stiletto
Americannoun
plural
stilettos, stilettoes-
a short dagger with a blade that is thick in proportion to its width.
-
a pointed instrument for making eyelet holes in needlework.
-
spike heel. stiletto heel.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a small dagger with a slender tapered blade
-
a sharply pointed tool used to make holes in leather, cloth, etc
-
Also called: spike heel. stiletto heel. a very high heel on a woman's shoe, tapering to a very narrow tip
verb
Other Word Forms
- stilettolike adjective
Etymology
Origin of stiletto
First recorded in 1605–15; from Italian, equivalent to stil(o) “dagger” (from Latin stilus stylus ) + -etto -ette
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.
She paired her fitted white Alaïa-designed dress with very, very high stilettos.
From BBC
They later stop by the local church and the disco with Joseph Cerda Bañales, a bearded makeup artist who brandishes long stiletto nails to the rodeos.
From Los Angeles Times
"Watch out for the holes!" one guest warned another about the hazard for stilettos.
From Barron's
Zoom in through the dark clouds parting to reveal a figure falling face downward, clearly a female form in stiletto heels descending toward Earth.
From Los Angeles Times
Brightly coloured Gucci stilettos catch the eye from a distance; it's a treasure trove of top-label kit worth tens of thousands of pounds.
From BBC
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.
