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Webster 1913 Edition

Spear

Spear

,
Noun.
[OE.
spere
, AS.
spere
; akin to D. & G.
speer
, OS. & OHS.
sper
, Icel. spjör, pl., Dan.
spaer
, L.
sparus
.]
1.
A long, pointed weapon, used in war and hunting, by thrusting or throwing; a weapon with a long shaft and a sharp head or blade; a lance.
[See Illust. of
Spearhead
.]
“A sharp ground spear.”
Chaucer.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their
spears
into pruning hooks.
Micah iv. 3.
2.
Fig.: A spearman.
Sir W. Scott.
3.
A sharp-pointed instrument with barbs, used for stabbing fish and other animals.
4.
A shoot, as of grass; a spire.
5.
The feather of a horse. See
Feather
,
Noun.
, 4.
6.
The rod to which the bucket, or plunger, of a pump is attached; a pump rod.
Spear foot
,
the off hind foot of a horse.
–
Spear grass
.
(Bot.)
(a)
The common reed. See
Reed
,
Noun.
, 1.
(b)
meadow grass. See under
Meadow
.
–
Spear hand
,
the hand in which a horseman holds a spear; the right hand.
Crabb.
–
Spear side
,
the male line of a family.
Lowell.
–
Spear thistle
(Bot.)
,
the common thistle (
Cnicus lanceolatus
).

Spear

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Speared
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Spearing
.]
To pierce with a spear; to kill with a spear;
as, to
spear
a fish
.

Spear

,
Verb.
I.
To shoot into a long stem, as some plants. See
Spire
.
Mortimer.

Webster 1828 Edition

Spear

SPEAR

, n.
1.
A long pointed weapon, used in war and hunting by thrusting or throwing; a lance.
2.
A sharp pointed instrument with barbs; used for stabbing fish and other animals.
3.
A shoot, as of grass; usually spire.

SPEAR

,
Verb.
T.
To pierce with a spear; to kill with a spear; as, to spear a fish.

SPEAR

,
Verb.
I.
To shoot into a long stem. [See Spire.]

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