HARPOON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does harpoon mean? 

• HARPOON (noun)
  The noun HARPOON has 1 sense:

1. a spear with a shaft and barbed point for throwing; used for catching large fish or whales; a strong line is attached to it

  Familiarity information: HARPOON used as a noun is very rare.

• HARPOON (verb)
  The verb HARPOON has 1 sense:

1. spear with a harpoon

  Familiarity information: HARPOON used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HARPOON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A spear with a shaft and barbed point for throwing; used for catching large fish or whales; a strong line is attached to it

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("harpoon" is a kind of...):

fishgig; fizgig; gig; lance; spear (an implement with a shaft and barbed point used for catching fish)

Meronyms (parts of "harpoon"):

fluke (a barb on a harpoon or arrow)

harpoon line (a strong rope for making the catch fast to the harpooner's boat)

Holonyms ("harpoon" is a member of...):

fishing gear; fishing rig; fishing tackle; rig; tackle (gear used in fishing)

Derivation:

harpoon (spear with a harpoon)

harpooneer (someone who launches harpoons)

• HARPOON (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they harpoon    ... he / she / it harpoons   
Past simple: harpooned   
Past participle: harpooned   
-ing form: harpooning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Spear with a harpoon

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

harpoon whales

Hypernyms (to "harpoon" is one way to...):

catch; grab; take hold of (take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

harpoon (a spear with a shaft and barbed point for throwing; used for catching large fish or whales; a strong line is attached to it)

harpooner (someone who launches harpoons)

 Context examples 

I knew Black Peter, and when he pulled out his knife I whipped a harpoon through him sharp, for I knew that it was him or me.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In Europe, large nets and harpoons are being developed to catch debris encircling our planet.

(Australia Developing Lasers to Track, Destroy Space Junk, VOA)

Challenger and Summerlee had gone off together that day to the lake where some of the natives, under their direction, were engaged in harpooning specimens of the great lizards.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I spotted that harpoon upon the wall, and I thought I might need it before I was through.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He had not time to get it from the sheath before I had the harpoon through him.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

That very night he went down to Woodman’s Lee, saw Peter Carey at the hut, quarrelled with him, and killed him with the harpoon.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Have you tried to drive a harpoon through a body?

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Right through his broad breast a steel harpoon had been driven, and it had sunk deep into the wood of the wall behind him.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

One was the harpoon with which the deed was committed.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

At last we were getting something positive, and yet it seemed a long gap between an absconding banker and Captain Peter Carey pinned against the wall with one of his own harpoons.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)