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

see also:

at daggers drawn look daggers

Examples of dagger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There will be mass hallucinations, legal exorcisms, shady book launderers, and scarlet daggers. —Willa Rubin, NPR, 1 May 2026

The thing that stuck dagger after dagger into the hoops kids on the GTW crew was watching Minnesota in Game 6 — again, without Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu — seemingly beat the Nuggets to every 50-50 ball. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 1 May 2026

The dagger comes to an insufferable point in a final post-credits gag that directs viewers to a pay-it-forward initiative via a literal QR code. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2026

Police said Johnson was on probation for a previous conviction for possession of a dirk or dagger at the time of his arrest. —Tim Fang, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026

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