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

As The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor wrote, Mullins’ 35-foot dagger was a singular feat of March Madness. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026

Or were the Angels about to suffer a ninth-inning dagger? —Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 2026

Many of the thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets brandished weapons including guns and daggers, while others waved Lebanese, Palestinian, Iranian and Hezbollah flags. —Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026

Jaquez played one of the best games of her career in the title game, exploding for 21 points, including dagger 3-pointers in the second half that pushed the Bruins' lead to more than 30. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 5 Apr. 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