Harpullieae 
era HarptMia, Conchopetalum, Jtfagoniti, X<nt- 
thoceras, and Ungnadia. See 
harpy (har'pi), .; pi. harpies (-piz). [Early 
mod. E. karpie, < OF. harpie, harpye, < L. har- 
pyia, usually in pi. harpyia; < Gr. apirvtai, pi., the 
harpies, lit. 'the snatchers,' in Homer a personi- 
fication of whirlwinds or hurricanes, in later 
myth, hideous winged creatures (see def . 1) ; cf. 
&pm/, a certain bird of prey ; < dpir-df-f <v, snatch, 
seize, = L. rapere, snatch, seize : see I'/i/i-, r<i\>- 
ture.~\ 1. InGr.myth., a winged monster, raven- 
ous and filthy, having the face and body of a wo- 
man and the wings of a bird of prey, with the 
feet and fingers armed with sharp claws and the 
face pale with hunger, serving as a minister of 
divine vengeance, and defiling everything it 
touched. The harpies were commonly regarded either as 
two (Ae'Uo and Ocypete) or three in number, but occasion- 
ally several others are mentioned. They were originally 
conceived of simply as storm-windssent by the gods to cany 
off offenders, and were later personified as fair-haired wing- 
ed maidens, their features and characteristics being more 
or less repulsive at different times and places. The harpies 
27L'S 
2. In ornith., either a generic or a specific 
name of the great harpy-eagle of South Amer- 
Harpies, from a Greek black -figured Vase. (From " Monument! 
dell' Institute.") 
have been to some extent confounded by modern scholars 
with the sirens, which, though of kindred origin, were god- 
desses of melody, even if of a sweetness that was harmful 
to mankind, and were represented as women in the upper 
parts of their bodies and as birds below. 
For having caught her Joseph all alone. 
She Harpie like clap'd one bold tallon fast. 
J. Beaumont, Psyche, i. 227. 
These prodigies [visions] . . . unspeakable, 
Abominable, strangers at my hearth 
Not welcome, harpies miring every dish. 
Tennyson, Lucretius. 
Hence 2. A rapacious, grasping person ; one 
who is repulsively greedy and unfeeling. 
I will . . . do you any cmbassage . . . rather than hold 
three words' conference with this harpy. 
Shale., Much Ado, 11. 1. 
A company of irreligiousAarptea, scraping, griping catch- 
poles. Burton, Anat. of MeL, To the Eeader, p. 64. 
3. In ornith. : (a) The harpy-eagle, (b) An Eng- 
lish book-name 
of the marsh - 
harrier or 
moor -buzzard, 
Circus arruyino- 
stis. Also called 
white - headed 
harpy. 4. In 
mammal., a 
fruit-bat of the 
genus Harpyia, 
Harpy monu- 
ment, a sculp- 
tured funeral mon- 
ument from Xan- 
thus in Lycia. 
Among the reliefs 
upon it are four fig- 
ures of birds with 
women's heads 
Winged Genius, from the Harpy Tomb. a , n<1 >>S, each 
clasping tenderly 
a small human form evidently representing a soul. These 
bird-figures were at first held to be harpies, whence the 
name of the monument. It is now in the British Museum. 
Harpya (har'pi-a), . Same as Harpyia. 
harpy-eagle (ha'r'pi-e<'gl), n. A very large 
South American crested eagle, somewhat longer 
than the golden eagle, and one of the most pow- 
erful birds of prey, with enormous beak and 
talons, crested head, long fan-shaped tail, and 
rounded wings. See Harpyia and Thrasyae- 
tus. 
harpy-footed (har'pi-fufed), a. Having feet 
like those of a harpy. 
Thither by harpy-footed furies haled, 
At certain revolutions all the damn'd 
Are brought. Hilton, P. L., il. 696. 
Harpyia (har-pi'i-a), n. [NL., < L. harpyia, < 
Gr. apwvia, a harpy: see harpy."] 1. In mam- 
mal., a genus of fruit-bats, of the family Ptero- 
podidai. The body and limbs are as in Cynopterus, the 
nostrils tubular, the premaxillary bones united in front, 
1 incisor and 1 canine in each upper and lower half-jaw, 
2 premolars above, 8 below on each side, and 2 molars in 
each upper and lower half-jaw. There are two species, of 
the Austromalayan subreglon. Illiger, 1811. 
Harpy-eagle (ffarfyia abstractor or Thrasyattus harpyia). 
ica, Harpyia destructor or Thrasyaetus harpyia. 
