dagger
Americannoun
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daggers
plural
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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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dagger
1350–1400; Middle English, probably alteration of Old French dague, of obscure origin; cf. dag 1
Explanation
A dagger is a weapon, a sharp knife that's used for self-defense or fighting. During the Late Middle Ages, daggers were a sort of back-up to the longer sword, both carried during battles. Most daggers have a sharp, pointed blade and a handle with a "crossguard" that protects a fighter's hand from sliding forward and getting cut. Throughout history, various kinds of daggers have been used in close combat. The word comes from the Old French dague, though its origin beyond that isn't known. The ancient last name Dagard, dating from the 13th century or earlier, meant "one who carries a dagger."
Vocabulary lists containing dagger
"Macbeth": Act 1 Scene 7
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 5
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How I Became a Ghost
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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:
Princess Ita's coffin also held an especially ornate dagger.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
A stunning jeweled dagger hilt and scabbard from Jahangir’s reign incorporate more than 2,000 diamonds, rubies and emeralds set in an intricate pattern in gold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Andy Burnham said carrying knives for religious reasons "needs to be looked at," a debate prompted by the killer of Henry Nowak carrying a kirpan, a Sikh sword or dagger.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
At a defense forum in Singapore on Saturday, Brunson was asked if his "dagger" remarks were "authorised or endorsed by the Pentagon".
From Barron's ● May 30, 2026
He seemed distracted, but what if he noticed Nkrumah’s journal and the dagger were missing?
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
“No matter how many daggers we stared at her, she was unfazed,” said Osada, a graphic designer and occasional live-music photographer who lives in Sunderland, England.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
"Princess Ita was a young woman aged between 28 and 34 with strong upper-body muscle attachments, suggesting she habitually used weapons like maces or daggers," said Hashesh.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Supposedly “laid back” Los Angeles was rife with sharp elbows, daggers plunged in backs and a relentless quest for glory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2026
Wealth has a way of sorting relationships when one friend's opulence brings out lustful envy in the others, the deadly sins most likely to drive daggers into the gut of any platonic bond.
From Salon ● Mar. 10, 2025
She shot daggers at me with her eyes.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
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.
