See Also: harpoon(medicine)
harpoon(dictionary)
harpoon(dictionary)

harpoon (iou)



harpoon noun & verb. [h¨»:'pu:n] E17.
[French harpon, from harpe dog's claw, cramp-iron, clamp, from Latin (also harpa) from Greek harpe sickle.]
A. noun. Orig., a barbed dart or spear. Later, a barbed spearlike missile with a cord attached to the shank, for catching whales and large fish. Cf. earlier HARPING-IRON. E17.
Comb.: harpoon-gun: for firing a harpoon.
b. verb trans. Strike or spear with a harpoon. L18.
harpoo'neer noun (now rare or obsolete) a harpooner E17.
harpooner noun a person who throws or fires a harpoon E18.