harpoon

American  

[hahr-poon] / hɑrˈpun /

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. Military. Harpoon, 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.

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verb (used with object)

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

harpoon British  

/ 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

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• harpoon-like adjective
• harpooner noun
• harpoonlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of harpoon

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

Explanation

A harpoon is a long spear that's barbed. To harpoon is to strike an animal, like a whale, with a harpoon. If you are Moby Dick, you steer clear of harpoons. There are many weapons people use to hunt, such as guns, knives, and spears. When people hunt sea life such as whales and sharks, they use a type of spear called a harpoon. A harpoon is long like a spear, but it's also barbed, so when it penetrates an animal, it sticks in. The hunter throws the harpoon, and it has a line attached to it — much like a fishing line. Hunting animals in this way is called harpooning.

Example Sentences

A harpoon gun from "Jaws," a jacket worn by "The Terminator," and a "Star Wars" lightsaber hilt and C-3PO head are among the eye-catching items to be sold at auction next month.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

They got their name because they were the “right” whales to harpoon — their bodies floated for easy recovery after they were killed.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2025

Their evidence included finding stone harpoon points that hadn’t been used since the mid-1800s embedded in the blubber of whales recently killed by traditional whalers.

From Salon • Dec. 27, 2024

A stone’s throw from a few lounging sea lions, rusting storage tanks, boilers and beached harpoon boats lay testament to Deception Island’s past as a Norwegian whaling station.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 13, 2023

Should I put down the harpoon and start the motor and steer toward the ripple?

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

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