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

Sash Gavalyugov, who scored 23 points that included the dagger 3-pointer in the closing seconds to beat Saint Mary’s 76-71 in the semifinals, was held to eight. —Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026

Gilgeous-Alexander also hit a step-back three over Christian Braun that should’ve been the dagger with 14 seconds left, giving OKC a 126-122 lead. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026

Kaliyah Morales added 14 points, including the dagger with six seconds left, giving NSU a 78-74 lead. —Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026

After a slow start, Big 12 Player of the Year Olivia Miles helped TCU deliver the dagger. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 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