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

see also:

at daggers drawn look daggers

Examples of dagger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In his first international meeting with England, Messi had a pair of assists on two late-match daggers that pierced through the hearts of Three Lions’ players and supporters. — Gavin Godfrey, AJC.com, 16 July 2026

Spain swarmed French star Kylian Mbappe and delivered the dagger to take an almost insurmountable two-goal lead. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026

This instantly alerts nearby Deadite Jessica to the dagger's presence, prompting her to turn her attention to eliminating the Price family and destroying it. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 10 July 2026

The one useful nugget revealed in its sinister pages this time is the existence of an ancient dagger that is the sole means of killing a deadite for good. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026

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