G. Cuvier, 1817. 3. In entom., a genus of puss- 
moths, containing such as the European H. vi- 
nuli : synonymous in part with Centra, in part 
with Stauropus. Ochsenheiaier, 1810. 
Also Harpia, Harpya. 
harquebust, arquebust (har'-, ar'ke-bus), . 
[Also harquebuss, harquebuse, arquebus, Itarque- 
buze, harcubuse, archibuze (after It.), harque- 
bush, hargiibush, etc., in many unstable forms; 
< F. harquebuse, arquebuse, dial, harkibiise, after 
It. arcobugio, arcobuso, now archibunio, archibuso 
= Sp. Pg. arcabuz, corrupt forms of a form near- 
er the orig., namely, OF. hacquebuche, hacque- 
bute, etc., represented by E. hackbut: see hack- 
but. The word, in all forms, became obsolete 
with the thing; but the form harquebus, with 
many minor variations of spelling, is the one 
now commonly used by archaeologists and his- 
torians.] 1. An old form of hand-firearm. 
The earliest hand-guns having been mere tubes fired by a 
burning match applied to the touch-hole, the \\KmeharqMe- 
bux was given to a gun fitted with a match-holder which 
came down upon the priming-pan when a trigger was 
pulled. Later, when the wheel-lock was introduced, a 
piece fitted with it was still called a harquebus. After the 
musket had been introduced into the French army (about 
1575), the harqnebus remained the favorite weapon of 
private persons, because it was lighter and was supposed 
to have greater precision. It was not a heavy arm, and 
was rarely fired from a rest, except by horsemen, who had 
a light rest secured to the saddle-bow. But during the 
sixteenth century many experiments were made with 
firearms throwing balls of six or even four to the pound, 
mounted on swivels, for rampart-defense, and these, when 
fitted with a match-lock, were called great harquebuses ; 
in like manner arquebuse d croc, or 'with a rest, ' was a name 
given to a heavy but still portable weapon, which was 
superseded by the musket. 
They [the Janizaries] serve with harquebushes, armed 
besides with cymiters and hatchets. 
Sandys, Travailes, p. 38. 
A chance-medley combat ensued, with lances, arque- 
buses, cross-bows, and scimetars. Irving, Granada, p. 452. 
Such fine results had been obtained by the English long- 
bow men that, although in the time of Henry VIII. the 
arquebus had been brought to a far more perfect state 
than when first introduced, it was forbidden by Act of Par- 
liament to be used, or even to be possessed, by any of the 
king's subjects. W. W. Greener, The Gun, p. 11. 
2. A harquebusier. 
He marcheth in the middle, guarded about 
With full five hundred harquebuze on foot. 
Peele, Battle of Alcazar, iv. 1. 
Double harquebus, a harquebus with two locks, either 
both of the same mechanism and merely as a precaution 
against the Inferior workmanship of the day, or one a 
match-lock and the other a flint- or wheel-lock. 
harquebusadet, arquebusadet (har*-, ar'ke- 
bus-ad'), n. [F. arquebusade, shot of a harque- 
bus (eau d?arguebusade, a remedy for gunshot 
wounds), < arquebuse, a harquebus: see har- 
quebus.'] 1. The firing of a harquebus ; a dis- 
charge of harquebuses. 
The soldiers discharged a salve of harqubusaides on the 
poor people. 
Roger Williams, Brief Discourse of War (1590). 
2. A distilled aromatic spirituous liquor ap- 
plied to sprains or bruises. 
You will find a letter from my sister to thank you for 
the arquebusade water which you sent her. Chesterfield. 
harquebusiert, arquebusiert (har*-, ar'ke-bus- 
er'), n. [Also harquebttssier, arquebuseer, harcu- 
harringtonite 
etc.; < F. arquebmier (ML. arcubusari- 
us), < iirqui-biixe, harquebuse, harquebus: see 
harquebus. Cf. hackbutter.] A soldier armed 
with a harquebus. 
He glueth to his Harcubuiiers certaine allowance for 
powder and shot. Hakluyt's Voyages, I. 239. 
\\\-ll fare an old haryue-buzier yet, 
Could prime his powder, and give fire, and hit, 
All in a twinkling ! B. Jonson, Alchemist, v. 3. 
The Spanish arquebusiers, screened by their defences, 
poured a galling fire into the dense masses of the enemy. 
Prescott, Ferd. and Isa., ii. 12. 
harrH (har), . Same as fiarl. 
harr 2 (har), c. /. [A var. of hurr, or an aspi- 
rated form of arr 3 .] To snarl like a dog. Grose. 
