1. a type of spear or halberd carried by military officers, especially in the 18th century
Usage: historical; military

Examples

• The captain carried his spontoon as a symbol of his rank.
• Officers in colonial armies were often equipped with spontoons.
• The museum displayed an 18th-century spontoon used by British forces.
• His spontoon gleamed in the morning sunlight as he led his troops.
• The ornate spontoon served both ceremonial and practical purposes.