dart

views updated May 18 2018

dart / därt/ • n. 1. a small pointed missile that can be thrown or fired. ∎ a small pointed missile with a feather or plastic tail, used in the game of darts. ∎ an act of running somewhere suddenly and rapidly: the cat made a dart for the door. ∎ Zool. a dartlike calcareous organ of a snail forming part of the reproductive system, exchanged during copulation. 2. a tapered tuck stitched into a garment in order to shape it.• v. [intr.] move or run somewhere suddenly or rapidly. ∎ [tr.] cast (a look or one's eyes) suddenly and rapidly in a particular direction: she darted a glance across the table. ∎ [tr.] archaic throw (a missile). ∎ [tr.] shoot (an animal) with a dart, typically in order to administer a drug.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

dart

views updated May 23 2018

dart pointed missile to be hurled through the air. XIV. — OF. dart (mod. dard):- Gmc. *daroðaz spear, lance, repr. by OE. daroð, OHG. tart, ON. darraðr.
Hence dart vb. cast as a dart XIV; move swiftly XVII.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

dart

views updated May 29 2018

dart. Part of the egg-and-dart or egg-and-anchor ornament.

A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture JAMES STEVENS CURL

DArt

views updated May 14 2018

DArt Doctor of Art

The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations FRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH