dart

[ dahrt ]
See synonyms for: dartdarteddarting on Thesaurus.com

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.

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

  1. 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.

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

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

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.

verb (used with object)
  1. to thrust or move suddenly or rapidly: He darted his eyes around the room.

Origin of dart

1
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 for dart

Other words from dart

  • dart·ing·ly, adverb
  • dart·ing·ness, noun

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

How to use dart in a sentence

  • Quick as a flash he jumped in and dived down, down under where the fish were darting.

  • The man, darting around the rear of the roadster, started to plant himself in Matt's way.

    Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. Matthews
  • He stood by the side of the little river, its clear waters showing the fish darting to and fro, as if in wanton play.

  • Long, tortuous lines of light showed immense numbers of large fish darting about as if in consternation.

    Gospel Philosophy | J. H. Ward
  • She might struggle for her freedom, but she could not hope to avoid the darting, poisonous fangs of the snake.

British Dictionary definitions for dart (1 of 2)

dart1

/ (dɑːt) /


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

  2. a sudden quick movement

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

  2. a tapered tuck made in dressmaking

verb
  1. to move or throw swiftly and suddenly; shoot: she darted across the room

Origin of dart

1
C14: from Old French, of Germanic origin; related to Old English daroth spear, Old High German tart dart

Derived forms of dart

  • darting, adjective
  • dartingly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for dart (2 of 2)

dart2

/ (dɑːt) /


noun
  1. any of various tropical and semitropical marine fish

Origin of dart

2
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