hilt
Americannoun
-
hilts
plural
-
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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
A stunning jeweled dagger hilt and scabbard from Jahangir’s reign incorporate more than 2,000 diamonds, rubies and emeralds set in an intricate pattern in gold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 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
Just six months ago England coach Brendon McCullum backed Jos Buttler to the hilt despite questions over his captain's future.
From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2025
Bowen’s River and Carmelo’s Wynona play their characters’ shortcomings to the hilt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2025
It’s a black blade that starts off skinny at the hilt and progressively increases in width, like Mr. Choi’s cricket paddles.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Walrus ivory was one of the most prized commodities in medieval times, valued across Europe and the Islamic world for its use in sword hilts, gaming pieces, and sacramental objects.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 22, 2022
Perhaps a line of parasols designed for Jonas Hanway types, with canopies of dashing plaid and polished wooden hilts?
From Slate
Ready Defenders A group of youths stand with their hands on the hilts of their swords, ready to fight if necessary.
From National Geographic
Other daggers with either oval or elongated blades, concave edges and T-shaped hilts are typical of middle Bronze Age weapons made between 1500 B.C. and 1100 B.C.
From Time Magazine Archive
They looked sideways at one another, hands clenching the hilts of their swords.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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.
