assegai
Americannoun
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the slender javelin or spear of the Bantu-speaking people of southern Africa.
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a southern African tree, Curtisia dentata, of the dogwood family, from whose wood such spears are made.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a southern African cornaceous tree, Curtisia faginea, the wood of which is used for making spears
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a sharp light spear, esp one made of this wood
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of assegai
First recorded in 1615–25; earlier azagaia, from Portuguese, from Arabic az zaghāyah, equivalent to al “the” + Berber zaghāyah “assegai”
Vocabulary lists containing assegai
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.
See Examples For:
They have brought with them a traditional Zulu assegai spear and a British boot plate, which was found on the battlefield, for the museum.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2015
The 19th century Zulu King Shaka adapted this long spear into a broad sword, the stabbing assegai.
From Time Magazine Archive
The old man was a famous ingcibi, a circumcision expert, from Gcalekaland, who would use his assegai to change us from boys to men with a single blow.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
After a minute, he stopped walking, faced us, and, newly energized, exclaimed that this incident — the assegai striking the wire — symbolized the clash between the culture of Africa and that of Europe.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
At one point, he raised his assegai into the air for emphasis and accidentally hit the curtain wire above him, which made a sharp noise and caused the curtain to sway.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Stamping their feet, beating on their shields with their assegais and roaring the war cry usutu!, the warrior impis, arrayed like the right and left horns of the buffalo, would begin encircling the foe.
From Time Magazine Archive
The waggon-boys heard it also, and armed with assegais and sticks were on the bank almost as soon as I was; but there was no sign of crocodile or bullock.
From Jock of the Bushveld by Fitzpatrick, Percy, Sir
When he presently sat up with a ringing in his head, he saw the Zulus standing away off with the assegais poised, and he attempted to rise.
From Tales from the Veld by Glanville, Ernest
The cattle and goats were driven over, and the mats, calabashes, and other lares and penates, with the assegais and clubs of Sobèdè, were taken to Manciya’s kraal.
From The White Hecatomb And other Stories by Scully, W. C. (William Charles)
Some of the assegais entered the little fort and were embedded in the earth, their hafts quivering; others glanced along the branches, and many stuck into the waggon.
From The Golden Rock by Glanville, Ernest
We should be assegaied in a moment if we were to go down; let’s go back to our old look-out.”
From The Young Colonists A Story of the Zulu and Boer Wars by Henty, G.A.
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.
