hearse

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English

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a funeral carriage

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English herse, hers, herce, from Old French herce, from Medieval Latin hercia, from Latin herpicem, hirpex; ultimately from Oscan 𐌇𐌉𐌓𐌐𐌖𐌔 (hirpus, wolf), a reference to the teeth, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰers- (stiff, rigid, bristled).[1] The Oscan term is related to Latin hīrsūtus (bristly, shaggy). Doublet of hirsute.

Alternative forms

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Noun

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hearse (plural hearses)

  1. A framework of wood or metal placed over the coffin or tomb of a deceased person, and covered with a pall; also, a temporary canopy bearing wax lights and set up in a church, under which the coffin was placed during the funeral ceremonies.
  2. A grave, coffin, tomb, or sepulchral monument.
  3. A bier or handbarrow for conveying the dead to the grave.
  4. A carriage or vehicle specially adapted or used for transporting a dead person to the place of funeral or to the grave.
Translations
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References
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  1. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959) “445-46”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 445-46

Verb

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hearse (third-person singular simple present hearses, present participle hearsing, simple past and past participle hearsed)

  1. (dated) To enclose in a hearse; to entomb.
    • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
      I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin!

Etymology 2

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Noun

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hearse (plural hearses)

  1. Alternative form of hearst (A hind (female deer) in the second or third year of her age)

Anagrams

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