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 last scoring possession in regulation appeared to be the dagger before Chad Ryland shanked the extra point to keep the game tied at 30. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026

But Danielson kept the ball in Cutforth’s hands, who threw a dagger down the middle on fourth-and-10 to a diving Jones at the back of the end zone for the latter’s third receiving touchdown of the day. — Idaho Statesman, 1 Nov. 2026

Discordant keys fly like daggers while snares trip over bass thuds; there’s a jazzy piano interlude, and then a murderous hard-rock siege razes the mix to the ground. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2026

He had been subbed out for Cayden Boozer seconds before the deflection and the devastating 35-foot dagger from Braylon Mullins that sent the Blue Devils packing and UConn back to the Final Four. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 29 Oct. 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