Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Alternative form of
spontoon .
Etymologies
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Examples
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Officers wore a gilt gorget on duty, and were armed with a gilt-hilted sword and an espontoon, which was exchanged for a fusil when in the field.
la charge de la compagnie Franche de la Marine du musée Stewart au fort de l'île Ste-Hélène de Brantigny........................ 2008
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Officers wore a gilt gorget on duty, and were armed with a gilt-hilted sword and an espontoon, which was exchanged for a fusil when in the field.
Archive 2008-06-22 de Brantigny........................ 2008
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The Turk was armed with an espontoon, Decatur with a cutlass; in attempting to cut off the head of the weapon, his sword struck on the iron, and broke off close to the hilt.
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Decatur presented the weapon, called an espontoon, to Stewart, and I naturally examined it with great interest.
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Captain Lewis ran about eighty yards, but finding that the animal gained on him fast, it flashed on his mind that, by getting into the water to such a depth that the bear would be obliged to attack him swimming, there was still some chance of his life; he therefore turned short, plunged into the river about waist-deep, and facing about presented the point of his espontoon.
First Across the Continent; The Story of The Exploring Expedition of Lewis and Clark in 1804-5-6 1805
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Captain Lewis ran about eighty yards, but finding that the animal gained on him fast, it flashed on his mind that by getting into the water to such a depth that the bear would be obliged to attack him swimming, there was still some chance of his life, he therefore turned short, plunged into the river about waist deep, and facing about presented the point of his espontoon.
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In passing along the side of one of these bluffs at a narrow pass thirty yards in length, captain Lewis slipped, and but for a fortunate recovery, by means of his espontoon, would then have been precipitated into the river over a precipice of about ninety feet.
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He ran about eighty yards; but finding that the animal gained on him fast, he plunged into the river, about waist deep, and, then facing about, presented the point of an espontoon or kind of spear, which he had carried in his hand.
Travels in North America, From Modern Writers With Remarks and Observations; Exhibiting a Connected View of the Geography and Present State of that Quarter of the Globe William Bingley 1798
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In passing along the face of one of these bluffs today I sliped at a narrow pass of about 30 yards in length and but for a quick and fortunate recovery by means of my espontoon I should been precipitated into the river down a craggy pricipice of about ninety feet.
The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 Meriwether Lewis 1791
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I much wanted, and also to examine the country and it's productions, in these excurtions I most generally went alone armed with my rifle and espontoon; thus equiped I feel myself more than an equal match for a brown bear provided I get him in open woods or near the water, but feel myself a little diffident with respect to an attack in the open plains, I have therefore come to a resolution to act on the defencive only, should I meet these gentlemen in the open country.
Original journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804-1806 1904
chained_bear commented on the word espontoon
"a half pike carried by the officers of a company; a spear." (citation in Historical Military Terms list description; see also spontoon)
October 9, 2008