Definition of "javelin" []

• A light spear thrown with the hand and used as a weapon. (noun)
• Sports A metal or metal-tipped spear thrown for distance in track and field competitions. The men's javelin is about 2.6 meters (8 1/2 feet) in length; the women's is about 2.2 meters (7 1/4 feet) in length. (noun)
• Sports The athletic field event in which a javelin is thrown. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "If a javelin is parried with a shield, and does not come through, the danger to the target is over."
• "Similarly, if a javelin is seen in flight, it can easily be side-stepped by anyone with enough room to do so, and it will hit the ground and stop."
• "Mike Hazle and Leigh Smith have made the Olympic team in javelin after finishing second and fifth at the U.S."