herald
/ˈhɛɹəld/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.95 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A messenger, especially one bringing important news.
noun
An official whose speciality is heraldry, especially one between the ranks of pursuivant and king-of-arms
noun
noun
Alternative form of hareld (“long-tailed duck”).
Example Sentences
- "The herald blew his trumpet and shouted that the King was dead."
- "Daffodils and robins are heralds of Spring."
- "Rouge Dragon is a herald at the College of Arms."
- "New this season will be a 20-sheet poster depicting 21 K-M elephants parading to local Chevrolet agencies. Deal calls for use of the 20-sheet on poster panels where the auto agency has space allotment. Smaller versions of the same art also will be used. Circulation of Kelly-Miller heralds, which last season averaged between 5,000 and 6,000 copies per stand, will be in for one of the greatest boosts this year."
- "Daffodils herald the Spring."
- "Then, some five miles north of Bolna, the entry into the Arctic is heralded by a long blast on the whistle of the engine. The Arctic Circle is marked by a sign on the east side of the line."
Etymology
From Latin heraldus, from Middle English herald, herauld, heraud, from Anglo-Norman heraud, from Old French heraut, hiraut (modern French héraut), from Frankish *heriwald, from Proto-Germanic *harjawaldaz, a compound consisting of Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“army”) + *h₂welh₁- (“to be strong”). Doublet of Harold and Harald; compare Walter, which has these elements reversed.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhɛɹəld/
- British English: /ˈhɛɹəld/