Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

harpoon

/hɑːɹˈpuːn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.83 in modern English

Syllables
har-poon
IPA
/hɑːɹˈpuːn/
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A spearlike weapon with a barbed head used in hunting whales and large fish.

noun

A sharp tip within a disposable syringe, used to penetrate the stopper.

noun

A harmonica.

Slang

verb

To shoot something with a harpoon.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Old French harpon, from Latin harpaga, a variant of Latin harpagō, from Ancient Greek ἁρπάγη (harpágē, “hook”), from ἁρπάζω (harpázō, “to snatch away, to carry off, to seize, to captivate”). Sense and spelling perhaps influenced by Dutch harpoen (“harpoon”). Doublet of harpagon.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: harpon, harpaga, ἁρπάγη

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /hɑːɹˈpuːn/
  • British English: /hɑːˈpuːn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

harpoons (plural) harpoons (present, singular) harpooning (participle, present) harpooned (participle, past) harpooned (past)

Derived Forms

harpooneer harpooner

Phrases

harpoon fork harpoon gun

Frequently Paired Words

spear

Rhymes With

soon june afternoon moon tune immune noon cartoon balloon spoon typhoon platoon

Questions

How do you pronounce harpoon?
The recorded pronunciation is /hɑːɹˈpuːn/.
What does harpoon mean?
A spearlike weapon with a barbed head used in hunting whales and large fish.
Where does harpoon come from?
It is traced to Old French.

How to pronounce harpoon

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “harpoon”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/hɑːɹˈpuːn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “harpoon”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “harpoon” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.