A diagram representing a sample of numerical data, in which rectangles are used to represent frequency. It differs from the bar chart in that the rectangles may have differing widths, but the key feature is that, for each rectangle, the area is proportional to the frequency represented. The term ‘histogram’ was introduced by Karl Pearson in his lectures in 1891.
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_145_g_4_t_5.html Applet.