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

Working with his trusty producers Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, Styles builds gorgeously detailed grooves like the blissed-out gospel-house “Aperture”; “Are You Listening Yet?”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

Co-produced by Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, the album was made for the earbud era.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

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 • Jan. 14, 2024

Pitchfork noted that the record is divided into "AM" and "PM" sections, with the former, written alongside Harry Styles' collaborator Kid Harpoon, outshining the "maddening" and "grating" second half.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2023

Harpoon starts feeling heavy, so I rest it on my shoulder and try to breathe normal.

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

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