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.
American refiners including Marathon Petroleum MPC 2.50%increase; green up pointing triangle and Valero VLO 2.44%increase; green up pointing triangle say they are cranking out diesel to the hilt.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Another "Star Wars" piece of memorabilia on offer is the lightsaber hilt from "The Force Awakens," which is valued at up to $100,000.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
Suzy Spilling and her husband Colin invested in four rental properties to fund their retirement - including two flats in Salford "mortgaged to the hilt".
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2025
Another shameful act should be punished to the hilt and just maybe it won’t happen again.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2023
Hill and Jackson understood their value and played it to the hilt.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
