lily iron


noun
  1. a harpoon whose head may be detached.

Origin of lily iron

1
First recorded in 1830–40

Words Nearby lily iron

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lily iron in a sentence

  • The lily-iron is, in principle, exactly what a whaleman would describe by the word “toggle.”

    Tales of Fishes | Zane Grey
  • Upon the end of the “shank” fits the head of the harpoon, known by the names swordfish-iron, lily-iron, and Indian dart.

    Tales of Fishes | Zane Grey
  • Triced up to the jib stay was the long harpoon with its head, known as the 'lily-iron.'

    The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries | Francis Rolt-Wheeler

British Dictionary definitions for lily iron

lily iron

noun
  1. a harpoon, the head of which is detachable

Origin of lily iron

1
C19: from the shape of its shaft, which resembles lily leaves

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