SPEAR

I. noun Etymology: Middle English spere, from Old English; akin to Old High German sper ~, Latin sparus hunting ~ Date: before 12th century a thrusting or throwing weapon with long shaft and sharp head or blade, a sharp-pointed instrument with barbs used in ~ing fish, ~man , II. verb Date: 15th century transitive verb to pierce, strike, or take with or as if with a ~ , to catch (as a baseball) with a sudden thrust of the arm, intransitive verb to thrust at or wound something with or as if with a ~, ~er noun III. adjective Date: 1861 paternal 3 , IV. intransitive verb Etymology: 5~ Date: 1573 to thrust a ~ upward, V. noun Etymology: alteration of 1spire Date: 1647 a usually young blade, shoot, or sprout (as of grass)