(a) A thrusting weapon, spear; a horseman's spear, lance; a javelin, dart; also fig.; (b) ~ and (or) sheld, knif (sword) or ~, sheld (sword) and ~, etc.; -- often used coll.; (c) ~ of pes (werre), a blunted (pointed) spear; ~ garnished, a spear prepared for jousting; at his ~, in military service; grounden ~, a sharpened spear; ?scottish ~, a small throwing spear of Scottish make [cp. Scottish adj. (b)]; under a ~, armed; with speres ord, at spear-point, by the spear, by force; ben ~ and sheld (sheld and ~), to be a defense (for sb.); beren ~, wield power; casten ~ in the reste, couchen ~, couch (one's) lance; dressen ~, point (one's) spear; (d) in cpds. and combs.: ~ berere, one who wields a spear; ~ hed, q.v.; ~ lenge, the length of a spear, used as a measure of distance; also, as adj.: as long as a spear-length; ~ lengthe, the length of a spear, used as a measure of length, height, distance, etc.; ~ man, one who fights with a spear, a spearman; also fig.[quot. ?a1449]; ~ pointe, the tip of a spear; also, elliptically as adj.: lanceate; ~ shaft, q.v.; ~ staf (tre), a spear shaft; ~ wort, q.v.; bor ~ [see bor n. 5.]; red ~, a spear of reed; -- used as a type of unreliability or frailty; also, ?some kind of wind instrument made of reed, perh. a small flute or pipe[quot. c1430]; (e) in comparisons and fig. expressions as a type of sharpness or pain; also in proverbs; ~ bite; ~ o lecherie, a pang of lechery; (f) a spearhead; also, a spear shaft.

(a) The spear as an instrument of the Passion, the spear with which Christ's side was pierced; ~ wound; red ~, a spear of reed, an instrument of the Passion; (b) the emblematic weapon of the Archangel Michael.

(a) The stinger of a bee or other insect; (b) an oxe goad, a prod.

A spearman, lancer; also, a troop of spearmen, a phalanx [quot. ?c1475]; mil. first ~, an officer in charge of two hundred spearmen; harneised ~, an armored spearman.

(a) In surnames; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem.2.137].