harridan

[A corrupt. of O. Fr. haridelle = a worn-out horse; a jade.] A worn-out wanton woman; an old vixen. "And in four months a battered harridan." Pope : Macer . hăr-ri-er (1), *harier, s . [Eng. har (e); -ier.] Zool.: A variety of the dog ( Canis familiar is ), used for hare-hunting. It resembles the fox-hound, but is somewhat smaller. It may be made to vary considerably according to the taste of the breeder, one extreme being a large, slow-moving harrier properly so called; the other a fox-beagle. harshen various. The teeth are usually of square bar-iron, sharpened to a point, maintaining the square form. They are set in the harrow-frame so as to move in a direction parallel to their diagonals. The flexible spiked-chain harrow is made of wrought-iron links, so shaped and combined as to keep the harrow stretched, while a certain number of the teeth, at regular intervals, have dependent spikes. "The harrow follows harsh." -Thomson: Spring, 47. hăr-row (1), *har-ew-en, *har-wen (1), v. t. [HARROW, 8. ] I. Lit .: To draw a harrow over for the purpose of breaking clods, covering seeds, or leveling the surface. "Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?"- Job xxxix. 10. II. Figuratively : 1. To vex, to fill with distre or anguish; to tor ment, to lacerate. (Sometimes followed by up .) "It harrows me with fear and wonder." - Shakesp.. Hamlet , i. 1. 2. To treat with cruelty or oppre ion; to hara . "Meaning thereby to harrow his people."- Bacon : Henry VII ., p. 144. *har'-row (2), *har-wen (2), v . t . [HARRY.] To plunder, to spoil, to harry, to pillage. "And having harrowed hell, didst bring away Captivity thence captive, us to win." Spenser: Sonnet 68. har-rōw, exclam. [HARO.] har-row-er (1), s. [Eng. harrow (1), v.; -er.] One who harrows land. "Every harrower was allowed a brown loaf and two herrings a day." -Blount: Ancient Tenures , p. 143.