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

Technology has been the key to US prosperity since World War II, and Musk’s bitter split with the White House is symbolic of the dagger being driven through the industry’s future. —Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 6 June 2025

The failure to produce a bidding contest represented another dagger for an airline with a history of financial troubles. —David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2025

That’s the sort of dagger Carolina has missed in the Brind’Amour era. —Sean Gentille, New York Times, 13 May 2025

One of the attackers then proceeded to slit Forde’s throat using a 12-inch dagger as two other assailants stabbed him in the stomach in front of onlookers. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 June 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