lance

lance — noun

1. a weapon made of a long wooden shaft with a sharp metal head, used by soldiers o

1.nounB2
Definition

a weapon made of a long wooden shaft with a sharp metal head, used by soldiers on horseback in medieval battles or tournaments.

Example

During the mock battle, the knight lowered his lance and charged at his opponent.

lowered his lance — verb + lance as direct object

The museum display includes a twelfth-century lance that is over three metres long.

Common collocations
  • lower a lance
  • carry a lance
  • charge with a lance
  • lance tip
  • lance shaft
  • wooden lance
  • steel-tipped lance
Synonyms
  • spear

    a more general pointed throwing or thrusting weapon; lances are a type of spear, but heavier and used specifically from horseback

  • pike

    a very long spear used by foot soldiers, not cavalry; different combat role

Grammar Patterns

lance + verb (e.g. lance pierced, lance broke)

Usage Note

In modern contexts, lance usually appears in historical writing, museum descriptions, or fantasy fiction. Do not use it for modern military spears.

Common Mistakes

The hunter used a lance to spear fish.
The hunter used a spear to catch fish.
a lance is specifically a cavalry weapon, not a general fishing or hunting spear.

lance — verb

Word family

  • lancer
    nounC1
  • lancet
    nounC1
  • lancing
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three are long pointed weapons, but they differ in how they are used. A lance is a heavy spear carried by a soldier on horseback — you do not throw it, you hold it and charge at an enemy. A spear is a more general term for any long pole with a pointed end; it can be thrown or thrust, and is used by foot soldiers or hunters. A pike is an extremely long spear (up to six metres) used by infantry in tight formations, not by cavalry. A javelin is a light throwing spear designed to be thrown at a target, not to be held during a charge. In short: a lance is for mounted charging, a pike is for foot soldiers defending against cavalry, and a javelin is for throwing.

spear ↗pike ↗javelin

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • lower one's lance
  • break a lance

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Lance entered English from Old French 'lance', which came from Latin 'lancea' — a light spear carried by auxiliary troops. The medical verb sense (cutting open with a blade) developed later because the lancet, a small surgical knife, was named after the lance due to its similar shape. Today the two meanings sit side by side: one historical and martial, the other medical and precise.