Meaning & use
polearm
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Meaning
nouncountablemilitary
A weapon with a blade, spike or axe head fixed to the end of a long wooden shaft.
Grammar: Countable: one polearm, several polearms.
Patterns
- a polearm with something
Medieval foot soldiers often carried a polearm because it kept enemies at a distance.
The museum has a rare polearm with a curved blade.
In the game, the knight swaps his sword for a polearm.
Word forms
| plural | polearms |
|---|
Common combinations
- wield a polearm
- He wielded a polearm against the charging horsemen.
- a long polearm
- A long polearm gave soldiers extra reach.
- medieval polearm
- A medieval polearm hung on the castle wall.
- polearm training
- Guards received polearm training each week.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spear
- A spear is a simple pointed shaft that is thrown or thrust, while a polearm usually has a heavier, more complex head.
- halberd
- A halberd is one specific kind of polearm with an axe blade and a spike.
- pike
- A pike is a very long thrusting polearm used by massed infantry, so it is narrower in meaning than polearm.
Word family
Commonly confused: polearm or pole axe?
polearm vs pole axe
A pole axe (or poleaxe) is one kind of polearm, specifically one with an axe head, while polearm is the broader category.
Practice
Which of these is a polearm?
Choose one answer.
A halberd is a blade and spike on a long shaft, so it is a polearm. A dagger is a short blade, a longbow shoots arrows, and a shield is defensive.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “polearm”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.