Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LANCE, n. [làns; L. lancea; Fr. lance; Sp. lanza; It. lancia; G. lanze; D. Sw. lans; Dan. lantse; Slav. lanzha; Gr. λογχη. This word probably belongs to Class Lg, and is named from shooting, sending.]

A spear, an offensive weapon in form of a half pike, used by the ancients and thrown by the hand. It consisted of the shaft or handle, the wings and the dart. – Encyc.