speared; spearing; spears
1
: to pierce, strike, or take with or as if with a spear
spear salmon
speared a chop from the platter
2
: to catch (something, such as a baseball) with a sudden thrust of the arm
3
a
ice hockey
: to jab (an opposing player) with the blade of one's stick
All game, the Caps held, hooked, slashed, speared, chopped, and bopped … the Rangers' European players.—
Stu Hackel
Stu Hackel
b
American football
: to ram (an opposing player) with one's helmet
… defensive end Ben Davidson set off a sidelines-clearing scrum when he speared Dawson from behind after he was down.—Jim Trotter
Jim Trotter
: to thrust at or wound something with or as if with a spear
spearer
noun
: paternal sense 3
the spear side of the family
compare distaff
speared; spearing; spears
: a usually young blade, shoot, or sprout (as of grass)
Synonyms
Examples of spear in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the Roman gladiator thrust his spear triumphantly into the lion's side
Verb (1)
she speared a pea with her fork and angrily flung it
Recent Examples on the WebAndrew Chapman, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024
After a too-brief stay at Vermelho, my luggage-friendly Rover SV is spearing past the vineyards of the scrappy Alentejo wine region, and blurring the bark-regenerating cork oaks that provide stoppers for the world’s wine industry.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spear 
Verb
Northwestern Iceland is also where Ólafur, the 14th-century hunter, speared blue whales from his open wooden boat.
—Andrew Chapman, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024
After a too-brief stay at Vermelho, my luggage-friendly Rover SV is spearing past the vineyards of the scrappy Alentejo wine region, and blurring the bark-regenerating cork oaks that provide stoppers for the world’s wine industry.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spear
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spear.' 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 spear
Cite this Entry
“Spear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spear. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spear
2 of 3 verb
: to pierce or strike with or as if with a spear
spearer
noun
spear
3 of 3 noun
: a usually young blade, shoot, or sprout (as of grass)
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