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The Evolution of Hearse
Medieval French used the word herce for a harrow, a farm tool used to break up and smooth the soil. Herce was also applied to a triangular frame that was used for holding candles. Herce was borrowed into Middle English as herse. In those days, a large and decorative framework might be raised over the tomb or coffin of an honored person. Because this framework was often decorated with candles, the word herse was applied to it. A series of slightly changed meanings led to the use of herse (Modern English hearse) for a platform for a corpse or coffin, and from that to a vehicle to carry the dead. The verb hearse emerged late in the 16th century.
Examples of hearse in a Sentence
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Jan. 2024
My photographer friend Bev Davis was invited to accompany Neil on his famous journey in the hearse to California.
—Emma Madden, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024
Yehor Konovalov and Katie Marie Davies, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2024
Fakir’s casket was carried to a white Cadillac LaSalle hearse — the same vintage vehicle that once transported his close friend Aretha Franklin — and he was laid to rest Friday afternoon at Woodlawn Cemetery.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hearse 
Dictionary Entries Near hearse
Cite this Entry
“Hearse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hearse. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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