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dagger

dagger

5 9.4
A small mark like a cross used to show a second note at the bottom of a page
  • noun
  • /ˈdæɡər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : daga
  • I swear to you, wherever you go, wherever you are, I vow there will always be daggers bearing notes signed "James Hook."
  • double dagger

Examples

  • double dagger

    Academic text (2018)
  • In the manuscript, the author used a dagger to denote the second footnote at the bottom of the page.

  • And he appears again on the dagger, see?

  • Dagger 1-2, Dagger 1-2, this is Dagger 3-3.

  • Dagger 1-2, this is Dagger 3-3.

  • The dagger!

  • Mike snatched at the receiver, looking daggers at Lou, and said into the instrument, with a delightful American accent, "Messageries Bontemps."

    Fiction book (1995)
  • When formatting citations, remember to add a dagger symbol if the asterisk has already been used.

  • The editor marked the paragraphs with a dagger to indicate additional references for the readers.

Synonyms

obelisk
vsdagger
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A small cross-shaped mark used after an asterisk to show a second footnote

is limited to printed use and marks the second footnote after an asterisk
obelus
vsdagger
  • Specialized
9.9

A symbol like † that shows a footnote or marks that someone has died

is used specifically to mark a second footnote after an asterisk in print

Compounds

cloak-and-dagger
  • Informal
5 8.9

Being secret and mysterious like spy stories

Bridport dagger
  • Archaic
9.9

A small old knife with a short pointed blade that collectors keep and museums show

Shaped like a small, sharp knife with a pointed end

9.4

An evergreen fern with long narrow pointed leaves

double dagger
  • Specialized
8.9

A small mark that shows a third footnote in printed text after an asterisk and a dagger

A plant with long pointed leaves like swords and clusters of white flowers

Surface Forms

dagger singular
daggers plural

Etymology

Dagger as the printing sign (†) was named because the mark looks like a tiny knife, and printers used it as the 'second footnote' mark after the asterisk. So the dagger symbol points readers to extra notes.