poniard

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French poignard, from poing (“fist”), from Old French poing, from Latin pugnus (“fist”).

Pronunciation

Noun

poniard (plural poniards)

  1. (now chiefly historical) A dagger typically having a slender square or triangular blade. [from 16th c.]
    • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
      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 […].
    • 1751, [Tobias] Smollett, chapter 101, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume IV, London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC:
      One of the tragic authors, finding himself assaulted in the dark, had, by way of poinard, employed upon his adversary's throat a knife which lay upon the table, for the convenience of cutting cheese […] .
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 29, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
      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.
    • 1824, James Hogg, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner:
      On this occasion I said nothing, but concealing his poniard in my clothes, I hasted up the mountain, determined to execute my purpose […].

Translations

Verb

poniard (third-person singular simple present poniards, present participle poniarding, simple past and past participle poniarded)

  1. To stab with a poniard.
    • 1764, Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto, section I:
      Manfred […] would have poignarded the peasant in their arms.

References

Anagrams
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