bodkin
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9.9
- noun
- /ˈbɒd.kɪn/
- Archaic
:
daga
- For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, the proud man's contumely, the insolence of office, the law's delay, the pangs of "desprised" love, when he himself might his own quietus make with a bare bodkin?
Examples
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In medieval times, a bodkin served as a small weapon for self-defense.
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"The insolence of office, "and the spurns that patient merit of th'unworthy takes, "when he himself might in his quietus "make with a bare bodkin?"
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The hunter used a sharp bodkin to prepare his game for cooking.
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She carefully wielded the bodkin to pierce through the tough leather for her sewing project.
Synonyms
103
4.4
A short pointed knife used for stabbing
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9.9
A small thin dagger used as a weapon in the past
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9.9
A small pointed knife used as a weapon
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9.9
A small traditional knife from Malaysia or Indonesia with a wavy blade
A small old knife with a short pointed blade that collectors keep and museums show
How Pointed
Surface Forms
Etymology
Bodkin has long been used to mean a small, sharp dagger; writers like Shakespeare even used it for a short knife, so the idea of a 'small point' helps explain why it can mean a weapon.