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Dagger

Military
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A dagger is a short, pointed blade designed for close, often stealthy or treacherous combat.

Detailed Definition
The dagger carries rich symbolic weight in poetry and drama, associated with intimacy, betrayal, and hidden violence, as famously dramatized in Shakespeare's Macbeth with its hallucinated "dagger of the mind." Unlike the sword's overt heroism, the dagger's concealability lends it associations with treachery, assassination, and psychological torment. Poets use the dagger to evoke close, personal violence and the moral corruption that often accompanies covert acts of aggression.
Example
Example in poetry:
Shakespeare's Macbeth famously hallucinates a dagger before committing murder, its hovering blade emblematic of guilt; A poem might use a dagger's hidden concealment to symbolize betrayal within a trusted relationship; Poets use "dagger" to evoke intimate, treacherous violence distinct from the sword's overt heroism; A verse could contrast the dagger's small size with the outsized moral weight of its use; The term appears in poetry exploring psychological torment following an act of covert violence; A poem might describe a dagger glinting in darkness, foreshadowing betrayal before it occurs.
Additional Notes
A dagger is a short, pointed blade designed for close, often stealthy or treacherous combat. The dagger has been a secondary weapon for soldiers, used when firearms or longer blades are impractical. Its concealability makes it a weapon of assassins and spies. In poetry, the dagger symbolizes treachery, intimacy of violence, and the hidden threat. The phrase "dagger's point" evokes the immediate danger of close-quarters confrontation. Related terms include knife, stiletto, and poniard. Unlike the sword, the dagger has no glamour, only efficiency and ruthlessness. Its use in military contexts ranges from sentry elimination to personal defense, and it often appears in war literature as a symbol of the dark side of warfare.
Other Meanings of “Dagger”
Also Known As
Knife Stiletto Dirk Poniard Bayonet Seax
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