dart

[dahrt]

noun

1. a small, slender missile that is pointed at one end and usually feathered at the other and is propelled by hand, as in the game of darts, or by a blowgun when used as a weapon.

   Synonyms: barb, arrow

2. something similar in function to such a missile, as the stinging member of an insect.

3. (used with a singular verb),  darts, a game in which darts are thrown at a target usually marked with concentric circles divided into segments and with a bull's-eye in the center.

4. an act of darting; a sudden swift movement.

5. a tapered seam of fabric for adjusting the fit of a garment.

verb (used without object)

1. to move swiftly; spring or start suddenly and run swiftly.

   A mouse darted out of the closet and ran across the room.

   Synonyms: shoot, bolt, dash

verb (used with object)

1. to thrust or move suddenly or rapidly.

   He darted his eyes around the room.

dart

¹

/ dɑːt /

noun

1. a small narrow pointed missile that is thrown or shot, as in the game of darts

2. a sudden quick movement

3. zoology a slender pointed structure, as in snails for aiding copulation or in nematodes for penetrating the host's tissues

4. a tapered tuck made in dressmaking

verb

1. to move or throw swiftly and suddenly; shoot

   she darted across the room

dart

²

/ dɑːt /

noun

1. any of various tropical and semitropical marine fish

Other Word Forms

• darting adjective
• dartingly adverb
• dartingness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dart¹

1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Old Low Franconian; compare Old English daroth, Old High German tart, Old Norse darrathr spear, lance

Word History and Origins

Origin of dart¹

C14: from Old French, of Germanic origin; related to Old English daroth spear, Old High German tart dart

Origin of dart²

from Middle English darce , from Late Latin dardus , dart, javelin

Example Sentences

Kwon has developed a reputation as a straight shooter who isn’t afraid to sling some verbal darts in his efforts to maximize players’ talent.

From Los Angeles Times

In fact, you can feel the tension as video crews and production personnel dart anxiously through the cavernous studio.

From Los Angeles Times

As the Swede darted in behind, Odegaard's weight of pass was off and chances broke down.

From BBC

The white microbuses darting around the roads at all hours are one of the first things you notice when you arrive in Cairo, packed with travellers hopping on and hopping off.

From BBC

His buzzy breakout, 2022’s “Barbarian,” tangled several narratives in one basement, jolting audiences with a bold tone shift and a conclusion that darted away before we could ask questions.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bound 
• dash 
• flash 
• fling 
• flit 
• float 
• gallop 
• hurry 
• hurtle 
• scamper 
• scoot 
• scurry 
• skim 
• sprint