What does "javelin" mean?
A light spear thrown with the hand and used as a weapon.
Javelin
/ˈd͡ʒæv.(ə.)lɪn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A light spear thrown with the hand and used as a weapon.
- Grammar: javelin is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: cast, fling, hurl, jaculus.
- Useful contrasts: catch, deflect, evade.
- Usage evidence: The javelin thrower's record was 12 metres.
How to use "javelin"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "javelin" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "javelin" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "javelin" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "javelin" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "javelin" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cast" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "javelin", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A light spear thrown with the hand and used as a weapon.
"And when Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the Priest saw it, hee rose vp from amongst the Congregation, and tooke a iauelin in his hand. And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them thorow, the man of Israel, and the woman, thorow her belly: So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel."
- 2 a spear thrown as a weapon or in competitive field events wordnet
- 3 A metal-tipped spear thrown for distance in an athletic field event.
- 4 an athletic competition in which a javelin is thrown as far as possible wordnet
- 5 A javelinfish (Coelorinchus australis).
Verb
- 1 To pierce with a javelin. transitive
"Furrowing a giant oak, and javelining / With darted spikes and splinters of the wood"
- 2 To throw like a javelin. transitive
"He will have questions of all sorts javelined at him from the benches on both sides, from above the gangway and from below it."
- 3 To fall like a javelin. intransitive
"For answer the ship righted as she rolled upon another great swell, leaned as far the other side, and crashed, bows first, into a cleft rock under water which held her as in a vise while her jib boom flew up in splinters, and her foretopgallant and royal mast, with yards and gear and sails, tore loose aloft and javelined down until brought up short by the involved rigging."
Example
"The javelin thrower's record was 12 metres."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "javelin"?
Common synonyms include: cast, fling, hurl, jaculus, lance, projectiles.
How do you use "javelin" in a sentence?
The javelin thrower's record was 12 metres.
How do you pronounce "javelin"?
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒæv.(ə.)lɪn/.
Etymology
From Middle English chafeveleyn, gavelong, from Old French javelline, diminutive of javelot, diminutive of *javel, from Vulgar Latin *gabalus, from Gaulish gabulum (compare Old Irish gabul (“fork”), Welsh gafl), from Proto-Celtic *gablā (“fork, forked branch”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ-. The Old French term was also borrowed into Middle Low German as gaveline, and into Middle High German as gabilot. Cognate with gavelock, gaffle.