lance

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French lance, from Latin lancea.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: läns, IPA^(key): /lɑːns/
• (US) enPR: lăns, IPA^(key): /læns/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːns
• Rhymes: -æns

Noun

lance (plural lances)

1. A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen.
   • 1590, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part III, Act II, Scene III, line 15.

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

   • 1909, Charles Henry Ashdown, European Arms & Armor, page 65.

     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.

2. A wooden spear, sometimes hollow, used in jousting or tilting, designed to shatter on impact with the opposing knight’s armour.
   • 1591, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part I, Act III, Scene II, line 49.

     What will you do, good greybeard? Break a lance, And run a-tilt at Death within a chair?

3. (fishing) A spear or harpoon used by whalers and fishermen.
4. (military) A soldier armed with a lance; a lancer.
5. (military) An instrument which conveys the charge of a piece of ordnance and forces it home.
6. (founding) A small iron rod which suspends the core of the mold in casting a shell.
7. (pyrotechnics) One of the small paper cases filled with combustible composition, which mark the outlines of a figure.
8. (medicine) A lancet.

Verb

lance (third-person singular simple present lances, present participle lancing, simple past and past participle lanced)

1. To pierce with a lance, or with any similar weapon.

   Seized the due victim, and with fury lanced Her back. Dryden.

2. To open with a lancet; to pierce

   to lance a vein or an abscess

3. To throw in the manner of a lance; to lanch.

See also

• javelin
• pike
• spear

Anagrams

• Calne, ancle, clane, clean

Etymology

From Old French lance, from Latin lancea.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɑ̃s/

Noun

lance f (plural lances)

1. a spear, lance
2. (military) a soldier armed with a lance; a lancer
3. a hose

Verb

lance

1. first-person singular present indicative of lancer
2. third-person singular present indicative of lancer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of lancer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of lancer
5. second-person singular imperative of lancer

Further reading

• “lance” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Etymology

From Latin lancea.

Noun

lance f (plural lancis)

1. lance, spear

Noun

lance f pl

1. plural of lancia

Noun

lance

1. ablative singular of lanx

Etymology

From Old French lance.

Noun

lance f (plural lances)

1. lance (weapon)
2. lancer; lance

Etymology

From Latin lancea.

Noun

lance f (oblique plural lances, nominative singular lance, nominative plural lances)

1. lance (weapon)

Etymology

From the verb lançar.

Noun

lance m (plural lances)

1. throw (act of throwing something)
2. bid (offer at an auction)
3. (sports) a series of actions carried out during a game
4. (informal) thing (only used for non-physical things)
5. flight (series of stairs between landings)

Verb

lance

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of lançar

   É importante que eu lance isso.

   It’s important that I throw this.

2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of lançar

   É importante que ele lance isso.

   It’s important that he throws this.

3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of lançar

   Você aí, lance isso sozinho.

   You there, throw this by yourself.

4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of lançar

   Você aí, não lance isso sozinho.

   You there, don’t throw this by yourself.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian lancia (18th century).

Noun

lance f (plural lănci)

1. spear, lance

Etymology

From the verb lanzar.

Noun

lance m (plural lances)

1. launch (act of launching)
2. throw
3. cast (fishing)

Verb

lance

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of lanzar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of lanzar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of lanzar.