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; 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.
“You won’t be in the shadows forever,” Blake tells his intrepid team members—who, like the real-life Mr. Stanton, still maintain the cloak, if not the dagger.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
The novel’s satisfying denouement is assured when a disgraced former colleague of Ben’s, gloriously named Richard Take, accepts the proverbial dagger from Martin.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
The Ducks found Long again coming out of the break, and she knocked down a third three-pointer, this one the dagger.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026
Clinging to a fragile five-point lead, Julie Allemand elevated what could’ve been the dagger with 48 seconds left — a shot that would’ve ballooned the lead to eight.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 13, 2025
He whipped out a short dagger with an ivory handle and a wavy blade.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
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.
