Hurst

Type

Hill, Woodland

Area of origin

England

Area of use

S England (obsolete as a nound but common as a place-name element)

Related terms

Shaw, Weald

  1. A grove or copse especially on a hill or rise.
  2. A bank or eminence especially one composed of sandy material
  3. In heraldry a small group of trees generally mounted on a base

Etymology

Old English hyrst. Related to German dialect horst ‘heap, cluster, thicket, top of rock, sandbank’ and Middle Low German horst ‘hill, wooded or bushy eminence, small wood’.

Example locations

  • Sissinghurst
    Kent

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Entry contributors:

Peter Bradford