stab

1 of 2

noun

1
: a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon
2
a
: a thrust of a pointed weapon
b
: a jerky thrust
3
: effort, try
4
: a sudden sharp feeling
stabs of regret

stab

2 of 2

verb

stabbed; stabbing

transitive verb

1
: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon
2

intransitive verb

: to thrust or give a wound with or as if with a pointed weapon
stabber noun
Phrases
stab in the back
: betray

Examples of stab in a Sentence

Noun the injection left a small stab on her upper arm everybody will get a stab at solving the problem Verb He stabbed her with a dagger. The victim was stabbed in the chest five times.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Responding officers found Reeves with a critical stab wound. Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024 Officers responding to a 911 call found Alfred Soto suffering from two stab wounds in the upper body at a W. 96th St. apartment building near Columbus Ave. Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
He had been stabbed multiple times, which was his cause of death. Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024 Police found Reeves with multiple critical stab wounds after receiving calls about a teenage boy being stabbed during a fight between two groups of minors. Karen Bartunek, The Arizona Republic, 30 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stab 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stabbe

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stab was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near stab

Cite this Entry

“Stab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stab. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

stab

1 of 2 noun
1
: a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon
2
: a thrust of a pointed weapon
3
: effort sense 2, try
I'll take a stab at it

stab

2 of 2 verb
stabbed; stabbing
1
: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon
2
stabber noun

Medical Definition

stab

1 of 2 noun
1
: a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon
2
a
: a culture medium solidified in an upright column in a tube to reduce the surface to a minimum compare slant

stab

2 of 2 transitive verb
stabbed; stabbing
: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon

More from Merriam-Webster on stab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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