Herse
name, noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A kind of gate or portcullis, having iron bars, like a harrow, studded with iron spikes, hung above gateways so that it may be quickly lowered to impede the advance of an enemy.
"In the south aisle, on a slab raised on four low shafts and covered by an iron herse, is a fine coloured recumbent effigy of a bishop"
- 2 Obsolete form of hearse (“a carriage for the dead”). alt-of, obsolete
- 3 A funeral ceremony. obsolete
"Dido, my deare, alas! Dead, and lyeth wrapt in lead. O heavie herse!"
- 1 Alternative form of hearse. alt-of, alternative
"The house is hers'd about with a black wood, Which nods with many a heavy-headed tree: Each flower's a pregnant poison, try'd and good; Each herb a plague."
- 1 One of the moons of Jupiter.
Example
More examples"In the south aisle, on a slab raised on four low shafts and covered by an iron herse, is a fine coloured recumbent effigy of a bishop"
Etymology
From Middle English hierche (“type of harrow”), from Middle French herce, herse. Doublet of hearse.
See hearse.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.