verb
stab
stab
verb
1
To pierce or wound someone or something with a pointed weapon such as a knife.
"The victim was stabbed twice in the arm."
"He accidentally stabbed himself with a fork."
noun
1
A wound or act caused by stabbing.
"She was rushed to hospital with a stab wound."
2
Informal: an attempt at something.
"I'll take a stab at fixing the leak myself."
3
A sudden, sharp pain, whether physical or emotional.
"He felt a stab of guilt after the argument."
How to Use Stab
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo pierce with a sharp object, or, informally, to have a go at doing something.
Common pairings
take a stab at
a stab of pain
stab wound
Word Forms
stabbed past tense, stabs plural, stabs plural, stabs singular
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She was rushed to hospital with a _____ wound.
Etymology
First recorded in Scottish English, from a Middle English word for a pointed stick or stake.