speargun

noun

spear·​gun ˈspir-ˌgən How to pronounce speargun (audio)
: a gun that shoots a spear and is used in spearfishing

Examples of speargun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The hope is that a robust consumer market will incentivize lionfish hunting, and that humans with spearguns will become the predators that invasive lionfish need. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2019 This means that Hara had to catch the fish in 60-degree water with all her gear — a 10-pound weight belt, snorkel, fins and 2-pound EduSub speargun. Kaila Yu, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2022 As in the story, Domino shoots Largo with a speargun. John Mariani, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2022 The fish don’t typically try to swim away quickly when humans approach them, and some can even be caught with a diver’s bare hands, although they’re most often caught with a standard handheld net or a speargun. Annie Blanks, San Antonio Express-News, 7 Mar. 2022 Biannual speargun fishing competitions held at the San Marcos River, as well as almost weekly diving expeditions by the Texas A&M research team, are working to pluck the pesky Plecos out of the river each year by the thousands. Annie Blanks, San Antonio Express-News, 7 Mar. 2022 Emma Shearman held her speargun and focused on her breathing. New York Times, 3 Aug. 2020 But some younger men still hunt with lightweight spearguns, swimming out to sea and firing at close-range. Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2019 Some younger men hunt with lightweight spearguns, swimming out to sea and firing at close-range. Christina Larson, The Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2019

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

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of speargun was in 1951

Dictionary Entries Near speargun

Cite this Entry

“Speargun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speargun. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

speargun

noun
spear·​gun -ˌgən How to pronounce speargun (audio)
: a gun that shoots a spear and is used for spearfishing

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