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# dagger

noun (a dagger, daggers)

«dagger» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A dagger is a short knife with a pointed blade, made as a weapon for stabbing. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dagger/#m1)
2. (printing) A dagger (†) is a small mark used in books to point to a note, or next to a name to show the person has died. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dagger/#m2)

### In the lessons

In history lessons, daggers appear with Romans, Vikings, knights and pirates. In stories, «look daggers at someone» means to give them a very angry look; «cloak and dagger» means secret and spy-like. Knives and daggers are dangerous; in the UK, Ireland and Australia it is against the law to carry one in public, and school safety lessons explain why. Phrases: «look daggers», «cloak-and-dagger», «at daggers drawn» (ready to fight).

### Examples

- The Roman soldier carried a short dagger. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dagger/#x1)
- The pirate hid a dagger in his boot. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dagger/#x2)
- My sister looked daggers at me when I told Mum. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dagger/#x3)
- It was a cloak-and-dagger plan to hide the birthday cake. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dagger/#x4)
- The museum has a Viking dagger with a carved handle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dagger/#x5)
- Carrying a knife or dagger in public is against the law. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dagger/#x6)
- Peter felt for his dagger till his hand gripped it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dagger/#x7)

### Note

Plural «daggers». A dagger is shorter than a sword. «Look daggers» is figurative: nobody throws a knife. The † mark is also called an obelus.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «dagger» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dagger/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«dagger» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/dagger.html) on Mova free.