spearhead
/ˈspɪɹ.hɛd/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.83 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The leading military unit in an attack.
Example Sentences
- "Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out.[…]. Ikey the blacksmith had forged us a spearhead after a sketch from a picture of a Greek warrior; and a rake-handle served as a shaft."
- "Spearheads of the NER bargain fares attack this year have been the introduction of weekend fares at a 7s 6d in the £ discount on ordinary rates between principal stations throughout the Region—[...]."
- "England played at a tempo in attack that was too much for Bulgaria, with width provided at various times by Walcott, Young and Stewart Downing and Rooney acting as the potent spearhead."
- "He spearheaded the entire project from day one."
- "Newcastle have put themselves within touching distance after a fantastic run which has been spearheaded by the goals of Senegal striker Cisse."
- "George Monks spearheaded the project to solve this problem with a funicular, and work on the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway (L&LCR) began in 1887."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: spere-hed
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈspɪɹ.hɛd/
- British English: /ˈspɪə.hɛd/