harpoon
n.n. a long, sharp tool with a handle that you throw to catch large fish or whales. It has a point that stays in the animal so you can pull it back.
n. a long, pointed weapon with a handle, designed to be thrown to pierce and secure large marine animals. Often used in the context of hunting or fishing.
The sailor used a harpoon to catch the whale.
The museum displays a traditional harpoon used by indigenous communities for centuries to hunt large fish.
The harpoon was designed with a specialized mechanism to ensure the line remained taut once the target was struck, preventing the animal from escaping into the depths.
From Old French harpon, from Latin harpaga, a rare variant of Latin harpagō, from Ancient Greek ἁρπάγη (harpágē, “hook”), from ἁρπάζω (harpázō, “to snatch away, to carry off, to seize, to captivate”). Sense and spelling perhaps influenced by Dutch harpoen (“harpoon”). Doublet of harpagon.