lance

1 of 2

noun

1
: a steel-tipped spear carried by mounted knights or light cavalry
2
: any of various sharp objects suggestive of a lance: such as
a
: lancet
b
: a spear used for killing whales or fish
3

lance

2 of 2

verb

lanced; lancing

transitive verb

1
a
: to pierce with or as if with a lance
b
: to open with or as if with a lancet
lance a boil
2
: to throw forward : hurl

intransitive verb

: to move forward quickly

Examples of lance in a Sentence

Noun the lance struck squarely on the knight's shield, knocking him from his horse Verb He had the boil on his arm lanced. doctors used to lance infected sores, so that they could drain clean
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Flame-retardant foams do little, and fire departments now favor high-pressure water lances or immersion pits. Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 June 2025 With about a thousand Mexicans in front of him, Yell charged alone with his sword in hand, apparently killing several Mexicans until brought down by multiple lance wounds. Arkansas Online, 3 May 2025
Verb
Sirens echoed in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with the nighttime skies over the latter lighted with bursts of yellow as missiles from Israel’s Arrow defense system lanced up to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025 If unresolved in two more weeks, lancing the lesion, doing a punch biopsy, or removing it might end up needing to be done. Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 25 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for lance

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin lancea

Verb

Middle English launcen, from Anglo-French lancer, from Late Latin lanceare, from Latin lancea

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lance was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Lance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lance. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

lance

1 of 2 noun
1
: a weapon consisting of a long shaft with a sharp steel head that was used by knights on horseback
2
: a sharp instrument
especially : lancet

lance

2 of 2 verb
lanced; lancing
: to pierce or cut with a lance or lancet

Medical Definition

lance

1 of 2 noun
: lancet

lance

2 of 2 transitive verb
lanced; lancing
: to open with or as if with a lancet : make an incision in or into
lance a boil
lance a vein

More from Merriam-Webster on lance

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