![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Inuit_hunter_with_harpoon.jpg/640px-Inuit_hunter_with_harpoon.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Harpoon
long spear-like instrument used in fishing, whaling, sealing, and other marine hunting / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It does this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal. A harpoon can also be used as a weapon.
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![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Inuit_hunter_with_harpoon.jpg/320px-Inuit_hunter_with_harpoon.jpg)
Typically, a harpoon for fishing has backwards-pointing barbs which stop the fish getting free.