harrow

CEFRC2

/ˈhæɹəʊ/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To cause someone great distress or suffering.

  2. 02

    noun

    A farm tool used to break up soil.

Examples

  • The horses are pulling the harrow.

  • “It may be fun for her,” I said with one of my bitter laughs, “but it isn't so diverting for the unfortunate toads beneath the harrow whom she plunges so ruthlessly in the soup.”

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈhæɹoʊ/
  • /ˈhaɾo/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. An obstacle formed by turning an ordinary harrow upside down, the frame being buried.

  2. To drag a harrow over; to break up with a harrow.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A device consisting of a heavy framework having several disks or teeth in a row, which is dragged across ploughed land to smooth or break up the soil, to remove weeds or cover seeds; a harrow plow.

More examples

In context

  • He sent for the carpenter, who was under contract to be with the threshing-machine, but it turned out that he was mending the harrows, which should have been mended the week before Lent.

  • Part of your job would be to learn tractor ploughing and the use of planters, harrows, and cultivators.

  • Harrow, the flames, which me consume (said hee) / Ne can be quencht, within my secret bowels bee.

Synonyms

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The tragic news will blank the community, leaving everyone in grief.

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Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English harwe, harow, from Old English *hearwa (perhaps ultimately cognate with harvest), or from Old Norse harfr/herfi; compare Danish harve (“harrow”), Dutch hark (“rake”). Akin to Latin carpere. According to the OED, the verb senses are partly derived from the noun sense, partly from a by-form of the verb harry, itself from Old English hergian.