spear

¹spear

noun \ˈspir\

Definition of SPEAR

1

: a thrusting or throwing weapon with long shaft and sharp head or blade

2

: a sharp-pointed instrument with barbs used in spearing fish

3

: spearman

Origin of SPEAR

Middle English spere, from Old English; akin to Old High German sper spear, Latin sparus hunting spear

First Known Use: before 12th century

Rhymes with SPEAR

beer, bier, blear, cere, cheer, clear, dear, deer, Deere, drear, ear, fear, fere, fleer, gear, hear, here, jeer, leer, mere, mir, near, peer, pier, Pierre, queer, rear, schmear, sear, seer, sere, shear, sheer, skirr, smear, sneer, speer, sphere, steer, tear, tier, Trier, Tyr, veer, weir, year

²spear

verb

Definition of SPEAR

transitive verb

1

: to pierce, strike, or take with or as if with a spear <spear salmon> <speared a chop from the platter>

2

: to catch (as a baseball) with a sudden thrust of the arm

intransitive verb

: to thrust at or wound something with or as if with a spear

— spear·er noun

First Known Use of SPEAR

15th century

³spear

adjective

Definition of SPEAR

: paternal 3 <the spear side of the family> — compare distaff

First Known Use of SPEAR

1861

⁴spear

intransitive verb

Definition of SPEAR

of a plant

: to thrust a spear upward

Origin of SPEAR

⁵spear

First Known Use: 1573

⁵spear

noun

Definition of SPEAR

: a usually young blade, shoot, or sprout (as of grass)

Origin of SPEAR

alteration of ¹spire

First Known Use: 1647