dart
Americannoun
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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.
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something similar in function to such a missile, as the stinging member of an insect.
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(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.
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an act of darting; a sudden swift movement.
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a tapered seam of fabric for adjusting the fit of a garment.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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a small narrow pointed missile that is thrown or shot, as in the game of darts
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a sudden quick movement
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zoology a slender pointed structure, as in snails for aiding copulation or in nematodes for penetrating the host's tissues
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a tapered tuck made in dressmaking
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dartsimple
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dartssimple
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have dartedperfect
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has dartedperfect
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am dartingprogressive
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are dartingprogressive
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is dartingprogressive
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have been dartingperfect progressive
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has been dartingperfect progressive
Past
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dartedsimple
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had dartedperfect
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was dartingprogressive
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were dartingprogressive
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had been dartingperfect progressive
Future
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
Vocabulary lists containing dart
"On the Menu" and "Find the Adaptations"
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"I Hear America Singing," "I, Too," "Where Is My Country?" "Legal Alien," and "Human Family"
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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:
Young men, some barefoot, dart around in the sand under the guidance of a volunteer coach improvising drills amid the shouts.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
The young intern who shot us with a tranquilizer dart and then inserted that inexact analysis apologizes.
From Slate ● Jun. 13, 2026
And that was full of drama too as Humphries and Clayton exchanged a missed match dart each, before 'Cool Hand' set up his shot at Littler and the chance to go back-to-back.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
Fish and Wildlife officials tranquilized the animal with a game dart, after which the mountain lion ran east over a fence before the dart started taking effect.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
I fly up the ladder—the chickens are outside—and dart into the storage space and through the hidden-door, moving the planks back into place just in case someone comes up after me.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
The bar was full of customers who were about to take part in a charity darts match.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
And into things that I wouldn't expect a Portuguese footballer to be into like horse racing, darts and snooker - typical British and Irish stuff.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
She sort of darts into frame, or she’s crouching, even the movement of her hands as she’s reenacting what might have happened.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Barry is the founder and president of Matchroom Sport, one of the leading promoters in boxing, darts and snooker, while his son Eddie is chairman of the organisation.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
She slips a note into his hand and darts off with surprising nimbleness.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
The next inning, the Rays’ Ben Williamson hit a two-out single to Tucker in right field, and Tampa’s Jonathan Aranda darted around third toward home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
So when Bernarr — born Bernarr Ferebee Jr. — darted to the Grammy stage in February to accept his first award, for progressive R&B album for “Bloom,” the viral moment felt perfectly on brand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026
Last Tuesday, Olise darted infield from the right flank past a couple of players and curled a left-footed shot into the corner.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
Then Ben White darted over early in the new half, followed quickly by Steyn and Graham, each for their second of the match.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
Jonah waited to answer until he’d darted his hand in and stolen the basketball away.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Others believe the best solution is darting the horses with birth control, a method used elsewhere in the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
When Udogie did make darting central runs, a Tottenham midfielder would drop into the space he had vacated - filling in at full-back.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
In an interview with the online publication the Line of Best Fit, Mr. Picton describes it as a “Transatlantic” piece, darting between influences from the U.S. and U.K.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
Women of all ages sat in the waiting room, darting their eyes, looking for connection and distraction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026
Cohen dry-cleaned herself expertly, strolling in the front door of a crowded store and darting out a side exit.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
