1.
spear; halberd; pike
An ancient pole weapon with a blade or pointed head, used in Japan and elsewhere before firearms. Largely a historical or literary term in modern Japanese.
古代の武器として矛が使われた。
Spears were used as ancient weapons.
祭りの山車に大きな矛が飾られている。
A large halberd is displayed on the festival float.
議論の矛を相手の失言に向けた。
He turned the spear of his argument toward his opponent's slip of the tongue.
In modern Japanese, 矛 is rarely used as a physical noun outside historical or festival contexts. It appears most often in set phrases and idioms.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 矛を収める: to end a fight; to lay down arms (literally, to sheathe the spear)
- 矛を向ける: to turn one's attack toward; to target with criticism
- 矛先: the point of attack; the brunt of an argument or criticism
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 槍: spear — the everyday word for a spear; more concrete and still occasionally used
- 刀: sword — different category of weapon, with a long curved blade