Thurse

Alternative forms

• thrush, thrust dialectal

Origin

From Middle English thurse, thursse, thyrce, thurs, thirs, from Old English þyrs ("giant, enchanter, demon, wizard"), from Proto-Germanic *þurisaz, *þursaz, *þursiz ("giant, name of the Þ-rune"), from Proto-Indo-European *tur-, *twer- ("to rotate, twirl, swirl, move"). Cognate with German Turse ("giant"), Danish tosse ("a fool, buffoon"), Norwegian tuss, tusse, tust ("goblin, kobold, elf, a dull fellow"), Icelandic þurs ("giant").

Full definition of thurse

Noun

1. (Now chiefly dialectal) A giant; a gigangtic spectre; an apparition.
• 2010 , Stephan Grundy , Beowulf Chapter , And yet he was also, though many generations separated them, distant cousin to the shining eoten-main Geard, whom the god Frea Ing had seen from afar and wedded; and to Scatha, the fair daughter of the old thurse Theasa, who had claimed a husband from among the gods as weregild for her father's slaying: often, it was said, the ugliest eotens would sire the fairest maids.