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atlatl

American  
[aht-laht-l] / ˈɑtˌlɑt l /

noun

Archaeology.
  1. spear-thrower.


Etymology

Origin of atlatl

First recorded in 1870–75, atlatl is from the Nahuatl word ahtlatl

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In another study published last month, researchers tested how males and females used an atlatl, a common prehistoric hunting weapon.

From Salon • Sep. 16, 2023

Other Ancestral Puebloans primarily hunted and foraged for their food, some using the bow and arrow, and others using an ancient spear-throwing technology called an atlatl.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 28, 2021

Fourteen years ago, in the mountain ice outside Yellowstone National Park, he spotted the foreshaft of a throwing spear called an atlatl dart, carved from a birch sapling 10,300 years ago.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2021

One time, to better understand if paleo-Indian hunters could kill a mammoth with an atlatl, he conducted an unusual experiment.

From Washington Times • May 30, 2015

In this work I presented my reasons for concluding that these recurved sceptres were ceremonial forms of the atlatl.

From The Fundamental Principles of Old and New World Civilizations by Nuttall, Zelia