hen harrier

noun

, British.

1. northern harrier.

hen harrier

noun

1. a common harrier, Circus cyaneus, that flies over fields and marshes and nests in marshes and open land US and Canadian namesmarsh hawkmarsh harrier

Word History and Origins

Origin of hen harrier¹

First recorded in 1555–65

Example Sentences

The hen-harrier breeds only in the Orkneys and the Outer Hebrides.

From Project Gutenberg

She at length found her way to the dead hen harrier, as it lay on a slab of flagstone.

From Project Gutenberg

The one in question, Lucien said, was the “marsh-hawk,” sometimes also called the “hen-harrier.”

From Project Gutenberg

The species that we shall allude to here is the Hen Harrier.

From Project Gutenberg

When out grouse shooting one day I saw a hen-harrier strike and kill a grouse just beyond gunshot.

From Project Gutenberg