dart

noun \ ˈdärt \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of dart

1 a archaic : a light spear

b (1) : a small missile usually with a pointed shaft at one end and feathers at the other

(2) darts plural in form but singular in construction : a game in which darts are thrown at a target

2 a : something projected with sudden speed; especially : a sharp glance

b : something causing sudden pain or distress

darts of sarcasm

3 : something with a slender pointed shaft or outline; specifically : a stitched tapering fold in a garment

4 : a quick movement

made a dart for the door

See dart defined for English-language learners

See dart defined for kids

Examples of dart in a Sentence

He was hit with a poisoned dart.
Her favorite game is darts.
a quick dart to the left

Recent Examples of dart from the Web

After Rush remarks that the cops apparently have nothing better to do than harass someone about walking, Hickman darts toward him, telling him to put his hands behind his back.

— meagan flynn, chicagotribune.com, "Asheville police video shows white officer beating, choking black jaywalking suspect," 3 Apr. 2018
In January, an iguana was found in Plantation with five dart-like arrows in his body — apparently shot from a crossbow.

— sun sentinel staff, Sun-Sentinel.com, "More iguanas shot with arrows in South Florida, report says," 2 Apr. 2018
Falls City taproom in NuLu will be able to seat more than 100 people and features a shuffleboard and dart room area, too.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Falls City taproom opens Friday in NuLu, so now you can crack a cold one," 27 Mar. 2018
There’s no satisfying hits, just quivering, the darts just blop in and vanish.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "“Angels in America”: Brilliant, Maddening, and Necessary," 19 Mar. 2018
Tasers shoot a pair of dart-like electrodes that are supposed to strike a person, with a current between the electrodes then incapacitating them.

— evan sernoffsky, San Francisco Chronicle, "Long fight over San Francisco cops carrying Tasers heats up again," 13 Mar. 2018
The teams will be wearing flare-orange vests and using dart projectors that look like long guns or hunting rifles.

— zaz hollander, Anchorage Daily News, "Anchorage moose spotters needed: Biologists want your help this weekend," 23 Feb. 2018
Tennessee had no answer to Sexton's quick darts to the basket, and the freshman also had four assists.

— USA TODAY, "Donte DiVincenzo helps No. 1 Villanova rally past Butler," 10 Feb. 2018
This beloved bar sits hidden on Broadway, and has been a haven for dart throwers, cheap drinkers and eclectic music lovers alike for decades.

— jared bajkowski, kansascity, "The best dive bars of Kansas City, readers say | 2018 | The Kansas City Star," 26 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dart.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of dart

Middle English, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German tart dart, Old English daroth

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

dart Synonyms

dart

verb

Definition of dart

transitive verb

1 : to throw with a sudden movement

2 : to thrust or move with sudden speed

3 : to shoot with a dart containing a usually tranquilizing drug

intransitive verb

: to move suddenly or rapidly

darted across the street

See dart defined for English-language learners

Examples of dart in a Sentence

We saw a deer dart across the road.
The frog darted its tongue at a fly.

Recent Examples of dart from the Web

Zoli occasionally darted back along the moving line to catch a whiff of someone who briefly had eluded scrutiny.

— kevin spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando International Airport tops for bomb dogs," 13 Apr. 2018
Hoffman didn’t dart down the hole and run backwards like Finau did Wednesday to hurt himself.

— jesse smithey, Detroit Free Press, "Rough Masters finish has Rory McIlroy still chasing career Grand Slam," 8 Apr. 2018
During her 1973 performance Rhythm 10, Abramović darted a knife quickly between her fingers, cutting herself several times.

— lizzie plaugic, The Verge, "What will happen to Marina Abramović when she electrifies herself with 1 million volts?," 6 Apr. 2018
Ronaldo is hardly a secret weapon and yet, 168 seconds in, he was left unmarked to dart across the near post and score.

— jonathan wilson, SI.com, "Cristiano Ronaldo's Greatness Shines Through vs. Lax Juventus in UCL Again," 3 Apr. 2018
When some tried to dart all the way to the fence, the Israeli army dropped tear-gas grenades from small drones and Israeli snipers opened fire.

— The Economist, "Israel has killed over a dozen Palestinians in Gaza," 30 Mar. 2018
There, the song darts 27-22 and sports a 20 percent bump to 10 million in audience in the week ending March 25.

— trevor anderson, Billboard, "Charlie Wilson Ties Brian McKnight & Luther Vandross for Third-Most No. 1s on Adult R&B Songs Chart," 30 Mar. 2018
But a prudent driver could have anticipated the possibility of a car in the blind spot—or, for that matter, a pedestrian trying to dart between the stopped cars in the next lane—and slowed down to 30 or even 20 miles per hour.

— timothy b. lee, Ars Technica, "Video suggests huge problems with Uber’s driverless car program," 22 Mar. 2018
Brown darted into the lane with the shot clock running down, seemingly blowing by every Kentucky player to get to the basket, and banked one in with 18 seconds remaining to put K-State up 60-58.

— CBS News, "March Madness: Loyola upsets Nevada, Kansas State holds off Kentucky," 23 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of dart

1573

dart Synonyms

Synonyms

dance, flick, flicker, flirt, flit, flitter, flutter, zip;

Near Antonyms

float, hang, hover;

scamper, scud, scurry, scuttle, skip, skitter;

meander, ramble, roam, wander;

DART Defined for English Language Learners

dart

noun

Definition of dart for English Language Learners

: a small object that has a sharp point at one end and that is thrown in the game of darts or used as a weapon
darts : a game in which darts are thrown at a board that is marked with circles
: a quick movement