dagger
dag·ger/ˈdæɡɚ/noun, verb
dagger is spelled D-A-G-G-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables (dag·ger). It appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, dagger means “A stabbing weapon, similar to a sword but with a short, double-edged blade” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of dagger is daggers.
How many letters and syllables are in dagger?
| Letters | 6: D-A-G-G-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: dag·ger |
| In writing | 3.5 times per million words; the 14,106th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is dagger?
Dagger appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce dagger?
- UK /ˈdæɡə/
- UK [ˈdæɡə]
- US /ˈdæɡɚ/
Dagger has 2 syllables, split dag·ger in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-dagger.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with dagger?
9 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as dagger from its last stressed vowel (/æɡəɹ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: ragged.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of dagger
- daggers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- daggering participle, present
- daggered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does dagger mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A stabbing weapon, similar to a sword but with a short, double-edged blade.
- 2
The typographical mark †.
- 3
A point scored near the end of the game (clutch time) to take or increase the scorer's team lead, so that they are likely to win.
His last-minute 3-point dagger silenced the criticism for his so-called failure to come up big in big moments.
- 4
A timber placed diagonally in a ship's frame.
verb
- 1
To pierce with a dagger; to stab.
- 2
To perform the daggering dance.
noun
- 1
A player, supporter or other person connected with Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Dagger in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | poignard, kandjar , croix |
| German | Dolch , Kreuz |
| Portuguese | adaga, punhal |
| Spanish | daga, puñal, serranil , obelus |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does dagger come from?
From Middle English daggere, daggare, dagard, probably adapted from Old French dague (1229), related to Occitan, Italian, Spanish daga, Dutch dagge, German Degen, Middle Low German dagge (“knife's point”), Old Norse daggarðr, Danish daggert, Faroese daggari, 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 suspects Celtic origin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).