assegai
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈæsəˌɡaɪ/
- UK
:
asegai
- The hunter skillfully wielded his assegai to catch game in the dense bush.
Examples
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He introduced the assegai (a short thrusting spear) and trained the army to encircle the enemy in a shield-to-shield formation so that rival warriors could be stabbed at the heart.
Academic text (1999) -
Shrieks that were oddly louder than the soft grunts men gave as a bayonet or assegai found its mark.
Fiction book (1996) -
But they never had that laugh 'cause he was cut in half with a assegai the day he landed.
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I just wanted you to know, this is a Nguni assegai.
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He's got assegai marks to prove it.
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In traditional ceremonies, warriors proudly display their assegai as a symbol of their heritage.
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Using an assegai, he demonstrated the ancient art of throwing spears during the festival.
Synonyms
194
1.2
A long pole with a sharp point used for hunting or fishing
A slender spear used by people in southern Africa for hunting and fighting
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word assegai came into English from Portuguese azagaia, which came from an Arabic word, al-zagaya, meaning 'spear'. So an assegai is a long, thin spear used by many people in southern Africa for hunting or fighting.