dart
Americannoun
-
darts
plural
-
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)
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darts,
present (3rd person singular)
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darted,
past participle, past
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darting
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
darts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
darted,
past participle, past
-
darting
present participle
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
-
a tapered tuck made in dressmaking
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dartsimple
-
dartssimple
-
have dartedperfect
-
has dartedperfect
-
am dartingprogressive
-
are dartingprogressive
-
is dartingprogressive
-
have been dartingperfect progressive
-
has been dartingperfect progressive
Past
-
dartedsimple
-
had dartedperfect
-
was dartingprogressive
-
were dartingprogressive
-
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:
A steel beam had pierced a subway station like a lawn dart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
And just like that first-season turnaround in a pub dart game, where Ted shows up Rebecca’s vituperative ex, Rupert, good old Coach Lasso leaps in to caramelize Alice’s insult into golden, heartwarming sunshine.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
That is pretty close to throwing a dart.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
There will also be activities for all ages, including youth soccer clinics, family-friendly games, refreshments, halftime snacks and inflatable attractions such as a giant soccer dart game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Tano’s eyes dart back and forth as he studies me.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
And to create this air of discomfort, Fennell crafted a movie that darts from hopeful to despairingly bleak in the blink of an eye.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
At just 19, Luke Littler has won almost every major trophy in darts.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
A vibrant pantomime-style atmosphere is part and parcel of the darts experience and Dutch and German crowds are amongs the most raucous - but it is clear Littler believes he has been unfairly targeted.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
There was table tennis, darts and computer games available at the team's luxury hotel, which overlooked Darling Harbour.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
It can be little things, like throwing darts at a pool float to test my sister’s swimming skills, or spitting back at the llamas at the zoo.
From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman
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
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
After a stout display of Irish defending, Wales landed some big hits on the hosts at the other end before Crowley darted through a gap for a well-taken try that he failed to convert.
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026
One of them darted into the candy store the second she saw it on our first day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 2026
With a mocking “Caw! Caw! Ahoooooooy!” it darted back the way it came.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Tickets to events featuring him are often sold out, applications to darting academies are reported to be at an all-time high and the Briton has transcended the sport.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
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
Matt said the highlight of the experience would be the blue morpho butterfly from central America, "with iridescent blue wings, darting and flitting" around the space.
From BBC ● May 22, 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
Underneath the surface, the coral on the seabed glinted with myriad colors, bony fingers of bright oranges, yellows, and pinks speckled by shoals of darting red-striped fish.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
