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Dirk vs Poniard - What's the difference?

dirk | poniard |

As nouns the difference between dirk and poniard

is that dirk is a long Scottish dagger with a straight blade while poniard is a dagger typically having a slender square or triangular blade.

As verbs the difference between dirk and poniard

is that dirk is to stab with a dirk while poniard is to stab with a poniard.

As a proper noun Dirk

is a given name derived from Germanic of German and Dutch origin, cognate to Derek.

dirk

English

(wikipedia dirk)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A long Scottish dagger with a straight blade.
  • * 1883 ,
    • In half a minute he had reached the port scuppers, and picked, out of a coil of rope, a long knife, or rather a short dirk , discolored to the hilt with blood.
  • (US, Midwest, dated, slang) A penis; dork.
  • * May 1964 , Lawrence Poston, "Some Problems in the Study of Campus Slang", American Speech volume 39, issue 2
    • The word dick'' itself serves as model for two variants which are probably Midwestern, ''dirk'' and ''dork , also meaning "penis"...
  • (US, Midwest, dated, slang) A socially unacceptable person; an oddball.
  • * May 1964 , Lawrence Poston, "Some Problems in the Study of Campus Slang", American Speech volume 39, issue 2
    • ...on at least one Midwestern campus a dirk'' may be an "oddball" student, while a ''prick (more common) is of course an offensive one.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To stab with a dirk.
    • (Sir Walter Scott)
  • (obsolete) To darken.
    • (Spenser)
    ----

    poniard

    English

    Alternative forms

    * poignard * poynard * punierd

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A dagger typically having a slender square or triangular blade.
  • * 1599 , (William Shakespeare), (Much Ado About Nothing) ,
    • She speaks poniards , and every word stabs: if her breath were as terrible as her terminations, there were no living near her; she would infect to the north star.
  • * c. 1601 , (William Shakespeare), , V.1:
    • The sir King ha's wag'd with him six Barbary horses, / against the which he impon'd as I take it, sixe French / Rapiers and Poniards , with their assignes, as Girdle, / Hangers or so.
  • *, II.29:
    • A Poynard is more sure to wound a man, which forsomuch as it requireth more motion and vigor of the arme, than a pistol, it's stroke is more subject to be hindred or avoyded.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To stab with a poniard.

    • Related terms

    * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) ((l))

    References

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