: 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
The most recent shows the interior entryway of that house; an umbrella jar holds several walking sticks and two ancient Inuit harpoons with whale-bone barbs; on the wall above them hangs a gleaming nineteenth-century harpoon gun.
—
Annie Proulx, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024
Using their powerful tongues — which, at least among many Appalachian salamanders, shoot out like a harpoon — salamanders consume enormous quantities of insects.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 18 June 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for harpoon 
Annie Proulx, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024
Using their powerful tongues — which, at least among many Appalachian salamanders, shoot out like a harpoon — salamanders consume enormous quantities of insects.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 18 June 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for harpoon
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.
Dictionary Entries Near harpoon
Cite this Entry
“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harpoon. Accessed 7 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share