What does harpoon mean?
A harpoon is a barbed, spear-like weapon used to catch whales and other large marine animals. It belongs to the history of whaling, when crews approached a whale in small boats and struck it with harpoons attached to ropes. The word can also be used as a verb: to harpoon something is to pierce or catch it with such a weapon. In modern figurative usage, harpoon describes a forceful attempt to secure or attract something, especially a person, contract, or audience. The word also survives in compounds such as harpoon gun and harpoon line, reflecting its practical maritime history. Although traditional whaling is now obsolete, harpooning remains a real practice in some fisheries and continues to provide a vivid example of how English preserves specialized tools and the cultural history surrounding them. Harpoon combines a concrete physical meaning with a memorable figurative sense built around the idea of hooking or seizing a target.
A barbed, spear-like weapon used for catching whales and other large marine animals.
"The harpoon remained embedded in the whale as it pulled the line."
The word is historically associated with whaling and is also used in modern fishing and maritime contexts.
To catch, strike, or pierce something with a harpoon.
"The fishermen harpooned the tuna beside the boat."
Figuratively, it means to seize or secure something forcefully, especially a person, deal, or audience.
The standard plural of the noun is “harpoons.”
"The museum displays several harpoons used by nineteenth-century whalers."
A harpoon was designed for an extraordinary challenge: catching powerful ocean animals with a hand-thrown spear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does harpoon come from?
The English word entered use in the early 17th century from French harpon, an Old French term for a spear or grappling weapon. Its ultimate source is generally traced to a Frankish or Germanic word meaning a hook or hooked implement, related to words such as harp. Romance languages developed close cognates, including Spanish arpón and Italian arpone. The English form preserved the tool's original sense while also becoming the basis for ordinary verbal and figurative uses.
Related word forms
How harpoon is actually used
The noun is strongly associated with historical whaling and also appears in modern fishing and marine contexts. The verb is commonly used figuratively in informal or journalistic language for forcefully securing or attracting something, often a person, deal, or audience.