harpoon
noun
har·poon
| \ här-ˈpün
\
\
Definition of harpoon
: a barbed spear or javelin used especially in hunting large fish or whales
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Examples of harpoon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Other proposals include giant magnets, harpoons, and nets to safely whittle down the growing debris cloud. — Maya Wei-haas, National Geographic, "Space junk is a huge problem—and it’s only getting bigger," 25 Apr. 2019 Aaron struck it with a homemade harpoon attached to a spool of venetian blind cord, but the crocodile dislodged the hook and disappeared underwater. — Ngm Maps, National Geographic, "‘This photograph was the hardest I’ve ever had to make’," 1 Aug. 2019 At different times, Greenpeace activists darted through dangerous waters in small boats to prevent Japanese and Russian whalers from discharging their harpoons. — Matt Schudel, Washington Post, "Steve Sawyer, Greenpeace leader who escaped 1985 sabotage bombing, dies at 63," 9 Aug. 2019 And if this doesn't work, then maybe the giant space harpoon will eliminate space junk. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Hey, Want to Watch This Satellite Melt?," 21 June 2019 Japanese whalers – with their harpoons concealed beneath tarpaulin – left the port cities of Kushiro and Shimonoseki on Monday for the first commercial whale hunt in more than three decades. — Fox News, "Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years -- despite low demand," 2 July 2019 The RemoveDEBRIS spacecraft test-fired a harpoon designed to clean up orbital garbage. — Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper's magazine, "Findings," 10 May 2019 Jordan Dreyer, the vocalist of the post-hardcore quintet, harpoons the air with his entire body, while singing with a controlled anguish. — Greta Moran, Teen Vogue, "The Culture of Sexual Harassment at Music Festivals Like Coachella Could Be Changing," 3 May 2019 The satellite will use a net and harpoon to try and clear up some of thousands of pieces of debris currently orbiting Earth. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Harpoon-Based Space Junk Capture System Is Getting Space Tested," 25 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'harpoon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for harpoon
harpoon
noun
English Language Learners Definition of harpoon
: a long weapon used especially for hunting large fish or whales
See the full definition for harpoon in the English Language Learners Dictionary
harpoon
noun
har·poon
| \ här-ˈpün
\
\
Kids Definition of harpoon
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a barbed spear used especially for hunting whales and large fish
harpoon
verb
harpooned;
harpooning
Kids Definition of harpoon (Entry 2 of 2)
: to strike with a barbed spear
harpoon
noun
har·poon
| \ här-ˈpün
\
\
Medical Definition of harpoon
: a medical instrument with a barbed head used for removing bits of living tissue for examination
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