harpoon

noun

har·​poon här-ˈpün How to pronounce harpoon (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See all Example Sentences for harpoon 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of harpoon was in 1625

Dictionary Entries Near harpoon

Cite this Entry

“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harpoon. Accessed 23 Dec. 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 How to pronounce harpoon (audio)
: a medical instrument with a barbed head used for removing bits of living tissue for examination

More from Merriam-Webster on harpoon

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