spɪə n. & v. --n. 1 a thrusting or throwing
weapon with a
pointed usu.
steel tip
and a long
shaft. 2 a
similar barbed
instrument used
for catching fish etc. 3
archaic a
spearman. 4 a pointed stem of
asparagus etc. --v.tr.
pierce or
strike with or as if with a spear (speared an olive). øspear
gun a gun used to
propel a spear in
underwater fishing. spear
side the male side of a
family. [OE spere]