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assegai

or as·sa·gai

[ as-uh-gahy ]
/ ˈæs əˌgaɪ /
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noun, plural as·se·gais.
the slender javelin or spear of the Bantu-speaking people of southern Africa.
a southern African tree, Curtisia dentata, of the dogwood family, from whose wood such spears are made.
verb (used with object), as·se·gaied, as·se·gai·ing.
to pierce with an assegai.
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Origin of assegai

First recorded in 1615–25; earlier azagaia, from Portuguese, from Arabic az zaghāyah, equivalent to al “the” + Berber zaghāyah “assegai”
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use assegai in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for assegai

assegai

assagai

/ (ˈæsəˌɡaɪ) /

noun plural -gais
a southern African cornaceous tree, Curtisia faginea, the wood of which is used for making spears
a sharp light spear, esp one made of this wood

Word Origin for assegai

C17: from Portuguese azagaia, from Arabic az zaghāyah, from al the + zaghāyah assegai, from Berber
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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