whale gun

plural whale guns

1. A specialized firearm designed to launch a an explosive harpoon at a whale.
2. A large, manually held gun formerly used to shoot whales from a whaleboat.

   George sat staring at the whale-gun while they rowed out over the bar. Heavy, clumsy things like miniature cannons, these guns had to be held up by two strong hands and the recoil when they were fired was terrific.

   1961, Tom Mead, Killers of Eden, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 133