javelin

American  

[jav-lin, jav-uh-] / ˈdʒæv lɪn, ˈdʒæv ə- /

noun

1. a light spear, usually thrown by hand.

2. Track.

   1. a spearlike shaft about 8½ feet (2.7 meters) long and usually made of wood, used in throwing for distance.

   2. Also called javelin throw.  a competitive field event in which the javelin is thrown for distance.

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verb (used with object)

1. to strike or pierce with or as if with a javelin.

javelin British  

/ ˈdʒævlɪn /

noun

1. a long pointed spear thrown as a weapon or in competitive field events

2. the event or sport of throwing the javelin

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Usage

What does javelin mean? A javelin is the pointed, spearlike pole used in the track-and-field event known as javelin or the javelin throw—in which athletes compete to throw it as far as they can. The javelin event is one of the “field” events in track and field, which also include other events in which objects are thrown as far as possible, namely discus and shot put. All three are events in the summer Olympic Games (the Summer Games) and are also events in the modern decathlon. The word javelin also refers to the ancient throwing spear on which the javelin used in the athletic event is based. Its original military use is referenced in the name of an U. S. military missile system known as Javelin. Example: I’m training for the javelin and shot put with my track-and-field team.

Etymology

Origin of javelin

1505–15; < Middle French javeline, by suffix alteration from javelot, Anglo-French gavelot, gaveloc, probably < Old English gafeluc, *gafeloc ≪ British Celtic *gablākos presumably, a spear with a forklike head; compare MIr gablach forked branch, javelin, MWelsh gaflach (apparently < OIr), derivative of Old Irish gabul fork, forked branch, cognate with Old Breton gabl, Welsh gafl

Explanation

A javelin is a sharp-tipped, lightweigh throwing spear that's used in sporting events. The javelin throw is an event in the Olympics. Historically, the javelin was used as a weapon. African and Zulu tribes have used javelins, as well as Welsh fighters and ancient Roman Empire and Anglo-Saxon soldiers. More recently, javelins are simply thrown for sport. The Middle French javeline is a diminutive form of the Old French javelot, or "spear." The ultimate root is probably the Proto-Indo-European word ghabholo, "a fork or branch of a tree."

Example Sentences

The Venezuelans practically turned the art of the bat flip into a javelin toss.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Look no further than shortstop Mookie Betts this week lauding the effects of throwing a javelin.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

It’s like golf, except a player can’t javelin his clubs into a water hazard or pitch a 15-pound orb across six alleys, even if he could.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Covering the men's javelin F46 final at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, I noticed Guillermo Varona Gonzalez with a different pre-throw routine than most.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025

It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backward, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan