spearhead en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English spere-hed; equivalent to spear + head.
Meanings
-
The pointed head, or end, of a spear.
Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out.[…]. Ikey the blacksmith had forged us a spearhead after a sketch from a picture of a Greek warrior; and a rake-handle served as a shaft.
1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
-
Something or somebody leading or initiating an activity (such as an attack or campaign).
Spearheads of the NER bargain fares attack this year have been the introduction of weekend fares at a 7s 6d in the £ discount on ordinary rates between principal stations throughout the Region—[...].
1964 September, G. Freeman Allen, “Interim report on the East Coast Route express service”, in Modern Railways, pages 158–159:
- The leading military unit in an attack.
-
A player who initiates attacking moves.
England played at a tempo in attack that was too much for Bulgaria, with width provided at various times by Walcott, Young and Stewart Downing and Rooney acting as the potent spearhead.
2011 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Bulgaria 0-3 England”, in BBC, archived from the original on 10 Aug 2020:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| spearheads | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (63)
nl speerpunt (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · bg авангард (one who leads or initiates an activity) · sh glava (one who leads or initiates an activity) · de Bahnbrecher (one who leads or initiates an activity) · pt ponta de lança (the leading military unit in an attack) · hu lándzsahegy (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · de Speerspitze (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · grc λόγχη (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · sh predvodnica (one who leads or initiates an activity) · es punta de lanza (the leading military unit in an attack) · da spydspids (one who leads or initiates an activity) · fr fer de lance (one who leads or initiates an activity) · es punta de lanza (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · pt comandante (one who leads or initiates an activity) · sh predvodnik (one who leads or initiates an activity) · kmr serikê rimê (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · bg преден отряд (the leading military unit in an attack) · pl grot (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · es punta (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · fa سنان (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · ar رأس حربة (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · hu dárdahegy (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · ja 急先鋒 (one who leads or initiates an activity) · de Stoßkeil (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · pl liderka (one who leads or initiates an activity) · de Kopf (one who leads or initiates an activity) · bg острие на копие (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · de Angriffsspitze (the leading military unit in an attack) · ota مخرص (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · sq prijës (one who leads or initiates an activity) · hu előrevetett egység (the leading military unit in an attack) · sq major (the leading military unit in an attack) · de Lanzenspitze (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · fr fer de lance (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · fi keihäänkärki (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · grc αἰχμή (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · enm spere-hed (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · da spydspids (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · de Stürmer (one who leads or initiates an activity) · de Vorausabteilung (the leading military unit in an attack) · hy սլաք (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · it punta di lancia (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · de Speerspitze (one who leads or initiates an activity) · kmr serkêş (the leading military unit in an attack) · fr fer de lance (the leading military unit in an attack) · sv spjutspets (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · hy տեգ (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · de Spitze (one who leads or initiates an activity) · mi matakīrea (the leading military unit in an attack) · pl lider (one who leads or initiates an activity) · kmr serkêş (one who leads or initiates an activity) · pl szpica (the leading military unit in an attack) · sh vrh koplja (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · de Sturmspitze (the leading military unit in an attack) · pl ostrze (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · de Vorkämpfer (one who leads or initiates an activity) · sq majë (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · fa سرنیزه (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · pt ponta da lança (the pointed head, or end, of a spear) · fi johtohenkilö (one who leads or initiates an activity) · fi kärkijoukko (the leading military unit in an attack) · fi kärkimies (one who leads or initiates an activity) · es caudillo (one who leads or initiates an activity)