the tilting sense, so the two are best kept apart.

Synonyms: dip, incline, slope