Etymology

herse

H4E1R1S1E1

Today it means: 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. Full definition →

Middle English hierche ← Middle French herce
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herse · noun1

  1. Middle French · derived fromherce
  2. Middle English · inherited fromhierche“type of harrow”
  3. English todayherse

From Middle English hierche (“type of harrow”), from Middle French herce, herse. Doublet of hearse.

herse · noun, verb2

See hearse.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.