spear

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/spɪr/
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A long pointed weapon or fishing tool, a narrow plant shoot, and the action of piercing, skewering, catching, or striking with a sharp sudden thrust.
Practice using this word in conversation

Examples

  • She practiced throwing a spear at the target.
  • The hockey player speared his opponent with the blade of the stick.
  • They caught salmon with a barbed spear in the shallows.
  • The defender was penalized after he speared the runner with his helmet.
  • The outfielder speared the line drive above his head.

Similar words

shoot
stem
javelin
pike
blade
harpoon
jab
lance
pierce
sprout

Meanings

Long pointed weapon or fishing tool

noun
physical
neutral
A long shaft with a sharp head or blade, used for thrusting, throwing, hunting, fighting, or spearing fish.

Usage

Use spear for the weapon or pointed fishing tool, not for any sharp object or every polearm.

Examples

  • The guard raised his spear before the gate opened.
  • They caught salmon with a barbed spear in the shallows.
  • Ancient soldiers carried shields and spears into battle.
  • The museum displayed a stone spear point from a prehistoric site.
  • She practiced throwing a spear at the target.

Common mistakes

A spear is confused with other weapons or treated as a writing, cutting, or eating tool.
IncorrectCorrect
The knight swung his spear like a sword. The knight thrust his spear like a lance.
She wrote the note with a spear. She wrote the note with a pen.
The archer fired a spear from the bow. The archer fired an arrow from the bow.

Similar words

lance
javelin
pike
harpoon
dart
polearm

Pointed plant shoot

noun
cooking
neutral
A long narrow shoot or stem, especially an edible young stalk such as asparagus.

Usage

Use spear for a single narrow shoot or serving piece of a plant, especially asparagus.

Examples

  • The chef trimmed each asparagus spear before blanching it.
  • Tender spears of grass pushed through the wet soil.
  • Arrange the broccoli spears beside the fish.
  • The recipe calls for eight thin spears of asparagus.
  • New bamboo spears appeared after the warm rain.

Common mistakes

The plant sense is confused with the weapon, or the countable stalk is treated as a mass of food.
IncorrectCorrect
Add two asparagus spear to the plate. Add two asparagus spears to the plate.
The spear in the salad was made of metal. The spear in the salad was a stalk of asparagus.
Cut the asparagus into a spear of soup. Cut the asparagus spears for the soup.

Similar words

shoot
sprout
stem
stalk
blade
spire

Pierce, catch, or strike with a thrust

verb
physical
neutral
To drive a spear, fork, arm, stick, or other pointed or sudden thrust into something so it is pierced, caught, stopped, or hit.

Usage

Use spear when the action has a sharp thrust, either with a point or with a sudden reaching or ramming motion.

Examples

  • They speared fish from the riverbank.
  • He speared an olive with a cocktail stick.
  • The outfielder speared the line drive above his head.
  • The hockey player speared his opponent with the blade of the stick.
  • The defender was penalized after he speared the runner with his helmet.

Common mistakes

The verb is used without a thrusting action, with the wrong tense, or for an ordinary catch.
IncorrectCorrect
He spear the fish yesterday. He speared the fish yesterday.
She speared the soup with a spoon. She ate the soup with a spoon.
The catcher speared the easy pop-up under his chest. The catcher caught the easy pop-up under his chest.

Similar words

pierce
stab
impale
lance
skewer
jab

Usage

Use context to separate the weapon, the asparagus-style shoot, and the verb for piercing, skewering, sudden catching, or dangerous sporting contact.

Common mistakes

A spear is confused with a sword, arrow, or any pointed thing, while asparagus spears and sports uses need their own context.

Etymology

The weapon noun comes from Old English spere, from a Germanic word also seen in Dutch speer and German Speer. The plant-shoot noun is a later alteration of spire, influenced by the weapon word, and the verb grew from the weapon noun.

FAQ

What does spear mean?

Spear usually means a long pointed weapon or tool, and it can also mean a narrow plant shoot such as an asparagus spear.

Can spear be a verb?

Yes. To spear something is to pierce, catch, or lift it with a spear, fork, or other pointed object.

What is an asparagus spear?

An asparagus spear is one long edible shoot of the asparagus plant.

What does spear mean in sport?

In sport, spear can mean to make a sudden reaching catch, or to jab or ram another player in a dangerous way.

Where does spear come from?

The weapon word comes from Old English spere. The plant-shoot sense is linked to spire and was influenced by the weapon word.

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