harrow

B2 Topic:Tools, Machines & Construction

US /ˈhæɹoʊ/ UK /ˈhæɹəʊ/ See IPA manual

Freq #27217

Meanings

1

noun
A heavy farm tool dragged across ploughed land to break up and smooth the soil.

The farmer pulled a harrow over the field to prepare it for planting.
2

verb
To cause someone great distress or suffering.

The images of the disaster harrowed everyone who saw them.
3

verb
To break up soil by dragging a harrow over it.

He harrowed the valley before sowing the seeds.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to cause someone great... distress torment afflict

Word family

Forms harrowedharrowerharrowersharrowingharrows

Derived forms harrowerharrowingrest-harrowrestharrowupharrow

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

disk harrow
a soil-working implement fitted with angled metal disks

Noun + noun

Etymology

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.

harwe Middle English *hearwa Old English harfr Old Norse hergian Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Tools, Machines & Construction

External links

# harrow

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈhæɹoʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈhæɹəʊ/
**Frequency rank:** 27217

## Meanings
1. A heavy farm tool dragged across ploughed land to break up and smooth the soil.
2. To cause someone great distress or suffering.
3. To break up soil by dragging a harrow over it.

## Examples
- The farmer pulled a harrow over the field to prepare it for planting.
- The images of the disaster harrowed everyone who saw them.
- He harrowed the valley before sowing the seeds.

## Derived Forms
- harrower
- harrowing
- rest-harrow
- restharrow
- upharrow

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: harwe
- Root: *hearwa
- Root: harfr
- Root: hergian

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Harrow comes 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. In current use, the main senses are “A heavy farm tool dragged across ploughed land to break up and smooth the soil” and “To cause someone great distress or suffering”.

## Topics
- Tools, Machines & Construction

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