harrier

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. One that harries.
2. n. Any of various slender, narrow-winged hawks of the genus Circus, such as the marsh hawk, that prey on small animals.
3. n. Any of a breed of small hounds originally used in hunting hares and rabbits.
4. n. A cross-country runner.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A small kind of hound employed in hunting the hare. There are particular breeds of the barrier, 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.
2. n. One who harries. See harry, v.
3. n. A bird of prey of the family Falconidæ, subfamily Circinœ, 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 best-known 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 Circinæ.) The European marsh-harrier is C. æruginosus. (See harpy, 3 .) Montagu's harrier is another species, C. cinerascens. The males of the harriers differ much from the females, being bluish above instead of dark-brown, and are often called blue-hawks.

Wiktionary

1. n. That which harries.
2. n. Any of several birds of prey in the genus Circus of the subfamily Circinae which fly low over meadows and marshes and hunt small mammals or birds.
3. n. A runner, specifically, a cross country runner.
4. n. A kind of dog used to hunt hares; a harehound.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.) One of a small breed of hounds, used for hunting hares.
2. n. One who harries.
3. n. (Zoöl.) One of several species of hawks or buzzards of the genus Circus which fly low and harry small animals or birds, -- as the European marsh harrier (Circus æruginosus), and the hen harrier (Circus cyaneus).

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a hound that resembles a foxhound but is smaller; used to hunt rabbits
2. n. hawks that hunt over meadows and marshes and prey on small terrestrial animals
3. n. a persistent attacker