Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A short pike carried by infantry officers and sergeants in the 1700s.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A kind of halberd or partizan formerly serving as the distinguishing arm for certain officers of the British infantry. Compare
half-pike . Also calleddemi-pike .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Mil.) A kind of half-pike, or halberd, formerly borne by inferior officers of the British infantry, and used in giving signals to the soldiers.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A pointed weapon similar to a
pike .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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A spontoon was a kind of half-pike, a military weapon carried by officers of infantry and used as a medium for signalling orders to the regiment.
Candide 1694-1778 Voltaire 1736
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Coming down to us ceremonially, the British infantry senior NCOs used what was called a spontoon, which was a badge of office and used for dressing the lines, among other things.
unknown title 2009
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I would like to see some company make just spontoon heads that you could attach to wire.
My Jacobite Army Der Alte Fritz 2008
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If I could figure out how to affix the tip of the halberd, spontoon or whatever onto the piano wire, I might try that, but I think that you will be OK if you don't.
In The Grand Manner Napoleonics Der Alte Fritz 2008
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“I am just now like the half-pike, or spontoon of Achilles, one end of which could wound and the other cure — a property belonging neither to Spanish pike, brown-bill, partizan, halberd, Lochaber-axe, or indeed any other modern staff-weapon whatever.”
A Legend of Montrose 2008
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Frae the gilded spontoon tae the fife I was ready;
Sodger Laddie 1996
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He was carrying a spontoon that he had picked up from a dead Connaught Sergeant.
Sharpe's Battle Cornwell, Bernard 1995
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A spontoon wounded his horse, but the Hussar held on.
Sharpe's Waterloo Cornwell, Bernard, 1944- 1990
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The broad lance subsisted till lately in the halberd; the spear and framea in the long pike and spontoon; the missile weapons in the war hatchet, or North American tomahawk.
The Germany and the Agricola of Tacitus Caius Cornelius Tacitus
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There are two ranges of them down the back, shaped exactly like the head of a spontoon, and opposite to the point of the scale has a little shank, about three tenths of an inch long, which the natives insert into the end of their arrows, making the scale serve for a head.
History of Louisisana Or of the Western Parts of Virginia and Carolina: Containing -1775 Le Page du Pratz
john commented on the word spontoon
"The two strangers were brought in between two ranks of soldiers; the Commandant was at the end, with a three-cornered hat on his head, his gown tucked up, a sword at his side and a spontoon in his hand."
- Candide
February 27, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word spontoon
Wow. It took me a long time to find this word.
May 20, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word spontoon
"SPONTOON, a spear used by infantry officers; anciently the spontoon was used in the following manner: when it was planted, the regiment halted, when pointed forward, the regiment marched, and when pointed backwards, the regiment retreated." (citation in Historical Military Terms list description; see also espontoon)
October 9, 2008
reesetee commented on the word spontoon
Like a half-pike?
October 10, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word spontoon
OED: "A species of half-pike or halberd carried by infantry officers in the 18th century (from about 1740).
The It. form spontone is used as a foreign word by Barret Theor. Warres (1598) IV. iv. 113." So yes, just like a half-pike.
Also says it's derived from French sponton (also espontoon) and Spanish esponton (both originated in Italian).
October 10, 2008
reesetee commented on the word spontoon
Thanks, c_b!
October 14, 2008
bilby commented on the word spontoon
Half-pike with triple twist is sp~on~to~on. I know lots about diving, you see.
October 14, 2008
qms commented on the word spontoon
A drum major's tool to commune
And measure the beat of the tune
Is a staff that is bladeless
And part of parade dress
But surely near kin to spontoon.
May 16, 2016