Jump To:

• harrier
  harrier

  noun

  a person who or thing that harries.
• Harrier
  Harrier

  noun

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

harrier

¹ American  

[har-ee-er] / ˈhær i ər /

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.

3. Military. Harrier, 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.

---

harrier ² American  

[har-ee-er] / ˈhær i ər /

noun

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

2. a cross-country runner.

---

harrier ¹ British  

/ 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

---

harrier ² British  

/ ˈhærɪə /

noun

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

2. a cross-country runner

---

Harrier ³ British  

/ ˈhærɪə /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of harrier¹

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

Origin of harrier²

1535–45; special use of harrier ¹, by association with hare

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

harrier Harrier

Those more recent arrivals, dating back only four to five million years, include takahē, Forbes' harrier, and the giant Haast's eagle.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

"There's a jay ... That's a bluethroat ... Do you see the hen harrier? We're lucky," the 37-year-old photographer told AFP.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

For 30 minutes we watch a northern harrier on the hunt, dive-bombing blue-winged and cinnamon teal, though he always comes up empty.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

Aside from curlew, they pose a threat to a number of native species including the Orkney vole, short-eared owl and hen harrier.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2025

Then saith he, to himself, as 'twere, "Verily," saith he, "they should call thee the harrier lass, for thou hast run down and found my manners when that old hounds have failed."

From A Brother To Dragons and Other Old-time Tales by Rives, Amélie

Other military experts have proposed other aircraft, such as the Marines’ Harrier Jump Jet, as an option to support the escorts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026

“Being too early is just as risky as being too late,” says Phil Poirier, co-founder of Montreal-based Wilder Harrier, whose products include cricket dog snacks and black soldier fly dry food.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 9, 2024

"We took a Harrier jet and modified it for air defence," Ehrhart tells me.

From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2024

The musician’s sweet, fairly adorable ‘Entergalactic,’ co-starring Laura Harrier and Jessica Williams, accompanies a new album of the same name.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2023

But I wasn’t ready for three Hawker Harrier Jump Jets, close enough to the ground to hit with a cricket ball.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Related Words

• hurdler
• marathoner
• racer
• sprinter