What does "lance" mean?
A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen.
Lance
/lɑːns/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen.
- Grammar: lance is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: spear, amputate, assegai, auger.
- Useful contrasts: close, evade, parry.
- Usage evidence: The tongue wounds more than a lance.
How to use "lance"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lance" 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 "lance" 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 "lance" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lance" 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 "lance" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang 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 "spear" 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.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lance", 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 weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen.
"Thy brother’s blood the thirsty earth hath drunk, Broach’d with the steely point of Clifford’s lance[…]"
- 2 a surgical knife with a pointed double-edged blade; used for punctures and small incisions wordnet
- 3 A wooden spear, sometimes hollow, used in jousting or tilting, designed to shatter on impact with the opposing knight’s armour.
"What will you do, good greybeard? Break a lance, And run a-tilt at Death within a chair?"
- 4 a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon wordnet
- 5 A spear or harpoon used by whalers and fishermen.
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 an implement with a shaft and barbed point used for catching fish wordnet
- 7 A soldier armed with a lance; a lancer.
- 8 An instrument which conveys the charge of a piece of ordnance and forces it home.
- 9 A small iron rod which suspends the core of the mold in casting a shell.
- 10 One of the small paper cases filled with combustible composition, which mark the outlines of a figure.
- 11 A lancet.
- 12 A piece in the game of shogi that can move directly forward any number of squares.
Verb
- 1 Prick or cut open with a sharp instrument.
- 2 To pierce with a lance, or with any similar weapon.
"Seiz'd the due Victim, and with Fury lanch'd Her Back"
- 3 open by piercing with a lancet wordnet
- 4 Pierce with or as if with a lance.
- 5 To open with a lancet; to pierce.
"to lance a vein or an abscess"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 pierce with a lance, as in a knights' fight wordnet
- 7 Move suddenly and quickly
- 8 To throw in the manner of a lance; to lanch.
- 9 move quickly, as if by cutting one's way wordnet
- 10 to steal or swipe informal
"He lanced my drink and spiked it!"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname originating as a patronymic.
- 2 A male given name from the Germanic languages; by folk etymology associated with a lance.; A diminutive of the male given name Lancelot.
- 3 A male given name from the Germanic languages; by folk etymology associated with a lance.; A male given name transferred from the surname.
Example
"The tongue wounds more than a lance."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lance"?
Common synonyms include: spear, amputate, assegai, auger, ax, bayonet.
How do you use "lance" in a sentence?
The tongue wounds more than a lance.
How do you pronounce "lance"?
Pronounced /lɑːns/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English launce, from Old French lance, from Latin lancea.
Etymology 2
The surname is derived from a medieval given name Lanzo, short form of names beginning with the Germanic element *land; see land. Doublet of Lanzo.