Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

History \His"to*ry\, n.; pl. {Histories}. [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}.]
   1. 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.

   2. 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.

            Histories are as perfect as the historian is wise,
            and is gifted with an eye and a soul. --Carlyle.

            For aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by
            tale or history.                      --Shak.

            What histories of toil could I declare! --Pope.

   {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.

   Usage: {History}, {Chronicle}, {Annals}. History is a
          methodical record of important events which concern a
          community of men, usually so arranged as to show the
          connection of causes and effects, to give an analysis
          of motive and action etc. A chronicle is a record of
          such events, conforming to the order of time as its
          distinctive feature. Annals are a chronicle divided up
          into separate years. By poetic license annals is
          sometimes used for history.

                Justly C[ae]sar scorns the poet's lays; It is to
                history he trusts for praise.     --Pope.

                No more yet of this; For 't is a chronicle of
                day by day, Not a relation for a breakfast.
                                                  --Shak.

                Many glorious examples in the annals of our
                religion.                         --Rogers.