A person who throws or uses a harpoon, especially a whaler who hunts large sea creatures.
From harpoon (French harpon) plus the common English agent suffix -er (Old English -ere). This is the standard English occupational form, contrasting with the more specialized French-influenced 'harpooneer.'
In Moby Dick, the harpooners are portrayed as the elite hunters of the crew—Queequeg, Tashtego, and Daggoo come from different cultures but are united by their deadly skill, reflecting how whaling was a truly multicultural enterprise that brought together sailors from around the world.
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