dagger
Americannoun
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a short, swordlike weapon with a pointed blade and a handle, used for stabbing.
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Also called obelisk. Printing. a mark (†) used especially for references.
verb (used with object)
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to stab with or as if with a dagger.
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Printing. to mark with a dagger.
idioms
noun
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a short stabbing weapon with a pointed blade
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Also called: obelisk. a character (†) used in printing to indicate a cross reference, esp to a footnote
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in a state of open hostility
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to glare with hostility; scowl
verb
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to mark with a dagger
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archaic to stab with a dagger
Etymology
Origin of dagger
1350–1400; Middle English, probably alteration of Old French dague, of obscure origin; dag 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The daggers stand for Brutus and Cassius and reflect the manner of Caesar’s death, experts say, while the cap is a symbol of liberty that was worn by freed slaves.
From New York Times
The Saudi government was particularly prolific with its gifts, doling out daggers, swords and clothes.
From Washington Times
“He’s kind of one of our closers,” said point guard Tyger Campbell, who added his own dagger with a three-pointer in the final minutes.
From Los Angeles Times
A YouTube D.I.Y. fashion tutorial inspired Eley, whose multimedia practice has also included creating a corset of steel and casting functional breastplates and daggers in bronze and aluminum, to envision her “LV Bralette.”
From New York Times
A dagger gives you even more points, but at the cost of cutting out an eye.
From The Verge
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
