pole weapon

8.1

A long wooden pole with a sharp or heavy end used for fighting

noun

: arma de asta

Many armies equipped their foot soldiers with some form of pole weapon for better reach in battle.

Examples

The pole weapon is dangerous.
The museum displayed a rare medieval pole weapon used by infantry soldiers.
He studied the techniques of using a pole weapon in historical reenactments.
This pole weapon is impressive!
In a historic reenactment, he demonstrated how to wield a spear, a common type of pole weapon used in ancient battles.
The knight charged forward, brandishing his lance, a deadly pole weapon often used for jousting.
During the training session, the instructor showed the students how to properly grip a pike, another example of a pole weapon.

Synonyms

weapon

vspole weapon

∞ 1.0

A tool like a gun that people use to hurt or kill

is a specific type used in close combat with a long wooden shaft

polearm

vspole weapon

1 9.9

A long shaft with a blade or point used to fight from a distance

focuses on a general fighting part attached to a wooden shaft

How Long

pike

Archaic

8 9.3

halberd

Archaic

1 9.9

pole weapon

8.1

spear

194 1.2

staff

105 4.5

Surface Forms

pole weapon singular

pole weapons plural

Morphology

pole + weapon

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'pole' (a long stick) with 'weapon' (an instrument for harm); a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer a weapon consisting of or mounted on a pole/shaft. This is a straightforward descriptive compound following regular noun+noun composition and is cross-linguistically common, so it should be immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

Pole weapon comes from a simple picture: a weapon fixed to a long pole, like a spear or axe, so a fighter could attack from farther away. That's why it means a close-combat weapon on a long stick that gives extra 'reach'.