spear

UK: /ˈspɪə^r/ US: /spɪr/ ,(spēr)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

spear¹ /spɪr/   n. [countable]

1. Military a long wooden shaft with a sharp-pointed head of metal or stone attached to it.

v. [~ + object]

2. to pierce or stab through with or as if with a spear:
   speared a slice of fruit from the plate.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

spear¹ (spēr),  n. 

1. Military a long, stabbing weapon for thrusting or throwing, consisting of a wooden shaft to which a sharp-pointed head, as of iron or steel, is attached.
2. Military a soldier or other person armed with such a weapon;
   spearman:
   an army of 40,000 spears.
3. a similar weapon or stabbing implement, as one for use in fishing.
4. the act of spearing.

adj. 

5. See spear side. 

v.t. 

6. to pierce with or as with a spear.

v.i. 

7. to go or penetrate like a spear:
   The plane speared through the clouds.

• bef. 900; Middle English (noun, nominal), Old English spere; cognate with Dutch, German speer

spear′er, n. 

spear² (spēr),  n. 

1. Botany a sprout or shoot of a plant, as a blade of grass or an acrospire of grain.

v.i. 

2. Botany to sprout;
   shoot;
   send up or rise in a spear or spears.

• variant of spire¹, perh. influenced by spear¹ 1520–30

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

spear / spɪə/ noun

1. a weapon consisting of a long shaft with a sharp pointed end of metal, stone, or wood that may be thrown or thrust
2. a similar implement used to catch fish
3. another name for spearman

verb

1. to pierce (something) with or as if with a spear

Etymology: Old English spere; related to Old Norse spjör spears, Greek sparos gilthead

spear / spɪə/ noun

1. a shoot, slender stalk, or blade, as of grass, asparagus, or broccoli

Etymology: 16th Century: probably variant of spire¹, influenced by spear¹