Definition of "harrier" [har•ri•er]

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

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The harrier is a jump jet, meaning it can hover, stop in mid-air, and even spin 360 degrees."
• "In the five years since we came here, I have recorded eight species of raptor flying over the garden, including hobby, peregrine, merlin, osprey and marsh harrier."
• "Is it too much to hope that soon we may even see pallid harrier nesting here in Britain?"