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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Predictably, Putin saw the incursion as a stab in the back and pulled the plug, with Moscow labeling the Ukrainian offensive as an escalation. Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 Officers found a man on the ground, suffering from stab wounds. Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
Another execution attempt of Creech, 74, had been scheduled for Nov. 13 — coincidentally, the same date in which the four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed in 2022 in an off-campus apartment house. Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024 At another pro-Trump rally with Proud Boys members in D.C. the following month, four people were stabbed and at least two dozen were arrested. Conor Murray, Forbes, 4 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 14 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!