| 释义 |
▪ I. herse, n.|hɜːs|
Also 5 hierche, 6 hersse, 6–7 hearse.
[a. F. herse (12th c. in Littré) harrow:—L. hirpex, hirpic-em, large rake used as a harrow. The same word which, in a different group of senses, has now the form hearse.]
†1. A harrow, for agricultural use. Also
b. A harrow used for a cheval-de-frise, and laid in the way or in breaches with the points upward to obstruct enemy. Obs.
[1454in Rogers Agric. & Prices III. 555/1, 2 new herciæ sive canill {at} /8.] 1480Caxton Ovid's Met. xiii. xv, He kembyd his heer wt an hierche in stede of a combe. 1727–41Chambers Cycl., Herse is also a harrow, which the besieged, for want of chevaux de frise, lay either in the way, or in breaches, with the points up, to incommode the march as well of the horse, as the infantry.
c. A portcullis grated and spiked. Hist.
1704J. Harris Lex. Tech., Herse, in Fortification, is a Lattice in the form of a Harrow, and beset with many Iron Spikes. It is usually hung..that the herse may fall, and stop up the Passage..or other Entrance of a Fortress. 1841Archæologia XXIX. 62 The..absence of the Herse is very unusual, and can only be explained, under the supposition that there was one at the porch of entrance, now fallen.
d. Her. A charge representing a portcullis or a harrow.
1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. clxxi. [clxvii.] 501 The deuyse in y⊇ Standerde was a Herse golde, standyng on a bed goules.
†2. Mil. A form of battle array. Cf. harrow n.1 3. Obs.
The actual arrangement is much controverted.
1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cxxx. 156 The archers..stode in maner of a herse, and the men of armes in the botome of the batayle. Ibid. clx. 195 Men of armes afote and archers afore them, in maner of a herse. 1581Styward Mart. Discipl. i. 92 To place the like number in an hearse or square Battaile. Ibid. 93 Sometime by reason of the ground it is necessarie to bring such a number into an hearse or twofolde battaile which maie be more auailable then the quadrant battaile. 1590Sir J. Smyth Disc. conc. Weapons 30–33. 1635 W. Barriffe Mil. Discip. xciv. (1643) 300 The Hearse Battell..is when the depth doth manifold exceed the length, thrice at the least. 1884R. F. Burton Bk. of the Sword 245 The Phalanx or oblong herse was irresistible during the compact advance. 1897Eng. Hist. Rev. July 432, etc.
3. A frame on which skins are dried: see quot.
1875Ure's Dict. Arts III. 513 They [skins] must be set to dry in such a way as to prevent their puckering, and to render them easily worked. The small manufacturers make use of hoops for this purpose, but the greater employ a herse, or stout wooden frame.
Hence hersed a., drawn up in the military formation called a herse.
1795Southey Joan of Arc ii. 88 From his hersed bowmen how the arrows flew Thick as the snow-flakes.
▪ II. † herse, v. Obs. rare.
[f. OE. type *hersian, related to herian hery, as halse v.1 is to hail v.2]
trans. To glorify or extol.
a1400–50Alexander 2200 Mast hiȝe ȝe ere hersid & herid of ȝoure strenthe. Ibid. 2498 Þe hiȝere I here him enhansed & hersude his name. |