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lance

noun
/lɑːns/UK/læns/US

Etymology

The surname is derived from a medieval given name Lanzo, short form of names beginning with the Germanic element *land; see land. Doublet of Lanzo.

  1. derived from lancea
  2. derived from lance
  3. inherited from launce

Definitions

  1. A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head

    A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen.

    • Thy brother’s blood the thirsty earth hath drunk, Broach’d with the steely point of Clifford’s lance[…]
    • The head of the lance was commonly of the leaf form, and sometimes approached that of the lozenge; it was very seldom barbed, although this variety, together with the others, appears upon the Bayeux Tapestry.

  2. A wooden spear, sometimes hollow, used in jousting or tilting, designed to shatter on…

    A wooden spear, sometimes hollow, used in jousting or tilting, designed to shatter on impact with the opposing knight’s armour.

    • What will you do, good greybeard? Break a lance, And run a-tilt at Death within a chair?

  3. A spear or harpoon used by whalers and fishermen.

  4. ›+ 13 more definitions

    1. A soldier armed with a lance

      A soldier armed with a lance; a lancer.

    2. An instrument which conveys the charge of a piece of ordnance and forces it home.

    3. A small iron rod which suspends the core of the mold in casting a shell.

    4. One of the small paper cases filled with combustible composition, which mark the outlines…

      One of the small paper cases filled with combustible composition, which mark the outlines of a figure.

    5. A lancet.

    6. A piece in the game of shogi that can move directly forward any number of squares.

    7. To pierce with a lance, or with any similar weapon.

      • Seiz'd the due Victim, and with Fury lanch'd Her Back

    8. To open with a lancet

      To open with a lancet; to prick or cut open with a sharp instrument; to pierce.

      • to lance a vein or an abscess

    9. To throw in the manner of a lance

      To throw in the manner of a lance; to lanch.

    10. to steal or swipe

      • He lanced my drink and spiked it!

    11. To move suddenly and quickly.

    12. A surname originating as a patronymic.

    13. A male given name from the Germanic languages

      A male given name from the Germanic languages; by folk etymology associated with a lance.

The neighborhood

Derived

break a lance, break one's lance, demilance, fer-de-lance, fire lance, freelance, hand lance, hand-lance, lancebill, lance bombardier, lance bucket, lance corporal, lance-corporal, lancefish, lance fish, lancehead, lance-jack, lance knight, lance-knight, lanceless, lancelike, lanceman, lance-ovate, lancepod, lancer, lance rest, lance sergeant, lance skink, lance snake, lancewood, lanciform, microlance, oxygen lance, oxylance, sand lance, stink-fire lance, thermal lance, thermic lance, the tongue wounds more than a lance, lanceable · +1 more

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at lance. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01lance02shatter03smash04fashion05trends06trend07inclination08tilt

A definitional loop anchored at lance. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at lance

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA