javelin

American  

[jav-lin, jav-uh-] / ˈdʒæv lɪn, ˈdʒæv ə- /

noun

• javelins
  plural

1. a light spear, usually thrown by hand.

2. Track.

   1. a spearlike shaft about 8½ feet (2.7 meters) long and usually made of wood, used in throwing for distance.

   2. Also called javelin throw.  a competitive field event in which the javelin is thrown for distance.

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verb (used with object)

1. to strike or pierce with or as if with a javelin.

javelin British  

/ ˈdʒævlɪn /

noun

1. a long pointed spear thrown as a weapon or in competitive field events

2. the event or sport of throwing the javelin

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Usage

What does javelin mean? A javelin is the pointed, spearlike pole used in the track-and-field event known as javelin or the javelin throw—in which athletes compete to throw it as far as they can. The javelin event is one of the “field” events in track and field, which also include other events in which objects are thrown as far as possible, namely discus and shot put. All three are events in the summer Olympic Games (the Summer Games) and are also events in the modern decathlon. The word javelin also refers to the ancient throwing spear on which the javelin used in the athletic event is based. Its original military use is referenced in the name of an U. S. military missile system known as Javelin. Example: I’m training for the javelin and shot put with my track-and-field team.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• javelins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of javelin

1505–15; < Middle French javeline, by suffix alteration from javelot, Anglo-French gavelot, gaveloc, probably < Old English gafeluc, *gafeloc ≪ British Celtic *gablākos presumably, a spear with a forklike head; compare MIr gablach forked branch, javelin, MWelsh gaflach (apparently < OIr), derivative of Old Irish gabul fork, forked branch, cognate with Old Breton gabl, Welsh gafl

Explanation

A javelin is a sharp-tipped, lightweigh throwing spear that's used in sporting events. The javelin throw is an event in the Olympics. Historically, the javelin was used as a weapon. African and Zulu tribes have used javelins, as well as Welsh fighters and ancient Roman Empire and Anglo-Saxon soldiers. More recently, javelins are simply thrown for sport. The Middle French javeline is a diminutive form of the Old French javelot, or "spear." The ultimate root is probably the Proto-Indo-European word ghabholo, "a fork or branch of a tree."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

javelin javelins

The heptathlon continues later with the shot put and 200m events completing the first day of competition, before the long jump, javelin and 800m take place on Saturday.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

He had previously represented the United Arab Emirates at the Rio Paralympics when he competed in the javelin and shotput.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

Betts kept an open mind when he first learned of teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s unique workout routine, which includes javelin throwing, yoga, and working with personal trainer Osamu Yada.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026

Look no further than shortstop Mookie Betts this week lauding the effects of throwing a javelin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026

I swung my sword, and Atlas knocked me aside with the shaft of his javelin.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan

Perhaps harassed by Neanderthals throwing wooden javelins, the angle of the injury shows the lion was lying on its side when the killing blow came.

From Science Magazine ● Oct. 11, 2023

Scaffolding supports large depictions of hands, as well as javelins “which go through the hands like a needle at giant scale, representing acupuncture pressure points,” Tajima said.

From New York Times ● Sep. 2, 2022

These were supposed to be “the most innovative Games in history” — robots greeting spectators and helping retrieve javelins; augmented reality projected over lanes at swimming; 5G-enabled multi-angle viewing along the golf course.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2021

You will still zoom out after your javelins, but you will do so in a lackadaisical manner, and, eventually, people will start to notice.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2021

Although Andean troops carried bows, javelins, maces, and clubs, their most fearsome weapon, the sling, was made of cloth.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann