arrow

From Middle English arwe, from Old English earh (oblique form ēarw-), from Proto-West Germanic *arhu, from Proto-Germanic *arhwō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂érkʷo- (“bow, arrow”). Cognate with Faroese ørv (“arrow”), Icelandic ör (“arrow”), örvar (“arrows”), Gothic 𐌰𐍂𐍈𐌰𐌶𐌽𐌰 (arƕazna, “dart”), Latin arcus (“bow”).

der

The Citizens in their rage, imagining that euery poſt in the Churche had bin one of yᵉ Souldyers, ſhot habbe or nabbe at randon^([sic – meaning random]) uppe to the Roode lofte, and to the Chancell, leauing ſome of theyr arrowes ſticking in the Images.

1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “[The Historie of Irelande […].] The Thirde Booke of the Historie of Ireland, Comprising the Raigne of Henry the Eyght: ….”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Hunne, →OCLC, pages 77–78, column 2:

Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.

1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:

A projectile consisting of a shaft, a point and a tail with stabilizing fins that is shot from a bow.

střela f (dated, now means "projectile")

strela f (dated, now means "projectile")


arrow

en-verb

arrow (third-person singular simple present arrows, present participle arrowing, simple past and past participle arrowed)

arrows (present singular third-person)
arrowing (participle present)
arrowed (participle past)
arrowed (past)

Jermain Defoe dinked in an equaliser and Gareth Bale hit the crossbar for the hosts before Elliott Bennett arrowed in Norwich's winner.

2012 April 9, Mandeep Sanghera, “Tottenham 1 - 2 Norwich”, in BBC Sport:

(transitive) To let fly swiftly and directly.

Arrow left until you reach the start of the text you want to delete.

(computing, intransitive) To navigate using the arrow keys.


spear

From Middle English spere, sperre, spear, from Old English spere, from Proto-West Germanic *speru, from Proto-Germanic *speru, from Proto-Indo-European *sperH-.
Cognates
See also West Frisian spear, Dutch speer, German Speer, Old Norse spjǫr, *sparrô, Middle Dutch sparre (“rafter”), Old Norse sparri (“spar, rafter”), sperra (“rafter, beam”); also Latin sparus (“short spear”), Albanian ferrë (“thorn, thornbush”).

It's not like you killed someone
It's not like you drove a spiteful spear into his side
Talk to Jesus Christ as if he knows the reasons why
He did it all for you

2000, “Judith”, performed by A Perfect Circle:

A long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon for throwing or thrusting, or anything used to make a thrusting motion.

(ice hockey) An illegal maneuver using the end of a hockey stick to strike into another hockey player.


spear

the spear side of the family


lance

From Middle English launce, from Old French lance, from Latin lancea.

Thy brother’s blood the thirsty earth hath drunk, Broach’d with the steely point of Clifford’s lance[…]

c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], line 15:

The head of the lance was commonly of the leaf form, and sometimes approached that of the lozenge; it was very seldom barbed, although this variety, together with the others, appears upon the Bayeux Tapestry.

1909, Charles Henry Ashdown, European Arms & Armor, page 65:

A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen.

(fishing) A spear or harpoon used by whalers and fishermen.

(military) An instrument which conveys the charge of a piece of ordnance and forces it home.

Harpune mit Sprenggeschoss

(military) instrument which conveys the charge of a piece of ordinance

(pyrotechnics) One of the small paper cases filled with combustible composition, which mark the outlines of a figure.


pilum

Borrowed from Latin pilum. Doublet of pile.

Besides a lighter spear, the Roman legionary grasped in his right hand the formidable pilum, a ponderous javelin whose utmost length was about six feet and which was terminated by a massy triangular point of steel of about eighteen inches.

1776, Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Penguin 2000, page 21:

Verica plucked a pilum from the hands of the nearest legionary – the soldier didn't react – and handed it to me.

2011, Ben Aaronovitch, Rivers of London, Gollancz 2011, page 371:


javelin

From Middle English [Term?], from Old French javelline, diminutive of javelot, diminutive of *javel, from Vulgar Latin *gabalus, from Gaulish gabulum (compare Old Irish gabul (“fork”), Welsh gafl), from Proto-Celtic *gablā (“fork, forked branch”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ-. The Old French term was also borrowed into Middle Low German as gaveline, and into Middle High German as gabilot. Cognate with gavelock, gaffle.

der

A metal-tipped spear thrown for distance in an athletic field event.


partisan

From French partizaine, from Middle French partizaine, partisanne etc., from Italian partigiana, related to Etymology 1 above (apparently because it was seen as a typical weapon of such forces).

I had as lief have a reed that will do me no service as a partisan I could not heave.

c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii]:

Salisbury and his attendants were also now drawing near, with bills and partisans brandished, and bows already bended.

(historical) A long-handled spear with a triangular, double-edged blade having lateral projections, in some forms also used in boar hunting.


pike

From Middle English pyke, pyk, pik, pike (“pike; sharp point, iron tip of a staff or spear, pointed toe of an item of footwear; sharp tool; mountain, peak”), from Old English pīc (“pointed object, pick axe”), and Middle French pique (“long thrusting weapon”), from Old French pic (“sharp point, spike”); both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *pīk, from Proto-Germanic *pīkaz, *pīkō (“sharp point, pike, peak”), related to pick with a narrower meaning.
The word is cognate with Middle Dutch pecke, peke, picke (modern Dutch piek), German Pike, Norwegian pik, Danish pig, and possibly Old Irish pīk. It is a doublet of pique.
The diving or gymnastics position is probably from tapered appearance of the body when the position is executed.
The carnivorous freshwater fish is probably derived from the “sharp point, spike” senses, due to the fish’s pointed jaws.
The verb sense “to quit or back out of a promise” may be from the sense of taking up pilgrim's staff or pike and leaving on a pilgrimage; and compare Middle English pī̆ken (“to go, remove oneself”) and Old Danish pikke af (“to go away”).

cog

Each had a ſmall ax in the ſurcingle of his ſaddle, and a pike about fourteen feet long, the weapon with which he charged; […]

1790, James Bruce, chapter V, in Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, in the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773. In Five Volumes, volume IV, Edinburgh: Printed by J. Ruthven, for G. G. J. and J. Robinson, […], →OCLC, page 117:

A few months after the murder of Don Carlos, the Counts de Horn and d'Egmonte, who had long been detained in prison, notwithstanding their innocence, were put to death by the cruel Alva in the market-place at Brussels, and the heads of these two patriotic martyrs were exposed upon pikes to the view of the populace.

1855, Jules Raymond Lamé Fleury, “The Death of Don Carlos. From the Year 1567 to 1570.”, in M. C. T., transl., Historical Chapters Relating to Many Lands. Adapted for Children. Translated from the French of M. Lamé Fleury, by a Lady, London: Jackson & Walford, […], →OCLC, page 110:


leister

From earlier leyster, lister, perhaps via Middle English *lēster, *līster, from Old Norse ljóstr (“leister”), from ljósta (“to smite, strike; to hit, strike (with an arrow or spear)”), from Proto-Germanic *leustaną (“to hit, strike”), from Proto-Indo-European *lew-s- (“to loosen (by knocking)”); the word is cognate with Danish lyster (“fish spear, gig, leister”), Icelandic ljósta (“to hit, strike”), Norwegian Bokmål lyster (dialectal Norwegian lioster), Swedish ljuster.

refn

From the collection of the Immigration Museum of the State of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

cog

The methods of catching the ſalmon in this pariſh are ſimilar to thoſe deſcribed in the ſtatiſtical account of Dornock, p. 15. excepting that there is no raiſe-net fiſhing, and that the leiſter is only about 10 or 12 feet long, conſequently better calculated for throwing to any diſtance.

1792, William Wright, “Number XII. Parish of Newabbey. (Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.)”, in John Sinclair, The Statistical Account of Scotland. […], volume II, Edinburgh: Printed and sold by William Creech; [et al.], →OCLC, footnote, pages 132–133:

Rob Runchy, as a forlorn hope, once threw his clodding leister at a drowning man floating down the Yarrow in a high flood, and hauled him out with the lyams unharmed.

1843, William Scrope, chapter IX, in Days and Nights of Salmon Fishing in the Tweed; […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, pages 199–200:

Andy, who had been a moment behind getting his leister out of the fish he had killed, came up, and both he and Jock made several random strokes, when Jock, in his eagerness, slipped his foot, and fell headforemost into the water, the leister flying from his hand just as I caught sight of the fish they were after, lying close in to the bank; […]

1850, “Agricola” [pseudonym], “‘Burning the Water’—A Tweedside Sketch”, in The New Sporting Magazine, volume 116, London: Published at the office, 34, Norfolk Street, Strand, →OCLC, page 57:

Old Sandy fished down the river, but he could kill no more salmon that night, […] He missed one; wounded another on the tail; and struck a third on the rigback, where no leister can pierce a fish, till he made him spring above water.

1865, “the Ettrick Shepherd” [pseudonym; James Hogg], Thomas Thomson, “The Siege of Roxburgh”, in The Works of the Ettrick Shepherd. […], new edition, volume I, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh: Blackie & Son, […], →OCLC, chapter VII, page 632, column 1:

The leister is a spear composed of four or more barbed prongs, something like the manure fork or graip of the agriculturist, and firmly fixed to a light straight pole about twelve or fourteen feet in length. […] The leisterer looks into the river to find a fish, he spears it if he can and must keep it from wriggling off his leister after it is pierced.

1878 April 26, “a special correspondent” [pseudonym], “River Poaching on the Borders.—No. IV.”, in The Fishing Gazette, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, →OCLC, page 194, column 1:

Although leisters and harpoons cannot be called the most important implement in the fishing economy of the North American Indians, they are probably of more value as evidence of culture-historical movements than most of the other fishing artifacts, and for two reasons.

1952, University of California Publications in Geography, volume 9, Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 108:

The shaft parts taper slightly upwards, have rounded outer surfaces and flat or slightly concave inner surfaces which are adapted to the shape of the leister pole.

2004, Jørgen Skaarup, “Artefacts”, in Jørgen Skaarup, Ole Grøn, translated by Anne Bloch Jøorgensen and David Earle Robinson, Møllegabet II: A Submerged Mesolithic Settlement in Southern Denmark (BAR International Series; 1328), Oxford: Archaeopress, →ISBN, archived from the original on 2018-12-20, section V.a.4.2 (Leister Prongs), page 88, column 2:

These Aborigines possessed the entire Tasmanian toolkit plus hundreds of additional specialized tools, including a fine array of bone tools, leisters, spear throwers, boomerangs, mounted adzes (for wood working), many multipart tools, a variety of nets for birds, fish, and wallabies, sewn-bark canoes with paddles, string bags, ground-edge axes, and wooden bowls for drinking.

2016, Joseph Henrich, chapter 12, in The Secret of Our Success […] , Princeton: Princeton University Press, →ISBN:

(fishing) A spear armed with three or more barbed prongs for catching fish, particularly salmon.

lyster

spear with barbed prongs for catching fish


tilt

From Middle English tilte, from Old English *tyltan, *tieltan (“to be unsteady”), related to the adjective tealt (“unsteady”), from Proto-West Germanic *talt, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *del-, *dul- (“to shake, hesitate”), see also Dutch touteren (“to tremble”), North Frisian talt, tolt (“unstable, shaky”). Cognate with Icelandic tölt (“an ambling pace”).
The nominal sense of "a joust" appears around 1510, presumably derived from the barrier which separated the combatants, which suggests connection with tilt "covering". The modern transitive meaning is from 1590; the intransitive use appears 1620.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-tilt.wav


dory

Borrowed from Ancient Greek δόρυ (dóru).

The basic weapon of the hoplite was the dory, a wooden-shaft spear six to nine feet long with a metal point at each end.

1990, Richard A. Gabriel, The Culture of War: Invention and Early Development (Contributions in Military Studies; 96), New York, N.Y.: Greenwood Press, →ISBN, page 89:

The principal offensive weapon of the hoplite was his spear (dory). Conquered territory was said to be 'spear-won'.

2000, Nick Sekunda, Greek Hoplite: 480–323 BC (Osprey Military, Warrior Series; 27), Oxford: Osprey Publishing, →ISBN, page 12:

The principal weapon of the hoplite was the dory spear. It was unusually long – it could measure up to 10ft (3m) in length, and weighed about 4.4lb (2kg). At one end was a broad, leaf-pattern spearhead, while at the other end was a metal spike called a sauroter. The purpose of the spike is much debated: it almost certainly acted as a counterbalance, making the spear easier to hold and wield; it could have been used as an improvised spear point, or for making downward attacks on the enemy's exposed feet; or it might even have been embedded in the ground to keep the spear in place.

2011 (republished 2014 as an e-book), Chris McNab, A History of the World in 100 Weapons, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, page 37

Sadly, the Greeks' weapons have succumbed to erosion; yet all are single-handed and one figure is striking overhead with left leg forward consistent with the use of a dory.

2012, Fred Eugene Ray, Jr., Greek and Macedonian Land Battles of the 4th Century B.C.: A History and Analysis of 187 Engagements, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 90:

A wooden pike or spear about three metres (ten feet) in length with a flat, leaf-shaped iron spearhead and a bronze butt-spike (called a sauroter), which was the main weapon of hoplites in Ancient Greece. It was usually not thrown but rather thrust at opponents with one hand.


assegai

From French azagaie (now zagaie) or Portuguese azagaia, Spanish azagaya, and later in the forms that have become most common borrowed from Afrikaans assegaai, from colloquial Arabic اَلزَّغَايَة (az-zaḡāya), from Proto-Berber *zaġāya (“spear”).

der

اَلزَّغَايَة

But now the Moormen, stalking o'er the strand / to guard the wat'ery stores the strangers need; / this, targe on arm and assegai in hand, / that, with his bended bow, and venom'd reed[.]

