spearhead
English · Thesaurus
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spearhead
- /ˈspɪə.hɛd/ UK
- /ˈspɪɹ.hɛd/ US
- /ˈspiɹ.hɛd/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English spere-hed; equivalent to spear + head.
noun spearheads
- 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.
-
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—[...].
Similar: driving force
- 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.
verb spearheads · spearheading · spearheaded
- To drive or campaign ardently for (an effort, project, etc.); to direct. He spearheaded the entire project from day one.
Translations
Every language
noun the pointed head, or end, of a spear
| Español | punta, punta de lanza |
|---|---|
| Português | ponta da lança |
| Français | fer de lance |
| Deutsch | Speerspitze, Lanzenspitze, Stoßkeil |
| Italiano | punta di lancia |
| العربية | رأس حربة, سن, سنان |
noun the leading military unit in an attack
| Español | punta de lanza |
|---|---|
| Português | ponta de lança |
| Français | fer de lance |
| Deutsch | Angriffsspitze, Sturmspitze, Vorausabteilung |
noun one who leads or initiates an activity
| Español | caudillo |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 急先鋒 kyūsempō |
| Português | comandante |
| Français | fer de lance |
| Deutsch | Speerspitze, Spitze, Kopf, Vorkämpfer, Bahnbrecher, Stürmer |
Talk about this word "spearhead." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/spearhead. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. spearhead. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/spearhead "spearhead." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/spearhead.Cite this
@misc{spearhead_2026,
title = {spearhead},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/spearhead},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
