Herse.
1. (Fortification.) (From French herse, a harrow.) a. A gate with cross-bars and spiked, and serving to obstruct a passage-way, on occasion. A portcullis. b. A frame with spikes, acting as a cheval-de-frise, to impede an advance. A hersillon. c. An openwork gate which obstructs passage along a ditch or watercourse, or a sally-port traversable by boats. 2. A rectangular frame made of four bars, and having pegs on which are wound the straining strings attached to the edges of a skin which is stretched in the frame, to remove its wrinkles and hold it while being scraped. Skins for parchment are thus stretched for fleshing, scraping, and grinding. See parchment.
