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herse

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herse¹

  • /hɜːs/ UK
  • /hɜɹs/ US

Sounds like hearse · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)s

Where it comes from

From Middle English hierche (“type of harrow”), from Middle French herce, herse. Doublet of hearse.

noun herses

  1. A kind of gate or portcullis, having iron bars, like a harrow, studded with iron spikes, hung above gateways so that it may be quickly lowered to impede the advance of an enemy. In the south aisle, on a slab raised on four low shafts and covered by an iron herse, is a fine coloured recumbent effigy of a bishop

herse²

  • /hɜːs/ UK
  • /hɜɹs/ US

Sounds like hearse · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)s

Where it comes from

See hearse.

noun herses

  1. obsolete Obsolete form of hearse (“a carriage for the dead”).
  2. obsolete A funeral ceremony. Dido, my deare, alas! Dead, and lyeth wrapt in lead. O heavie herse!

verb herses · hersing · hersed

  1. alternative Alternative form of hearse The house is hers'd about with a black wood, Which nods with many a heavy-headed tree: Each flower's a pregnant poison, try'd and good; Each herb a plague.

Herse³

proper noun

  1. One of the moons of Jupiter.

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Cite this
MLA

"herse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/herse. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

herse. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/herse

Chicago

"herse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/herse.

BibTeX
@misc{herse_2026,
  title = {herse},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/herse},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}