To rob, plunder, or ravage a place; to harass or torment someone.
From Old English 'hergian,' related to Old Norse 'herja,' meaning to raid or plunder. The word reflects the reality of warfare and raiding in medieval Britain, where 'herrying' was a common military tactic.
This Old English verb tells us how Vikings and Anglo-Saxons thought about conflict—'herry' appears in texts describing actual historical raids, like the famous Viking attack on Lindisfarne monastery in 793.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.