The Collaborative International Dictionary
Harpoon \Har*poon"\ (h[aum]r*p[=oo]n"), n. [F. harpon, LL. harpo, perh. of Ger. origin, fr. the harp; cf. F. harper to take and grasp strongly, harpe a dog's claw, harpin boathook (the sense of hook coming from the shape of the harp); but cf. also Gr. "a`rph the kite, sickle, and E. harpy. Cf. Harp.] A spear or javelin used to strike and kill large fish, as whales; a harping iron. It consists of a long shank, with a broad, flat, triangular head, sharpened at both edges, and is thrown by hand, or discharged from a gun.
Harpoon fork, a kind of hayfork, consisting of a bar with hinged barbs at one end and a loop for a rope at the other end, used for lifting hay from the load by horse power.
Harpoon gun, a gun used in the whale fishery for shooting the harpoon into a whale.
WordNet
n. a cannon or cannon-like gun that fires harpoons
Usage examples of "harpoon gun".
The harpoon gun, loaded and with the tip of the harpoon pointed downwards, was a grim reminder of her job as a killer.
Carefully timing his shot, the crewman at the harpoon gun fired the huge shaft into the mammal's back.
Officer Luciana said, putting down the harpoon gun and looking at Dupin in concern.
Y'sul had spotted a harpoon gun on the foredeck and challenged his companions to a coarse shoot the next time they traversed a promising volume.
They were under the pitch of the hull, too close for the harpoon gun.
All the whaling davits and skinning machinery were removed, but nobody ever got around to dismantling the harpoon gun.
Braving the flames, Luke reached into his speeder and grabbed the harpoon gun.