dart

American  

[dahrt] / dɑrt /

noun

1. a small, slender missile that is pointed at one end and usually feathered at the other and is propelled by hand, as in the game of darts, or by a blowgun when used as a weapon.

   Synonyms:

   barb, arrow

2. something similar in function to such a missile, as the stinging member of an insect.

3. (used with a singular verb) darts, a game in which darts are thrown at a target usually marked with concentric circles divided into segments and with a bull's-eye in the center.

4. an act of darting; a sudden swift movement.

5. a tapered seam of fabric for adjusting the fit of a garment.

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verb (used without object)

1. to move swiftly; spring or start suddenly and run swiftly.

   A mouse darted out of the closet and ran across the room.

   Synonyms:

   shoot, bolt, dash

verb (used with object)

1. to thrust or move suddenly or rapidly.

   He darted his eyes around the room.

dart ¹ British  

/ dɑːt /

noun

1. a small narrow pointed missile that is thrown or shot, as in the game of darts

2. a sudden quick movement

3. zoology a slender pointed structure, as in snails for aiding copulation or in nematodes for penetrating the host's tissues

4. a tapered tuck made in dressmaking

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verb

1. to move or throw swiftly and suddenly; shoot

   she darted across the room

dart ² British  

/ dɑːt /

noun

1. any of various tropical and semitropical marine fish

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Other Word Forms

• darting adjective
• dartingly adverb
• dartingness noun

Etymology

Origin of dart

1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Old Low Franconian; compare Old English daroth, Old High German tart, Old Norse darrathr spear, lance

Explanation

A dart is a tiny missile with a pointy end that can be a weapon or part of a game, like those pointy things that people throw at dartboards. If a person darts, it just means she’s moving quickly. A dart can be thrown or fired by blowing through a contraption, like when people who study big animals shoot a tranquilizer dart at a lion so they can put it to sleep without getting close. Darts can be weapons or part of a game often found in bars. Just as a dart moves quickly, a person can dart if they move quickly. Bees tend to dart around in the air. In football, a quick running back darts to avoid defenders

Example Sentences

But none matched 21st-plus prop Rhys Carre, whose dummy, dart and dance to the line for Wales against Ireland was one of the scores of the Six Nations, continuing his backline side-hustle.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

“A lot of dentists want to throw a dart and hope they hit it rich.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

“This wasn’t something where we just kind of threw a dart at the board and hoped it would work out,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

A few yards away, Iglesias is watching Roka, his tiny black chihuahua, dart around the field like four pounds of rambunctious entitlement.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

It watched her with one eye, then flipped its tail to dart away.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• bound
• dash
• flash
• fling
• flit
• float
• gallop
• hurry
• hurtle
• scamper
• scoot
• scurry
• skim
• sprint