A long-handled weapon with a pointed tip used for hunting or fighting, or to thrust such a weapon at something.
From Old English 'spere,' related to German 'Speer'; the weapon dates back to prehistoric times, making this one of humanity's oldest tools, and the word has remained relatively unchanged for over a thousand years.
The spear was humanity's first ranged weapon—it let us fight enemies and hunt game from a safe distance, fundamentally changing our evolution and survival, yet the word itself is so ancient we've barely modified it!
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