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 The grandmother whales may associate her with the harpoons of industrial whaling. Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2024 But while the commercial harpoon is critically endangered, other threats remain — especially to whales that aren’t as supremely adaptable as the humpback. Bill Weir, CNN, 4 Feb. 2024 That crime surfaces again as all sorts of sordid shenanigans — blackmail, dirty business takeovers and so on — go down once Rufus’ loyal assistant winds up dead with a harpoon in his chest. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2024 The entire bay became a closed zone, where spearfishing and night fishing were banned, but line and harpoon fishing—techniques considered more sustainable—were permitted. Tiare Tuuhia, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023 And the orcas needed the harpoons to finish off their prey. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2023 Cusack and Streeter would team on three other projects that delivered harpoons to the heart. James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023 Some of his videos highlight antique traps, like a 19th-century wooden trap that is shaped like a rat and shoots harpoons from its eyes, or quicksand traps that suffocate rodents. Oliver Whang, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2023 Early missions tried harpoons and thrusters, and had a rough time. IEEE Spectrum, 8 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harpoon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 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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