Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for harpoon

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. 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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


verb

  1. tr to spear with or as if with a harpoon
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • harˈpooner, noun
  • harˈpoon-ˌlike, adjective
Discover More

Other Words From

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

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
Discover More

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
Discover More

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


harp onharpoon gun