[North. Eng.] 
harr 3 (har), n. Same as hai-%. 
harra (har'a), n. Seehara-nut. 
harraget (har'aj), r. t. A corrupt form of 
harass, perhaps confused with harry. 
Of late the Danes . . . had harraged all this countrey. 
Fuller, Hist. Camb. Univ., L 
harrageoust, a. See liarageous. 
harraldt, An old form of heraJd. 
harrast, See haras. 
harrasst, c. *. An obsolete spelling of harass. 
harrateent, harateent (har-a-ten'), n. [Origin 
not ascertained.] A coarse woolen cloth, men- 
tioned as late as 1739. Draper's Diet. 
Mean time, thus silver'd with meanders gay, 
In mimic pride the snail-wrought tissue shines, 
Perchance of tabby or of harrateen 
Not ill expressive. Shenstone, Economy, iii. 
You never saw such a wretched hovel, lean, unpainted, 
and half its nakedness barely shaded with haratecn 
stretched till it cracks. Walpole, Letters, II. 4. 
harridan (har'i-dan), n. [Origin uncertain ; 
supposed by Skeat to be a variant of OF. ari- 
delle, haridelle, a worn-out horse, a lean, ill-fa- 
vored jade, F. a jade, a thin scraggy woman (cf . 
jade*, similarly used); appar. dim. < aride, dry, 
withered: see arid.] An odious old woman; a 
hag; a vixenish woman. 
I have a scheme to see you shortly with the old harri- 
dan's consent, and even to make her a go between in our 
interview. Sheridan, The Kivals, HL 3. 
Such a weak, watery, wicked old harridan substituted 
for the pretty creature I had been used to see. 
De Quincey, Secret Societies, i. 
harrier 1 (har'i-er), n. [< hare 1 + -!.] A 
small kind of hound employed in hunting the 
hare. There are particular breeds of the hairier, as the 
large slow-hunting harrier and the little fox-beagle, and a 
cross-breed between these. In all the scent is extremely 
keen, which enables them to follow all the doublings of 
the hare. Also spelled harier. 
harrier' 2 (har'i-er), w. [< harry + -er 1 . Cf. 
harroicer' 2 .] 1. One who harries. See harry, v. 
She [Grandeur] hides her mountains and her sea 
From the harriers of scenery, 
Who hunt down sunsets, and huddle and bay, 
Mouthing and mumbling the dying day. 
Lowell, Appledore. 
2. A bird of prey of the family Falconida;, sub- 
family Circince. and genus Circus. There are 
about 12 species, of most parts of the world, of light build, 
small-bodied in proportion to the length of wing and tail, 
with a rather long and slender scaly shank, untoothed 
bill, large external ear-parts, and a ruff or disk somewhat 
like an owl's. The besMinown species is the European 
hen-harrier or ringtail, Circus cyaneus, from which the 
common marsh-hawk of America, C. hudsonius, scarcely 
differs. (See cut under Circinte.) The European marsh- 
harrier is C.ceruginosus. (Seeharpy, 3(6).) Montagu's har- 
rier is another species, C. cinemscens. The males of the 
harriers differ much from the females, being bluish above 
instead of dark-brown, and are often called blue-hawks. 
It [a pheasant] was immediately pursued by the blue 
hawk, known by the name of the Ren-harrier. 
Gilbert White, Nat. Hist, of Selborne, Obs. on Birds. 
harriment (har'i-ment), n. [Sc. also herri- 
ment; < harry + -meni.] Harrying; vexation; 
trouble. 
Staumrel, corky-headed, graceless gentry, 
The herryment and ruin of the country. 
Burns, Brigs of Ayr. 
[So called be- 
Harrington (har'ing-ton), n. 
cause the patent 
for issuing it was 
first granted (in 
1613) to Lord Har- 
rington.] A copper 
farthing-token cur- 
rent in England 
Under JameS I. and Obverse. Reverse, 
r^rlflrlfts T Harrington of James I., British Muse- 
8 1 - urn. (Size of the original.) 
I have lost four or 
five friends, and not gotten the value of one Harrington. 
Sir H. Wotlon, Letters, p. 558. 
I will not bate a Harrington of the sum. 
B. Jonson, Devil is an Ass, ii. 1. 
harringtonite (har'ing-ton-It), n. [< Harring- 
ton (a proper name) + -ite 2 .] In mineral., same 
as mesolite. 
