spontoon

noun

spon·​toon spän-ˈtün How to pronounce spontoon (audio)
: a short pike formerly borne by subordinate officers of infantry

Word History

Etymology

French sponton, from Italian spuntone, from punta sharp point, from Vulgar Latin *puncta — more at point

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spontoon was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near spontoon

spontaneous recovery

spontoon

spoof

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Spontoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spontoon. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of symbiosis

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2

  • a pencil broken in half on top of a test answer sheet
  • The business’s new computer system proved not to be a panacea.
Spell It

Hear a word and type it out. How many can you get right?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games