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

The announcement follows a string of teasers, including a cryptic video shared on social media last week that showed Florence Welch digging a hole in a field with a dagger and then screaming into it. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2025

The shot brought back memories of Ionescu’s clutch WNBA Finals Game 3 dagger last fall at Target Center. —Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025

Or just one in the endless mishmash of literary references in the series?) beneath a looming board of daggers pointing down at them from above. —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025

New York landed its haymaker against Webb in the fourth by scoring three runs, the dagger being Nimmo’s two-run single that put San Francisco in a 6-1 hole. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 26 July 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