(Agriculture) any of various implements used to level the ground, stir the soil, break up clods, destroy weeds, etc, in soil
vb
1. (Agriculture) (tr) to draw a harrow over (land)
2. (Agriculture) (intr) (of soil) to become broken up through harrowing
3. (tr) to distress; vex
[C13: of Scandinavian origin; compare Danish harv, Swedish harf; related to Middle Dutch harke rake]
ˈharrowern
ˈharrowingadj, n
ˈharrowinglyadv
harrow
(ˈhærəʊ)
vb (tr)
1. to plunder or ravish
2. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (of Christ) to descend into (hell) to rescue righteous souls
[C13: variant of Old English hergian to harry]
ˈharrowmentn
Harrow
(ˈhærəʊ)
n
(Placename) a borough of NW Greater London; site of an English boys' public school founded in 1571 at Harrow-on-the-Hill, a part of this borough. Pop: 210 700 (2003 est). Area: 51 sq km (20 sq miles)
Harrows are the primary implements used to break up dirt clods, fill in holes, and generally level the ground after it has been broken by a turning plow. One of the earlier approaches to harrowing, and one that survived on a limited scale through many centuries, was merely to drag a tree limb with plenty of branches on it over the ground. Harrows to be pulled by horses were made in five-foot wide sections, with provisions for linking them together side-by-side to make them wider. Each section was considered a load for one horse. Thus, if three sections were linked together side-by-side, three horses were used to pull the combination.
plow, plough, turn - to break and turn over earth especially with a plow; "Farmer Jones plowed his east field last week"; "turn the earth in the Spring"
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