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

That plunged the dagger – with 25 seconds left in the second quarter. —Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025

But Mickey Gasper stunned everyone with a leadoff home run, the first of his career, and then Matt Wallner provided the dagger with a three-run shot to secure the win. —Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025

Teenager Rio Ngumoha scored the winner with the last minute of stoppage time; a dagger to black and white hearts. —Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Poise under pressure is easier to identify in a quarterback, but Wagner also has a history of making dagger plays. —Dan Pompei, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for dagger

• agger
• bagger
• stagger
• swagger

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