1880, Richard Francis Burton, Os Lusíadas, volume I, page 33:

My client welcomed the judge […] and they disappeared together into the Ethiopian card-room, which was filled with the assegais and exclamation point shields Mr. Cooke had had made at the sawmill at Beaverton.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

Native mats covered the clay walls; a collection of spears, assegais, shields, knives was hung up in trophies.

1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 213:

A birdchief, bluestreaked and feathered in war panoply with his assegai, striding through a crackling canebrake over beechmast and acorns.

Without a word, he took my foreskin, pulled it forward, and then, in a single motion, brought down his assegai.

1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 32:

A slim hardwood spear or javelin with an iron tip, especially those used by Bantu peoples of Southern Africa.


spiculum

From Latin spīculum (“a little sharp point”), from spīcum, alternative form of spīca (“point, spike”).

A thrusting javelin used by Romans that replaced the pilum in the late 3rd century.


ranseur

/ɹɑːnˈsɜː(ɹ)/

Any of several types of spear with a long sharp end and two projections on each side.


xyston

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ξυστόν (xustón, “spear, javelin”), of unknown origin. Potentially from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰasto- or *ǵʰasdʰo- (“branch ~ spear, sharp spine”) (whence also gad, goad, and yard), but this is likely a substrate word in view of the various irregularities.

bor

The Companions, like the Thessalian cavalry, were a well-mounted force armed with cuirass and the short thrusting spear (xyston) for close combat.

2004, J. F. C. Fuller, The Generalship of Alexander the Great, page 47:

A type of long thrusting lance, used in ancient Greece.


yari

(weaponry) Any of various sizes of spear used in Japanese martial arts.


sarissa

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek σάρισσα (sárissa).

lbor

(Ancient Greece) A long pike used in the traditional Greek phalanx formation.


boar-spear

And still the foster with his long bore-speare / Him kept from landing at his wished will […]

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:


soliferrum

From Latin soliferrum, from solus (“only”) + ferrum (“iron”).

An ancient Iberian heavy iron javelin. It was designed to be thrown a short distance of up to 30 meters.


atgar

Learned borrowing from Old English ætgār (“a short spear, dart, javelin, a kind of dart or other weapon to cast at the enemy”), from Proto-West Germanic *atgaiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *atgaizaz; equivalent to at- + gar (“spear”). Cognate with Old Frisian etgēr, Old High German azgēr, azigēr, Icelandic atgeir (“spear”).

(Anglo-Saxon) A kind of spear or lance formerly in use.


spetum

From Italian spedo (“a spit”). Doublet of spit.

(historical) A medieval long spear with two sharp tapering blades projecting forward at roughly around 45 degrees with the blunt side facing the opponent.


angon

From Byzantine Greek ἄγγων (ángōn, “prong, hook”); ultimately of Gothic *𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰 (*agga, “prong, hook”) and that from Proto-Germanic *angô (“hook; barb; angle”).

der

(historical) A type of javelin with a barbed tip, used by the Franks and the various Germanic tribes in the Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages.


jereed

en-noun

jereed (countable and uncountable, plural jereeds)

From Ottoman Turkish جرید (cirid) (Turkish cirit), from Arabic جَرِيد (jarīd).

The spur hath lanced his courser's sides— / Away—away—for life he rides— / Swift as the hurled on high jerreed, / Springs to the touch his startled steed, [...]

1813, Lord Byron, The Giaour, a Fragment of a Turkish Tale, 8th edition, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], for John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 12, lines 249–252:

(countable) A blunt javelin used by the people of the Levant, especially in mock fights.

(uncountable) A traditional Turkish equestrian team sport played outdoors on horseback in which the objective is to score points by throwing a blunt wooden javelin at opposing team's horsemen.


cronel

The follovving deſcription of the coronels or coronets, is given by [John] Guillim in his diſplay of heraldry.

1786, Francis Grose, “The Sling”, in A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, […], London: […] S. Hooper, […], →OCLC, footnote x, page 47:

The metal head of a tilting spear or lance, which could be blunt or consist of many small points (to grip armor), designed not to penetrate or wound.


fire lance

(historical) A weapon, first used by the Chinese, consisting of a spear with one or more primitive flamethrowers attached.

火槍 /火枪

spear with one or more flamethrowers attached


taiaha

A traditional Māori wooden staff weapon, used for short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts, usually decorated on one end.


fishspear

He went outside and aimed a fishspear in the direction of the noise.

2012, Leo Katz, Bad Acts and Guilty Minds: Conundrums of the Criminal Law:


Gungnir

Learned borrowing from Old Norse Gungnir (“the swaying one”).

lbor

(Norse mythology and paganism) The spear of the Norse god Odin, which is believed to never miss its target.