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

The Blue Jays have plenty to reflect on after the opening loss, not to mention a season that has not met expectations, but perhaps the sharpest dagger of the game came courtesy of Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. —Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

Instead, Boldy whiffed and, seconds later, Brett Kulak — of all players — put the dagger in Minnesota’s season after Martin Nečas came through in the clutch with a tremendous setup. —Michael Russo, New York Times, 14 May 2026

Also, 2023 first-round pick Cason Wallace, an elite defender and efficient offensive contributor, delivered the dagger Thursday with eight fourth-quarter points. —Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026

Cold-reading Natalie to steal the dagger? —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 4 May 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