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: a barbed spear or javelin used especially in hunting large fish or whales
harpoon
transitive verb
harpooner
noun
Examples of harpoon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Companies such as Airbus have worked on nets and harpoons that can wrap around or impale objects in space and bring them back down through the atmosphere.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2024
Wire mesh would then unfold along the harpoon cables, creating a huge parabolic dish.
—Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2024
Bowhead whales have been found with historical whaling harpoons embedded in their blubber, indicating that some individuals were alive during the 19th century.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024
Nils, for his part, liked to visit this rock with his harpoon.
—Brooke Jarvis, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
probably from Dutch harpoen, from Middle Dutch, from Old French harpon brooch, from harper to grapple
First Known Use
1625, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near harpoon
Cite this Entry
“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harpoon. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
harpoon
1 of 2 noun
har·poon
här-ˈpün
: a barbed spear used especially in hunting large fish or whales
harpoon
2 of 2 verb
: to strike with a harpoon
harpooner
noun
Medical Definition
harpoon
noun
har·poon
här-ˈpün
: a medical instrument with a barbed head used for removing bits of living tissue for examination
More from Merriam-Webster on harpoon
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for harpoon
Nglish: Translation of harpoon for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about harpoon
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