Javelin vs. Spear

By Jaxson

Main Difference

The main difference between Javelin and Spear is that the Javelin is a light spear, designed to be thrown and Spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.

  • Javelin

    A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the bow and arrow and slingshot, which shoot projectiles from a mechanism. However, devices do exist to assist the javelin thrower in achieving greater distance, generally called spear-throwers.

    A warrior or soldier armed primarily with one or more javelins is a javelineer.

    The word javelin comes from Middle English and it derives from Old French javelin, a diminutive of javelot, which meant spear. The word javelot probably originated from one of the Celtic languages.

  • Spear

    A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or bronze. The most common design for hunting or combat spears since ancient times has incorporated a metal spearhead shaped like a triangle, lozenge, or leaf. The heads of fishing spears usually feature barbs or serrated edges.

    The word spear comes from the Old English spere, from the Proto-Germanic speri, from a Proto-Indo-European root *sper- “spear, pole”. Spears can be divided into two broad categories: those designed for thrusting in melee combat and those designed for throwing (usually referred to as javelins).

    The spear has been used throughout human history both as a hunting and fishing tool and as a weapon. Along with the axe, knife and club, it is one of the earliest and most important tools developed by early humans. As a weapon, it may be wielded with either one hand or two. It was used in virtually every conflict up until the modern era, where even then it continues on in the form of the bayonet, and is probably the most commonly used weapon in history.

Wikipedia
  • Javelin (noun)

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

  • Javelin (noun)

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

  • Javelin (verb)

    To pierce with a javelin.

  • Spear (noun)

    A long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon for throwing or thrusting, or anything used to make a thrusting motion.

  • Spear (noun)

    A soldier armed with such a weapon; a spearman.

  • Spear (noun)

    A lance with barbed prongs, used by fishermen to retrieve fish.

  • Spear (noun)

    An illegal maneuver using the end of a hockey stick to strike into another hockey player.

  • Spear (noun)

    In professional wrestling, a running tackle in which the wrestler’s shoulder is driven into the opponent’s midsection.

  • Spear (noun)

    A shoot, as of grass; a spire.

  • Spear (noun)

    The feather of a horse.

  • Spear (noun)

    The rod to which the bucket, or plunger, of a pump is attached; a pump rod.

  • Spear (noun)

    A long, thin strip from a vegetable.

    “asparagus and broccoli spears”

  • Spear (verb)

    To penetrate or strike with, or as if with, any long narrow object. To make a thrusting motion that catches an object on the tip of a long device.

  • Spear (verb)

    To shoot into a long stem, as some plants do.

  • Spear (adjective)

    Male

    “a spear counterpart”

  • Spear (adjective)

    Pertaining to male family members

    “the spear side of the family”

Wiktionary
  • Javelin (noun)

    a light spear thrown in a competitive sport or as a weapon.

  • Javelin (noun)

    the athletic sport of throwing a javelin

    “his nearest rival in the javelin”

  • Spear (noun)

    a weapon with a pointed tip, typically of steel, and a long shaft, used for thrusting or throwing.

  • Spear (noun)

    an instrument with a long shaft and a barbed tip used for catching fish.

  • Spear (noun)

    a spearman.

  • Spear (noun)

    a plant shoot, especially a pointed stem of asparagus or broccoli

    “smoked salmon wrapped around asparagus spears”

  • Spear (verb)

    pierce or strike with a spear or other pointed object

    “she speared her last chip with her fork”

Oxford Dictionary

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