hards

H4A1R1D2S1
US/hɑɹdz/UK/hɑːdz/

noun

The short coarser fibers of flax or hemp; tow.

Similar
towoakum
OriginMiddle English herdes ← Old English heordan ← Proto-West Germanic *heʀdā →
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

hards1

noun
  1. pluralplural of hard

hards2

nounhards (uncountable)

alternative hurds

  1. uncountableThe short coarser fibers of flax or hemp; tow.

    Synonyms: tow, oakum

Hards3

proper noun
  1. pluralplural of Hard
proper noun
  1. A surname.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe short coarser fibers of flax or hemp; tow.

Similar
towoakum
Also see
oakumtow

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kes-“to comb, card”
  2. Proto-Germanic*hezdǭ
  3. Proto-West Germanic*heʀdā
  4. Old Englishheordan“hards of flax, tow”
  5. Middle Englishherdes
  6. Englishhards

From Middle English herdes, hurdes, plural of herde (“piece of hards”), from Old English heordan (“hards of flax, tow”), weak feminine plural of heorde (“headhair”), from Proto-West Germanic *heʀdā, from Proto-Germanic *hezdǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *kes- (“to comb, card”).

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian кълчища
  • кълчища (kălčišta)The short coarser fibers of flax or hemp

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with hards

cardsyardsregardsguardsshards
All rhymes →

Anagrams

sharddrash
Cite this entry
APA

hards. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hards

MLA

“hards.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hards. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hards,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hards.

Source: hards on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.