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Definition of dagger in English:

dagger

Pronunciation /ˈdaɡər/ /ˈdæɡər/

Translate dagger into Spanish

noun

  • 1A short knife with a pointed and edged blade, used as a weapon.

    ‘he drew his dagger and stabbed the leader’
    • ‘He stared at all the weapons, swords, daggers, bows and arrows; some were even made of gold.’
    • ‘Sharp weapons, including knives, daggers and spears, were seized from the 46 people.’
    • ‘He was helping the council pass out swords and daggers, weapons of every kind.’
    • ‘Men-at-arms and common soldiers carried daggers too and occasionally short, curved multi-purpose swords.’
    • ‘She knew it was useless to use arrows so she pulled out a dagger and a small sword as she charged to the battle.’
    • ‘They had their blades, ranging from daggers to swords, out and at the ready.’
    • ‘He ran his finger over the fine edge of the dagger's blade.’
    • ‘Captain Irving had threatened to hurt her, but not with a sword, or a dagger, or a pistol.’
    • ‘It's one of those stores that sells every kind of knife, dagger, and sword you can imagine.’
    • ‘They were also both carrying the same weapon, a small dagger.’
    • ‘He moved to plunge the dagger in but the weapon was wretched from his grip by a powerful hand as the other gripped his wrist and tore it away.’
    • ‘While a good percentage of them had guns or rifles, some also carried scimitars and daggers.’
    • ‘He had a rifle slung over his right shoulder and a short sword or long dagger at his left hip.’
    • ‘As he passed one of the men who was attempting to stab Alan with a short dagger, he killed him in mid-stride.’
    • ‘The hilt of the dagger had been colored silver, with gold markings on the lower end.’
    • ‘She prepared to plunge her silver dagger down when Lucas kicked her from behind and sent her tumbling.’
    • ‘He clutched his throat as she reached into her belt and took out a silver dagger and a small glass bottle.’
    • ‘Marrissa staggered down the dark empty hallway, clutching a dagger in her left hand and her journal in the other.’
    • ‘A dark figure swathed in shadows stood over her, a dagger gleaming in its raised hand.’
    • ‘The dark man gave an evil grin as he produced a dagger from nowhere and raised it towards his chest.’
    1. 1.1Printing
      another term for obelus
      ‘Confusingly, the word obelus was later used for the printer's character we often call a dagger, another symbol with a point.’
      another term for obelus
      • ‘A dagger above an indel symbol shows that the indel is not shared among the sequences at a given locus.’

  • 2A moth with a dark dagger-shaped marking on the forewing.

    Genus Acronicta, family Noctuidae: several species

Phrases

    look daggers at

    • Glare angrily or venomously at.

      ‘she flung the fork down, looking daggers at him’
      • ‘She looks daggers at him, but continues her conversation with her sister, turning every few words to fix him with a steely glare.’
      • ‘What a sight, my dad standing there looking daggers at my mom, who was enjoying his moment of discomfort.’
      • ‘Then there's the floods and pestilences we've survived, and the famines, and so on, not to mention the other drivers on the roads these days, and the way some people keep looking daggers at you.’
      • ‘Henry is also puzzled about Matilda's attitude until he sees her looking daggers at Cassie and Ric as they flirt together.’
      • ‘Sarah plays with the keys on her laptop and looks daggers at the angelic figure in the pool as she swims.’
      • ‘She clenches her teeth and looks daggers at any man who dares engage in eye contact.’
      • ‘‘Go on,’ said Kassie, still looking daggers at Mike.’
      • ‘‘Ruby was looking daggers at her this morning,’ Nadine said, smiling a little.’
      • ‘Emma gave a short laugh of mockery but quickly turned it into a cough when Kathryn began looking daggers at her.’
      • ‘Lily let out a gasp of disgust, and looked daggers at them.’
    at daggers drawn
    British

    • In bitter enmity.

      ‘they have been at daggers drawn for weeks over tactics’
      • ‘The parties to contested actions are often at daggers drawn, and the litigious process serves to exacerbate the hostility between them.’
      • ‘You know that two people are at daggers drawn when they make a direct statement claiming to be united.’
      • ‘The Hunting Bill is before the House of Lords, and the metropolitan middle classes and the rural population are at daggers drawn.’
      • ‘The ombudsman is already at daggers drawn with the former chief constable over the handling of the bomb inquiry.’
      • ‘Jack and Jim, who's extended his trip to the States, are at daggers drawn.’
      • ‘They can obviously smell the fact that we're at daggers drawn with the Treasury.’
      • ‘It's been an open secret in media circles for some years that the two giants of Sydney commercial radio were at daggers drawn.’
      • ‘His two most loyal cabinet ministers are now at daggers drawn.’
      • ‘The British critics of The Times, Spectator and Observer were at daggers drawn.’
      • ‘For some reason, right throughout that tour, Alexander and Gilchrist were at daggers drawn.’

Origin

Late Middle English perhaps from obsolete dag ‘pierce, stab’, influenced by Old French dague ‘long dagger’.