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

Even in a real mission, Kallenborn notes, the drones would carry just a few pounds of explosive each, compared with the 488-pound warhead on a Harpoon anti-ship missile.

From MIT Technology Review

Like a harpoon festooned with venomous barbs, the stinger rapidly transforms as it fires, biologists Matt Gibson, Ahmet Karabulut and colleagues report June 17 in Nature Communications.

From Science News

In addition to famous mainstream breweries like Sam Adams and Harpoon, there are also a number of up-and-coming breweries.

From Outside Online

In 2018, the RemoveDEBRIS mission tested a harpoon for hooking large pieces of debris while in orbit, among other techniques.

From Popular-Science

Most of the best wireless gaming mice cost much more than the Harpoon RGB Wireless.

From Popular-Science

We passed several large sting-rays asleep on the surface of the sea, which our people ineffectually endeavoured to harpoon.

From Project Gutenberg

By bending one finger like a hook and striking the butt of the shaft, he could send a harpoon straight to the mark.

From Project Gutenberg

Take a harpoon and show how the shaft would swing against the feet of an animal that had been hit by the head.

From Project Gutenberg

Kamelillo had a bamboo pole in his hand to pole the raft with, but he had shod it with his harpoon head.

From Project Gutenberg

They are caught at night in shallow places along the sandy beach, a torch, harpoon, and net being the necessary outfit.

From Project Gutenberg

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