dart

[ dahrt ]

/ dɑrt /

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See synonyms for: dart / darted / darting on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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

darts, (used with a singular verb) 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.

an act of darting; a sudden swift movement.

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

verb (used without object)

to move swiftly; spring or start suddenly and run swiftly: A mouse darted out of the closet and ran across the room.

verb (used with object)

to thrust or move suddenly or rapidly: He darted his eyes around the room.

OTHER WORDS FOR dart

1 arrow, barb.

6 dash, bolt, shoot.

See synonyms for dart on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

OTHER WORDS FROM dart

dart·ing·ly, adverbdart·ing·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dart in a sentence

If you’ve ever tried to shoot a dart after your dog—or maybe a sibling—gnawed on it, you know those lumps and bumps give the foam ammo a wild and unpredictable trajectory.
Nerf’s newest blaster shoots spinning balls for dramatic curves|Stan Horaczek|January 27, 2021|Popular-Science
The way he deciphers the defense, darts and shifts within the pocket and releases the ball quickly with accuracy remains unmatched.
What to know from NFL playoffs first round: Lamar Jackson wins and Tom Brady finds a way|Adam Kilgore|January 11, 2021|Washington Post
We know the timings of when this person needs to run in, or when the shock dart comes or when the Omen flash is coming.
Hiko, captain of ‘Valorant’ champions 100 Thieves, has some advice for the pros|Mikhail Klimentov|December 10, 2020|Washington Post
A kite and a dart fit together to form a rhombus with angles of 72 and 108 degrees.
How to Solve Our Three John Conway-Inspired Puzzles|Pradeep Mutalik|November 20, 2020|Quanta Magazine

In January 7, 2008, five Iranian speedboats darted around three U.S. warships in the Straits of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
Shocking Gulf Firefight Caught on Tape|Michael Adler|July 5, 2011|DAILY BEAST
As cameras rolled, Conroy darted out the front door of the home with a jacket over her head and raced to a waiting car.
Casey's Roommate Tells All|Diane Dimond|June 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Unable to refuse the mother of a “privileged” client, Grasty darted out of bed immediately and took control of the situation.
Confessions of an Ivy League Cleaning Lady|Daniella Wexler|May 11, 2011|DAILY BEAST
When Donny refused, Johnny darted for the knife rack in the kitchen.
The Last of the Wasps|Tad Friend|September 27, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Aristide darted off like a dragon-fly in the sunshine, as happy as a child with a new toy.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Chinese lanterns hung from the trees and in festoons around the bandstands and darted about in the hands of the revellers.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
She watched him, and suddenly a suspicion darted through her mind—a suspicion that he suspected them.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
He darted his eyes quickly in her direction, recalling a time before when he had intimated something of the kind.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
I knew then that there was not an instant to be lost, and like a flash I darted along the gallery and down the stairs.
Uncanny Tales|Various

British Dictionary definitions for dart (1 of 2)

dart¹

/ (dɑːt) /

noun

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

a sudden quick movement

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

to move or throw swiftly and suddenly; shootshe darted across the room

Derived forms of dart

darting, adjectivedartingly, adverb

Word Origin for dart

C14: from Old French, of Germanic origin; related to Old English daroth spear, Old High German tart dart

British Dictionary definitions for dart (2 of 2)

dart²

/ (dɑːt) /

noun

any of various tropical and semitropical marine fish

Word Origin for dart

from Middle English darce, from Late Latin dardus, dart, javelin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dart

OTHER WORDS FOR dart

Origin of dart

OTHER WORDS FROM dart

Words related to dart

How to use dart in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dart (1 of 2)

Derived forms of dart

Word Origin for dart

British Dictionary definitions for dart (2 of 2)

Word Origin for dart