dart

Noun

1. A pointed missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand; for example, a short lance or javelin.
2. Any sharp-pointed missile weapon, such as an arrow.
3. (figuratively, sometimes) Anything resembling such a missile; something that pierces or wounds like such a weapon.
4. A small object with a pointed tip at one end and feathers at the other, which is thrown at a target in the game of darts.
5. (Australia, Canada, colloquial) A cigarette.
6. A dart-shaped target towed behind an aircraft to train shooters.
7. (Australia, obsolete) A plan or scheme.
8. A sudden or fast movement.
9. A fold that is stitched on a garment.
10. A dace (fish) (Leuciscus leuciscus).
11. Any of various species of hesperiid butterfly.

Verb

1. (transitive) To throw with a sudden effort or thrust; to hurl or launch.
2. (transitive) To send forth suddenly or rapidly; to emit; to shoot.
3. (transitive) To shoot with a dart, especially a tranquilizer dart.
4. (intransitive) To fly or pass swiftly, like a dart; to move rapidly in one direction; to shoot out quickly.
5. (intransitive) To start and run with speed; to shoot rapidly along.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dɑːt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: dart

Cognate with Old High German: tart

Cognate with Old English: daroþ

Cognate with Swedish: dart

Cognate with Icelandic: darraður

Inherited from Middle English: darten

In summary

From Middle English dart, from Old French dart, dard (“dart”), from Medieval Latin dardus, from Frankish *darōþu (“dart, spear”), from Proto-Germanic *darōþuz (“dart, spear”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerh₃- (“to leap, spring”).
Compare Old High German tart (“javelin, dart”), Old English daroþ, dearod (“javelin, spear, dart”), Swedish dart (“dart, dagger”), Icelandic darraður, darr, dör (“dart, spear”).

Synonyms

arrow

dash

💨

javelin

spear

rush

flit

bolt

shaft

shoot

scoot

run

fly

✈️

lance

hurtle

sprint

scud

flash

scurry

speed

zoom

slip

hurry

hurl

tear

sling

race

pike

flutter

cast

flirt

😘

fling

barbed missile

throw

fleet

burst

whisk

spike

move quickly

skitter

jump

bound

scramble

darts

harpoon

charge

leap

scuttle

career

blowpipe

onrush

Translations

dardo

🎯

dardo

🎯

dardo

🎯

flecha

dard

fléchette

🎯

trait

Pfeil

apressar-se

Satz

precipitar-se

voler

darder

courir

fléchettes