harpoon

[ hahr-poon ]

noun

1. a barbed, spearlike missile attached to a rope, and thrown by hand or shot from a gun, used for killing and capturing whales and large fish.
2. Harpoon, Military. a jet-powered, radar-guided U.S. Navy cruise missile with a high explosive warhead designed for use against surface ships and launchable from a surface vessel, submerged submarine, or aircraft.

verb (used with object)

1. to strike, catch, or kill with or as if with a harpoon.

harpoon

/ hɑːˈpuːn /

noun

1. 1. a barbed missile attached to a long cord and hurled or fired from a gun when hunting whales, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      a harpoon gun

verb

1. tr to spear with or as if with a harpoon

Derived Forms

• harˈpooner, noun
• harˈpoon-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• har·pooner noun
• har·poonlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of harpoon¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Dutch harpoen, ultimately derived from Old French harpon “a clasp, brooch,” equivalent to harp- (from Latin harpē, from Greek: “hook”) + -on diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of harpoon¹

C17: probably from Dutch harpoen, from Old French harpon clasp, from harper to seize, perhaps of Scandinavian origin

Example Sentences

In 2022, China announced sanctions against Ted Colbert, the president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security. after the company won a $355 million contract to supply Harpoon missiles to Taiwan.

From Seattle Times

“And when they got close enough to the seal, they would grab their harpoon and get the seal,” said Johnson, an Inupiaq originally from Nome.

From Seattle Times

During a test of a Harpoon anti-ship missile, its booster — the rocket engine that launches the missile — was “activated” but not ignited, and then it could not be deactivated, the Danish military said.

From New York Times

Merck spent $680 million for cancer drugmaker Harpoon Therapeutics, Boston Scientific spent $3.7 billion on a device-maker and Johnson & Johnson spent $2 billion for a cancer drugmaker.

From Seattle Times

Delays in sending Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Taiwan are also increasing the dangers that Taipei will be unable to defend against and repel a future Chinese invasion, and rearming the island’s military after a Chinese attack — as the U.S. did in Ukraine following the Russian invasion — would be significantly more difficult or infeasible.

From Washington Times

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