hilt
Americannoun
-
the handle of a sword or dagger.
-
the handle of any weapon or tool.
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
-
the handle or shaft of a sword, dagger, etc
-
to the full
verb
Etymology
Origin of hilt
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English hilt(e); cognate with Middle Dutch hilt(e), Old Norse hjalt, Old High German helza “handle of a sword”
Explanation
A hilt is a knife, sword, or dagger's handle. When you're learning to sword fight for your role in a Shakespeare drama, the first thing you'll learn is to hold onto the hilt. The hilt of a sword is sometimes topped by a "pommel," an enlarged section of the handle, and protected by a "guard," which keeps your hand safe from your opponent's blade. The word hilt can also mean "totally" in the colloquial phrase "up to the hilt," as in: "That country's military is armed up to the hilt," or "They own lots of homes, but they're mortgaged up to the hilt."
Vocabulary lists containing hilt
"The Witch Boy" by Molly Knox Ostertag
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The Birchbark House
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 3
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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.
A harpoon gun from "Jaws," a jacket worn by "The Terminator," and a "Star Wars" lightsaber hilt and C-3PO head are among the eye-catching items to be sold at auction next month.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
Clarke now warns that too many people are having to "mortgage themselves up to the hilt" for homes on new estates that are not always well built and with poor access to local services.
From BBC • Sep. 26, 2025
The performers are encouraged to play their roles to the comic hilt.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2024
Still, he was a perfect match for Yang, who played Santos to the hilt in various appearances on Weekend Update and in opening sketches.
From New York Times • May 20, 2024
He swings the sword in the air like a lightsaber, both hands on the hilt.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
