stab

1 of 2

noun

1
: a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon
2
a
: a thrust of a pointed weapon
b
: a jerky thrust
3
: effort, try
4
: a sudden sharp feeling
stabs of regret

stab

2 of 2

verb

stabbed; stabbing

transitive verb

1
: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon
2

intransitive verb

: to thrust or give a wound with or as if with a pointed weapon
stabber noun
Phrases
stab in the back
: betray

Examples of stab in a Sentence

Noun the injection left a small stab on her upper arm everybody will get a stab at solving the problem Verb He stabbed her with a dagger. The victim was stabbed in the chest five times.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The incident comes a day after a 25-year-old Waterbury woman suffered from multiple stab wounds during a domestic violence incident in the area of Rose Street and Walnut Street. Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2025 Initially, authorities believed the murders weren’t connected to each other, even with the similar stab wounds and wall markings. Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
During episode 1, the police show Jamie, Eddie and their attorney a closed-circuit video of Jamie stabbing Katie in the parking lot where her body was later found. Jessica Sager, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025 Angga alleged that he and other workers on his ship were frequently beaten and stabbed with a needle, and were often given only rice to eat. Alex Riggins, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stab

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stabbe

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stab was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stab. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

stab

1 of 2 noun
1
: a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon
2
: a thrust of a pointed weapon
3
: effort sense 2, try
I'll take a stab at it

stab

2 of 2 verb
stabbed; stabbing
1
: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon
2
stabber noun

Medical Definition

stab

1 of 2 noun
1
: a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon
2
a
: a culture medium solidified in an upright column in a tube to reduce the surface to a minimum compare slant

stab

2 of 2 transitive verb
stabbed; stabbing
: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon

More from Merriam-Webster on stab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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