harrier

1
[ har-ee-er ]
See synonyms for: harrierharriers on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a person who or thing that harries.

  2. any of several short-winged hawks of the genus Circus that hunt over meadows and marshes and prey on reptiles and small birds and mammals.

  1. Harrier, Military. a one- or two-seat British-American fighter, both an attack and a reconnaissance aircraft, featuring a turbofan engine with a directable thrust that enables it to land and take off vertically.

Origin of harrier

1
First recorded in 1550–60; harry + -er1

Words Nearby harrier

Other definitions for harrier (2 of 2)

harrier2
[ har-ee-er ]

noun
  1. one of a breed of medium-sized hounds, used, usually in packs, in hunting.

  2. a cross-country runner.

Origin of harrier

2
1535–45; special use of harrier1, by association with hare

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use harrier in a sentence

  • Besides the crows and fish-hawks, a harrier would now and then come skimming close along the grass.

    Roof and Meadow | Dallas Lore Sharp
  • But there is one bird that most certainly will be seen in the “harrier-country,” and that is the heron.

    Birds in Flight | W. P. Pycraft

British Dictionary definitions for harrier (1 of 3)

harrier1

/ (ˈhærɪə) /


noun
  1. a person or thing that harries

  2. any diurnal bird of prey of the genus Circus, having broad wings and long legs and tail and typically preying on small terrestrial animals: family Accipitridae (hawks, etc): See also marsh harrier, Montagu's harrier

British Dictionary definitions for harrier (2 of 3)

harrier2

/ (ˈhærɪə) /


noun
  1. a smallish breed of hound used originally for hare-hunting

  2. a cross-country runner

Origin of harrier

2
C16: from hare + -er 1; influenced by harrier 1

British Dictionary definitions for Harrier (3 of 3)

Harrier

/ (ˈhærɪə) /


noun
  1. a British subsonic multipurpose military jet plane capable of vertical takeoff and landing by means of vectoring the engine thrust

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012