From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Harpoon \Har*poon"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Harpooned}
(-p[=oo]nd"); p. pr. & vb. n. {Harpooning}.]
To strike, catch, or kill with a harpoon.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Harpoon \Har*poon"\ (h[aum]r*p[=oo]n"), n. [F. harpon, LL.
harpo, perh. of Ger. origin, fr. the harp; cf. F. harper to
take and grasp strongly, harpe a dog's claw, harpin boathook
(the sense of hook coming from the shape of the harp); but
cf. also Gr. "a`rph the kite, sickle, and E. harpy. Cf.
{Harp}.]
A spear or javelin used to strike and kill large fish, as
whales; a harping iron. It consists of a long shank, with a
broad, flat, triangular head, sharpened at both edges, and is
thrown by hand, or discharged from a gun.
[1913 Webster]
{Harpoon fork}, a kind of hayfork, consisting of a bar with
hinged barbs at one end and a loop for a rope at the other
end, used for lifting hay from the load by horse power.
{Harpoon gun}, a gun used in the whale fishery for shooting
the harpoon into a whale.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
harpoon
n 1: a spear with a shaft and barbed point for throwing; used
for catching large fish or whales; a strong line is
attached to it
v 1: spear with a harpoon; "harpoon whales"
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