harpoon
noun
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.
harpooning
-
present participleof harpoon.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
Panning a book like this may feel like harpooning a minnow, but I think treacly metaphysical fiction does us a cultural disservice.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 1, 2021
Its first episode shows a hunter supposedly harpooning a whale but the BBC "does not consider that the portrayal of his role is accurate".
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2018
Staying outside the EU has also let Norway keep harpooning whales, despite strong opposition by the EU.
From Reuters ● Mar. 17, 2016
Martin Skegg "I need a case!" shouts Sherlock as he impatiently paces his flat a scant few hours after harpooning a pig in a previous assignment.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 12, 2013
Takes me an hour or so to coil it just so in the tub, the way I seen my dad do when he was harpooning tuna.
From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick
