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Harry

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harry¹

  • /ˈhæɹi/ Australia, UK
  • /ˈhaɹɪj/ British, Southern, Standard
  • /ˈhæɹi/ US
  • /ˈhɛɹi/
  • /ˈhaɾe/ Scotland
  • /-ɾɪ/ Scotland
  • /-ɾi/ Scotland
  • /ˈhaɾi/ Wales
  • /ˈhɛɹi/ New Zealand

Sounds like Harry, hairy (only in accents with the Mary–marry–merry merger) · Rhymes with -æɹi

Where it comes from

From Middle English herien, harien, from Old English herġian, from Proto-West Germanic *harjōn, from Proto-Germanic *harjōną, from *harjaz (“army”), from Proto-Indo-European *koryos, from *ker- (“army”).

Cognates

See also Walloon hairyî, Old French hairier, harier; also Saterland Frisian ferheerje, German verheeren (“to harry, devastate”), Swedish härja (“ravage, harry”); also Old English here, West Frisian hear, Dutch heer, German Heer); also Middle Irish cuire (“army”), Lithuanian kãrias (“army; war”), Old Church Slavonic кара (kara, “strife”), Ancient Greek κοίρανος (koíranos, “chief, commander”), Old Persian [script needed] (kāra, “army”)). More at here (“army”).

Compare typologically Latin populor.

verb harries · harrying · harried

  1. transitive To plunder, pillage, assault. I repent me much , That so I harry'd him
  2. transitive To make repeated attacks on an enemy. 'One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night, / But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light; / Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, / Then look for me by moonlight, / Watch for me by moonlight, / I'll come to thee by moonlight, though Hell
  3. transitive To strip, lay waste, ravage. to harry this beautiful region
  4. transitive To harass, bother or distress with demands, threats, or criticism. Chelsea also struggled to keep possession as QPR harried and chased at every opportunity, giving their opponents no time on the ball.

harry²

  • /ˈhæɹi/ Australia, UK
  • /ˈhaɹɪj/ British, Southern, Standard
  • /ˈhæɹi/ US
  • /ˈhɛɹi/
  • /ˈhaɾe/ Scotland
  • /-ɾɪ/ Scotland
  • /-ɾi/ Scotland
  • /ˈhaɾi/ Wales
  • /ˈhɛɹi/ New Zealand

Sounds like Harry, hairy (only in accents with the Mary–marry–merry merger) · Rhymes with -æɹi

Where it comes from

Related to Hindi हड्डी (haḍḍī, “bone”).

noun harries

  1. India, obsolete, transitive A menial servant; a sweeper.

Harry³

  • /ˈhæɹi/ Australia, UK
  • /ˈhaɹɪj/ British, Southern, Standard
  • /ˈhæɹi/ US
  • /ˈhɛɹi/
  • /ˈhaɾe/ Scotland
  • /-ɾɪ/ Scotland
  • /-ɾi/ Scotland
  • /ˈhaɾi/ Wales
  • /ˈhɛɹi/ New Zealand

Sounds like harry, hairy (only in accents with the Mary–marry–merry merger) · Rhymes with -æɹi

Where it comes from

Medieval English spoken form of Old French Henri.

proper noun Harrys · Harries

  1. A male given name. Yet weep that Harry's dead, and so will I; / But Harry lives that shall convert those tears / By number into hours of happiness.
  2. A male given name from the Germanic languages.
  3. A male given name from French, originating as an Anglicization of Henri
  4. A diminutive of the male given name Henry, Harold.
  5. A surname originating as a patronymic.
  6. A diminutive of the female given name Harriet.

noun

  1. slang, uncountable The drug heroin.

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