: a barbed spear or javelin used especially in hunting large fish or whales
harpoon
transitive verb
harpooner
noun
Examples of harpoon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As the nudibranch tries to grasp its prey, the prey fires its tiny harpoons at the nudibranch.
—
Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Another group of oomycetes uses cells that behave like prey-seeking harpoons, injecting the fungal spores into the worm to seal its fate.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2023
The grandmother whales may associate her with the harpoons of industrial whaling.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2024
But while the commercial harpoon is critically endangered, other threats remain — especially to whales that aren’t as supremely adaptable as the humpback.
—Bill Weir, CNN, 4 Feb. 2024
That crime surfaces again as all sorts of sordid shenanigans — blackmail, dirty business takeovers and so on — go down once Rufus’ loyal assistant winds up dead with a harpoon in his chest.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2024
The entire bay became a closed zone, where spearfishing and night fishing were banned, but line and harpoon fishing—techniques considered more sustainable—were permitted.
—Tiare Tuuhia, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023
And the orcas needed the harpoons to finish off their prey.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2023
Cusack and Streeter would team on three other projects that delivered harpoons to the heart.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023
Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Another group of oomycetes uses cells that behave like prey-seeking harpoons, injecting the fungal spores into the worm to seal its fate.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2023
The grandmother whales may associate her with the harpoons of industrial whaling.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2024
But while the commercial harpoon is critically endangered, other threats remain — especially to whales that aren’t as supremely adaptable as the humpback.
—Bill Weir, CNN, 4 Feb. 2024
That crime surfaces again as all sorts of sordid shenanigans — blackmail, dirty business takeovers and so on — go down once Rufus’ loyal assistant winds up dead with a harpoon in his chest.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2024
The entire bay became a closed zone, where spearfishing and night fishing were banned, but line and harpoon fishing—techniques considered more sustainable—were permitted.
—Tiare Tuuhia, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023
And the orcas needed the harpoons to finish off their prey.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2023
Cusack and Streeter would team on three other projects that delivered harpoons to the heart.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harpoon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harpoon. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
harpoon
noun
har·poon
här-ˈpün 
: a medical instrument with a barbed head used for removing bits of living tissue for examination
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