javelin

Etymology

Middle English, from Old French javelline, diminutive of javelot, diminutive of *javel, from Vulgar Latin *gabalus, from Gaulish gabal- (compare Old Irish gabul (“fork”), Welsh gafl), from Proto-Celtic *gabalos (“fork, forked branch”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰabʰlos (“fork, branch of tree”). The Old French term was also borrowed into Middle Low German as gaveline, and into Middle High German as gabilot.

Pronunciation

• enPR: jăv'lǐn, IPA^(key): /ˈdʒævlɪn/, /ˈdʒævəlɪn/
• Rhymes: -ævlɪn

Noun

javelin (plural javelins)

1. A light spear thrown with the hand and used as a weapon.
   • Addison

     Flies the javelin swifter to its mark, / Launched by the vigour of a Roman arm?

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

Verb

javelin (third-person singular simple present javelins, present participle javelining, simple past and past participle javelined)

1. (transitive) To pierce with a javelin.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Tennyson to this entry?)

See also

• discus
• hammer