spear

1 of 5

noun (1)

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

spear

2 of 5

verb (1)

speared; spearing; spears

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 (something, such as a baseball) with a sudden thrust of the arm
3
a
ice hockey : to jab (an opposing player) with the blade of one's stick
All game, the Caps held, hooked, slashed, speared, chopped, and bopped … the Rangers' European players.Stu Hackel
b
American football : to ram (an opposing player) with one's helmet
… defensive end Ben Davidson set off a sidelines-clearing scrum when he speared Dawson from behind after he was down.Jim Trotter

intransitive verb

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

spear

3 of 5

adjective

: paternal sense 3
the spear side of the family
compare distaff

spear

4 of 5

verb (2)

speared; spearing; spears

intransitive verb

of a plant
: to thrust a spear upward

spear

5 of 5

noun (2)

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

Examples of spear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Read More: The Surprising History of the Bidet Started with the Wealthy and Brothels As Assyrian nobles were spearing lions from their chariots for the sheer thrill of it, for example, ordinary people were left to develop their own workaday diversions. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 Gallagher said a listing would not only threaten the careful population management program in place but would ignore the cultural importance and economic impact of lake sturgeon and sturgeon spearing to northeastern Wisconsin. Journal Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2024 Beginning in 1948, a limited sport fishery for lake sturgeon was allowed on inland lakes open to spearing, which included Black Lake. Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 2 Feb. 2024 The double-decker club, quartered and speared, is served on Japanese milk bread with chicken katsu tucked inside, fervent and juicy in its panko crust. Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023 Use them to spear drink garnishes or add them to your cheese plate for easy pick up and serious sparkle. Belle Bakst, Bon Appétit, 6 Dec. 2023 Imagine spearing your Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid into a tasty right-hand corner on a mountain or a smooth, sweeping highway onramp that absolutely must be attacked every day on the way home. Mark Ewing, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Yes, Neandertal women were spearing woolly rhinoceroses, and Neandertal men were making clothing. Cara Ocobock, Scientific American, 19 Oct. 2023 Vic Power swung and Luis Aparicio glided to his left, spearing the ball. Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023
Noun
According to a Microsoft report, Emerald Sleet used LLMs to research think tanks and experts on North Korea, and to make content for spear phishing campaigns. Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Instead, try lining up all of the spears on a cutting board and slicing off the ends all at once, cutting where the stalks turn from white into green. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024 Mammoths, steppe bison, wild horses and other enormous mammals still wandered the Americas, pursued by bands of humans wielding spears with fluted stone blades. Zach St. George, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 From an early age, Lim enjoyed hunting with his father, using dogs and spears, and fishing. Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2024 Microwave for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears. Kathleen Purvis, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Line up all the spears in a row and slice off the ends simultaneously. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2024 Lashley delivered an awesome spear on Paul through the pod, giving Bron Breakker a run for his money. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Three new graves from about 4,000 years ago Archaeologists found three graves, dating to between the seventh century B.C. and the third century B.C. One of the graves held two iron spears and two stone beads, according to Zoe Ceccato, an archaeologists on the project. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Noun (2) and Verb (2)

alteration of spire entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1861, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1573, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spear was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near spear

Cite this Entry

“Spear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spear. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spear

1 of 3 noun
1
: a weapon with a long straight handle and sharp head or blade used for throwing or jabbing
2
: an instrument with a sharp point and curved hooks used in spearing fish
3

spear

2 of 3 verb
: to pierce or strike with or as if with a spear
spearer noun

spear

3 of 3 noun
: a usually young blade, shoot, or sprout (as of grass)

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