HARROWING

agonizing, agonising, excruciating, harrowing, torturing, torturous, torturesome

(adjective) extremely painful

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Verb

harrowing

present participle of harrow

Adjective

harrowing (comparative more harrowing, superlative most harrowing)

Causing pain or distress.

Noun

harrowing (plural harrowings)

The process of breaking up earth with a harrow.

Suffering, torment.

Christ's triumphal descent into Hell.

Source: Wiktionary


HARROW

Har"row, n. Etym: [OE. harowe, harwe, AS. hearge; cf. D. hark rake, G. harke, Icel. herfi harrow, Dan. harve, Sw. harf.

1. An implement of agriculture, usually formed of pieces of timber or metal crossing each other, and set with iron or wooden teeth. It is drawn over plowed land to level it and break the clods, to stir the soil and make it fine, or to cover seed when sown.

2. (Mil.)

Definition: An obstacle formed by turning an ordinary harrow upside down, the frame being buried. Bush harrow, a kind of light harrow made of bushes, for harrowing grass lands and covering seeds, or to finish the work of a toothed harrow.

– Drill harrow. See under 6th Drill.

– Under the harrow, subjected to actual torture with a toothed instrument, or to great affliction or oppression.

Har"row, v. t.. [imp. & p. p. Harrowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Harrowing.] Etym: [OE. harowen, harwen; cf. Dan. harve. See Harrow, n.]

1. To draw a harrow over, as for the purpose of breaking clods and leveling the surface, or for covering seed; as, to harrow land. Will he harrow the valleys after thee Job xxxix. 10.

2. To break or tear, as with a harrow; to wound; to lacerate; to torment or distress; to vex. My aged muscles harrowed up with whips. Rowe. I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul. Shak.

Har"row, interj. Etym: [OF. harau, haro; fr. OHG. hara, hera, herot, or fr. OS. herod hither, akin to E. here.]

Definition: Help! Halloo! An exclamation of distress; a call for succor;- the ancient Norman hue and cry. "Harrow and well away!" Spenser. Harrow! alas! here lies my fellow slain. Chaucer.

Har"row, v. t.. Etym: [See Harry.]

Definition: To pillage; to harry; to oppress. [Obs.] Spenser. Meaning thereby to harrow his people. Bacon

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

22 May 2024

INFERIOR

(adjective) having an orbit between the sun and the Earth’s orbit; “Mercury and Venus are inferior planets”


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Coffee Trivia

Decaffeinated coffee comes from a chemical process that takes out caffeine from the beans. Pharmaceutical and soda companies buy the extracted caffeine.

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