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

The Lakers landed two resounding blows that should have served as daggers. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025

In a close game with two minutes left, the player most likely to produce a dagger is Mississippi guard Sean Pedulla. —Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025

It was reinforced by Michigan State surviving a dreadful shooting night by star freshman Jace Richardson, who finished 1 for 10 from the field with just 6 points, though his only bucket came on a dagger putback in the final minute. —Justin Williams, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025

Senior guard Alvaro Cardenas sunk four of those 3-pointers, including a step-back dagger in the first half’s final seconds to enter the break trailing 33-28. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Mar. 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