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

Misdemeanor carry concealed dirk or dagger, 3000 block Ocean Front Walk, 1:18 p.m. —Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025

Justin Champagnie hit a 3-pointer, the Heat had a backcourt violation and then Carrington ruined Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s 40-point game by dropping this dagger on him. —Zach Harper, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025

Just don’t mistake the film’s vision of cloak and dagger for any kind of contemporary reality. —A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2025

The Celtics tied it late in regulation on a series of dagger plays from Jayson Tatum, who finished with 32 points, including a cold-blooded step-back three over OG Anunoby with under 20 seconds to play. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 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