spear-thrower

[ speer-throh-er ]

/ ˈspɪərˌθroʊ ər /

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noun Anthropology.

a flexible device for launching a spear, usually a short cord wound around the spear so that when thrown the weapon will rotate in the air.

Also called atlatl. a rigid device for increasing the speed and distance of a spear when thrown, usually a flat wooden stick with a handhold and a peg or socket to accommodate the butt end of the spear.

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Origin of spear-thrower

First recorded in 1870–75

Words nearby spear-thrower

spear phish, spear-phishing, spearpoint, Spears, spear side, spear-thrower, spearwort, spec, speccy, special, special act

How to use spear-thrower in a sentence

In some versions of that story, the spear is the first weapon George tries.
How to Save Silent Movies: Inside New Jersey’s Cinema Paradiso|Rich Goldstein|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The earliest clear evidence of a human killed by a spear dates to roughly 100,000 years ago.
War! What Is It Good For? A Lot|Nick Romeo|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So far as I know, no one has ever done this to an Olympic discus thrower.
Why Americans Should Love the World Cup|Sean Wilsey|June 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like his predecessors, his background was as a javelin thrower.
The Aftermath of Disney’s ‘Million Dollar Arm’|Alex Suskind|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And, as we all know, “this ‘war on Christmas’ is the tip of the spear in a larger battle to secularize our culture.”
Sarah Palin Is Here to Save Christmas, Thank God|Candida Moss|November 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This was no strange sight to the boy by that time, but it was awkward in the circumstances, for he had neither gun nor spear.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Mafuta immediately rushed at him with a spear, but was caught by the lion on the shoulder, and dragged down.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
This last spear is propelled by a throwing-stick, which was also found lying by it.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
There they waited to spear the reindeer, while others hid behind rocks near the entrance to drive the reindeer on.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
When they worked in this way, they had no trouble in striking off flakes for spear points and knives.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp