See also: élancé and élance

English edit

Etymology edit

From French élancer (Old French eslancier), from es- (Latin ex) + French lancer (to dart, throw), from lance.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ɪˈlæns/, /ɪˈlɑːns/

Verb edit

elance (third-person singular simple present elances, present participle elancing, simple past and past participle elanced)

  1. (transitive, archaic) To throw like a lance; to hurl.
    • a. 1722, Matthew Prior, “The Second Hymn of Callimachus to Apollo”, in The Poetical Works of Matthew Prior [], volume I, London: [] W[illiam] Strahan, [], published 1779, →OCLC, page 338:
      Iö! while thy unerring hand elanc'd / Another, and another dart; the people / Joyfully repeated Iö! Iö Pean! / Elance the dart, Apollo: for the ſafety, / And health of man, gracious thy mother bore thee.

Anagrams edit