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Dagger vs Bodkin - What's the difference?

dagger | bodkin |

As nouns the difference between dagger and bodkin

is that dagger is a stabbing weapon, similar to a sword but with a short, double-edged blade while bodkin is a small sharp pointed tool for making holes in cloth or leather.

As a verb dagger

is to pierce with a dagger; to stab.

As an adverb bodkin is

closely wedged between two people.

dagger

English

Etymology 1

Probably from (etyl) dague (1229), related to (etyl), (etyl), (etyl) daga , (etyl) Degen, (etyl) . In English attested from the 1380s. The ultimate origin of the word is unclear. Grimm Grimm suspects Celtic origin. Others have suggested derivation from an unattested Vulgar Latin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia. Chastelain (Dictionaire etymologique'', 1750) thought that French ''dague'' was a derivation from German ''dagge'', ''dagen , although not attested until a much later date). The knightly dagger evolves from the 12th century. Guillaume le Breton (died 1226) uses daca'' in his ''Philippide''. Other Middle Latin forms include ''daga, dagga, dagha, dagger, daggerius, daggerium, dagarium, dagarius, diga''http://ducange.enc.sorbonne.fr/DAGGER; the forms with ''-r- are late 14th century adoptions of the English word). OED points out that there is also an English verb from which this could be a derivation, but the verb is attested only from about 1400. Relation to Old Armenian .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (weapon) A stabbing weapon, similar to a sword but with a short, double-edged blade.
  • * , Act I, Scene I, line 282.
    • I bruised my shin th’ other day with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence; ...
  • * 1786 , , A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons , page 34.
    • The dagger , under the title cultellum and misericorde, has been the constant companion of the sword, at least from the days of Edward I. and is mentioned in the statute of Winchester.
  • The text character ; the obelus.
    • Synonyms
    * (stabbing weapon): dirk, knife * (text character): obelisk, obelus * (anything that causes pain like a dagger) barb
    Derived terms
    * at daggers drawn * cloak-and-dagger * double dagger * look daggers * speak daggers * stare daggers
    See also
    * poniard * rondel * stiletto

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To pierce with a dagger; to stab.

    • Etymology 2

    Perhaps from (diagonal).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A timber placed diagonally in a ship's frame.
    • (Knight)

    Anagrams

    *

    References

    bodkin

    English

    (wikipedia bodkin)

    Alternative forms

    * bodikin, bodkine, botkin, boidken

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small sharp pointed tool for making holes in cloth or leather.
  • A blunt needle used for threading ribbon or cord through a hem or casing.
  • A hairpin.
  • A dagger.
  • * 1603 , , Hamlet , act 3, scene 1:
    • For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
    The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
    The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
    The insolence of office and the spurns
    That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
    When he himself might his quietus make
    With a bare bodkin ?
  • A type of arrowhead.
  • (printing) A sharp tool, like an awl, formerly used for picking up letters from a column or page in making corrections.

    • Adverb

    (-)
  • Closely wedged between two people.
    • to sit''' bodkin; to '''travel bodkin
    (Thackeray)