atlatl

noun

at·​latl ˈät-ˌlä-tᵊl How to pronounce atlatl (audio)
: a device for throwing a spear or dart that consists of a rod or board with a projection (such as a hook) at the rear end to hold the weapon in place until released

Illustration of atlatl

Illustration of atlatl
  • A atlatl

Examples of atlatl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The atlatl measured a little more than a foot and a half long, and the darts were between about 2 feet to 2 and a half feet long. — Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2024 Although throws made with the atlatl are faster, the javelin has more kinetic energy because of its higher mass. — Ars Technica, 2 Jan. 2025 At this year’s gathering, participants were taught how to use the atlatl, a spear-throwing hunting tool that predates the bow and arrow. — Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024 Other than the knife and a wooden artifact found in a pack rat’s nest, thought to be the shaft of an atlatl dart-throwing tool, no human artifacts or remains were ever found there. — Michael Ray Taylor, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2025 But the atlatl’s effectiveness decreases as the height increases. — ArsTechnica, 19 Mar. 2026 The oldest item is an atlatl, otherwise known as a spear thrower, which the researchers described in a 2023 paper in The Journal of Big Bend Studies. — Livia Albeck-Ripka, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Nahuatl ahtlatl

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of atlatl was in 1871

Rhymes for atlatl

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Browse Nearby Words

at last
atlatl
at law
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Cite this Entry

“Atlatl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atlatl. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on atlatl

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about atlatl

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