spearcaster
English
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/%D7%90%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%94%D7%9D_%D7%92%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A3_%D7%91%D7%94%D7%98%D7%9C%D7%AA_%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%93%D7%95%D7%9F.jpeg/220px-%D7%90%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%94%D7%9D_%D7%92%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A3_%D7%91%D7%94%D7%98%D7%9C%D7%AA_%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%93%D7%95%D7%9F.jpeg)
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Three Indigenous Australian weapons from Ridpath's Universal History (1897): a knife, club, and spear with a spearcaster
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Etymology
spear (“long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon”) + caster (“that which casts; one who casts”)
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 331: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈspɪəkɑːstə/, /ˈspɪəkæstə/
Audio (AU): (file)
Noun
spearcaster (plural spearcasters)
- A sling-like device used to impart greater impetus to a thrown spear.
- 1897, John Clark Ridpath, Ridpath's Universal History: An Account of the Origin, Primitive Condition and Ethnic Development of the Great Races of Mankind, and of the Principal Events in the Evolution and Progress of the Civilized Life among Men and Nations, from Recent and Authentic Sources with a Preliminary Inquiry on the Time, Place and Manner of the Beginning. [...] Complete in Sixteen Volumes, volume VIII, Cincinnati, Oh.: The Jones Brothers Publishing Company, OCLC 7122367, book xxx, chapter cxci, page 706, column 1:
- australian weapons. 1, knife; 2, club; 3, spearcaster.
- 1897, John Clark Ridpath, Ridpath's Universal History: An Account of the Origin, Primitive Condition and Ethnic Development of the Great Races of Mankind, and of the Principal Events in the Evolution and Progress of the Civilized Life among Men and Nations, from Recent and Authentic Sources with a Preliminary Inquiry on the Time, Place and Manner of the Beginning. [...] Complete in Sixteen Volumes, volume VIII, Cincinnati, Oh.: The Jones Brothers Publishing Company, OCLC 7122367, book xxx, chapter cxci, page 706, column 1:
- A soldier or guard armed with a spear used as a ranged weapon.
- 1963, Analog Science Fact / Science Fiction LXXI, 69:
- She felt near fainting with relief. Not that the blaster solved many problems. It wouldn’t get them out of a city aswarm with archers and spearcasters.
- 1963, Analog Science Fact / Science Fiction LXXI, 69:
- A track-and-field athlete who throws a spear or spears; a javelinist, a javelin thrower.
Translations
sling-like device
spearman fighting at range
athlete who throws spears — see javelin thrower