dagger

noun

dag·​ger ˈda-gər 

1

: a sharp pointed knife for stabbing

2

a

: something that resembles a dagger

b

: a character † used as a reference mark or to indicate a death date

daggerlike

ˈda-gər-ˌlīk 

adjective

Phrases

at daggers drawn

: in a state of open hostility or conflict

look daggers or stare daggers

: to stare angrily

they looked daggers at each other across the table

Examples of dagger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Skylar Diggins-Smith led Seattle with eight assists plus 13 points, and her dagger 3-pointer with under three minutes left in the fourth quarter pushed the Storm lead to double-digits for the first time in the game. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2024

Putin gave Kim a luxury car, a tea set and a dagger as a gift, according to Russian state media. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 18 June 2024

The dagger essentially secured Brooklyn’s second straight win. —Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024

Kissinger, after all, once likened Chile to a dagger pointed at the heart of Antarctica. —Joseph S. Nye Jr., Foreign Affairs, 30 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dagger

• cloak-and-dagger
• double dagger

Kids Definition

dagger

noun

dag·​ger ˈdag-ər 

1

: a short weapon for stabbing

2

: a symbol † used in printing as a reference mark to indicate a death date