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Webster 1913 Edition

Dagger

Dag′ger

(-gẽr)
,
Noun.
[Cf. OE.
daggen
to pierce, F.
daguer
. See
Dag
a dagger.]
1.
A short weapon used for stabbing. This is the general term: cf.
Poniard
,
Stiletto
,
Bowie knife
,
Dirk
,
Misericorde
,
Anlace
.
2.
(Print.)
A mark of reference in the form of a dagger [†]. It is the second in order when more than one reference occurs on a page; – called also
obelisk
.
Dagger moth
(Zool.)
,
any moth of the genus
Apatalea
. The larvæ are often destructive to the foliage of fruit trees, etc.
–
Dagger of lath
,
the wooden weapon given to the Vice in the old Moralities.
Shak.
–
Double dagger
,
a mark of reference [‡] which comes next in order after the dagger.
–
To look daggers
, or
To speak daggers
,
to look or speak fiercely or reproachfully.

Dag′ger

,
Verb.
T.
To pierce with a dagger; to stab.
[Obs.]

Dag′ger

,
Noun.
[Perh. from
diagonal
.]
A timber placed diagonally in a ship’s frame.
Knight.

Webster 1828 Edition

Dagger

DAG'GER

,
Noun.
1.
A short sword; a poniard.
2.
In fencing schools, a blunt blade of iron with a basket hilt, used for defense.
3.
With printers, and obelisk, or obelus, a mark of reference in the form of a dagger.

Definition 2024

Dagger

Dagger

See also: dagger

English

Noun

Dagger ‎(plural Daggers)

  1. (soccer) A player, supporter or other person connected with Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club.

dagger

dagger

See also: Dagger

English

A small and richly decorated Mughal-era dagger of North India (Louvre, Paris, MR 13434)

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdæɡə(ɹ)/
  • Rhymes: -æɡə(r)

Noun

dagger ‎(plural daggers)

  1. (weaponry) A stabbing weapon, similar to a sword but with a short, double-edged blade.
    • 1599, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act I, Scene I, line 282.
      I bruised my shin th’ other day with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence; ...
    • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 34.
      The dagger, under the title cultellum and misericorde, has been the constant companion of the sword, at least from the days of Edward I. and is mentioned in the statute of Winchester.
  2. (typography) The text character †; the obelus.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
a text character
See also

Verb

dagger ‎(third-person singular simple present daggers, present participle daggering, simple past and past participle daggered)

  1. To pierce with a dagger; to stab.

Etymology 2

Perhaps from diagonal.

Noun

dagger ‎(plural daggers)

  1. A timber placed diagonally in a ship's frame.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)

Anagrams

References

  1. ↑ Grimm
  2. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia
  3. ↑ http://ducange.enc.sorbonne.fr/DAGGER
  4. ↑ Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 232

Etymology

Probably from Old French dague (1229), related to Occitan, Italian, Spanish daga, German Degen, Middle Low German dagge ‎(“knife's point”), Old Norse daggardr, Welsh dager, dagr, Breton dac, Albanian thikë ‎(“a knife, dagger”), thek ‎(“to stab, to pierce with a sharp object”).

In English attested from the 1380s. The ultimate origin of the word is unclear. Grimm[1]suspects Celtic origin. Others have suggested derivation from an unattested Vulgar Latin *daca "Dacian [knife]", from the Latin adjective dācus[2]. Chastelain (Dictionaire etymologique, 1750) thought that French dague was a derivation from German dagge, dagen, although not attested until a much later date).

The knightly dagger evolves from the 12th century. Guillaume le Breton (died 1226) uses daca in his Philippide. Other Middle Latin forms include daga, dagga, dagha, dagger, daggerius, daggerium, dagarium, dagarius, diga[3]; the forms with -r- are late 14th century adoptions of the English word). OED points out that there is also an English verb dag ‎(“to stab”) from which this could be a derivation, but the verb is attested only from about 1400.

Relation to Old Armenian դակու ‎(daku, “adze, axe”) has also been suggested[4].

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