Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

harrow

verb (1)
har·​row | \ ˈher-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce harrow (audio) , ˈha-(ˌ)rō\
harrowed; harrowing; harrows

Definition of harrow

 (Entry 1 of 4)

transitive verb

archaic
: pillage, plunder long harrowed by oppressor's hand— Sir Walter Scott

harrow

noun

Definition of harrow (Entry 2 of 4)

: a cultivating tool set with spikes, teeth, or disks and used primarily for breaking up and smoothing the soil

harrow

verb (2)
harrowed; harrowing; harrows

Definition of harrow (Entry 3 of 4)

transitive verb

1 : to cultivate with a harrow (see harrow entry 2) harrow the fields
2 : torment, vex harrowed by war has not set out to appall the reader with horrors nor to harrow him with miseries— Douglas Stewart

Harrow

geographical name
Har·​row | \ ˈha-(ˌ)rō How to pronounce Harrow (audio) \

Definition of Harrow (Entry 4 of 4)

borough of northwestern Greater London, England population 241,000

Other Words from harrow

Verb (2)

harrower \ ˈher-​ə-​wər How to pronounce harrower (audio) , ˈha-​rə-​ \ noun

First Known Use of harrow

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for harrow

Verb (1)

Middle English harwen, from Old English hergian

Noun

Middle English harwe; akin to Old Norse hervi harrow, Middle Dutch harke rake

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about harrow

Statistics for harrow

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for harrow

The first known use of harrow was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for harrow

harrow

noun
har·​row | \ ˈher-ō How to pronounce harrow (audio) \

Kids Definition of harrow

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a piece of farm equipment that has metal teeth or disks for breaking up and smoothing soil

harrow

verb
harrowed; harrowing

Kids Definition of harrow (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to drag a harrow over (plowed ground)
2 : distress entry 2 … the rest that lay helpless in their bunks harrowed me with screaming …— Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on harrow

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with harrow

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for harrow

Spanish Central: Translation of harrow

Nglish: Translation of harrow for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of harrow for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about harrow

Comments on harrow

What made you want to look up harrow? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

fiduciary

Listen to the pronounciation of fiduciary

involving a confidence or trust

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Word Puzzles

  • alt 57589b2b4c6a3
  • Which answer pairs best with each of the following words? living, estate, club, music, road, mile
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Add Diction

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
TRENDING NOW

  1. lynch Trump compares scrutiny to lynching

  2. egregious Text messages reveal that Boeing was aware of problems

  3. emolument Trump announces G-7 location

SEE ALL
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games