stab
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to push a knife or another sharp object into someone or something.
v.to pierce or wound with a pointed tool or weapon. Transitive, requiring a direct object.
Simple“He tried to stab the piece of meat with his fork, but it was too tough.”
In context“The attacker attempted to stab the victim with a concealed blade before being restrained by security personnel.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to push at something quickly with your finger or a pointed object.
v.to thrust a finger or pointed object at something in a sudden, sharp motion. Often used with the preposition 'at'.
Simple“She used her finger to stab at the buttons on the elevator.”
In context“He continued to stab at the touch screen in frustration, though the device had clearly frozen.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an attempt to do something, especially if you are not sure you will succeed.
n.an informal attempt or try at a task or problem.
Simple“I don't know the answer, but I'll take a stab at it anyway.”
In context“Even though she had never repaired a car before, she decided to take a stab at fixing the alternator herself.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'take a stab at'.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a sudden, sharp feeling of physical or emotional pain.
n.a sudden, intense, and brief unpleasant sensation, either physical or psychological.
Simple“She felt a sudden stab of jealousy when she saw his new car.”
In context“A sharp stab of pain in his knee forced him to stop running and sit on the grass.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
n.a short, loud note or chord in a piece of music used for drama.
n.a single staccato chord or short musical phrase used to provide dramatic emphasis or rhythmic punctuation.
Simple“The scary movie used a loud horn stab to frighten the audience.”
In context“The arrangement is characterized by aggressive brass stabs that punctuate the end of every lyrical phrase.”
“A teenage boy had been stabbed in the chest with a sharp weapon that left its mark on his ribs, then struck hard in the jaw, collarbone, and torso.”
“Police say two people have been stabbed during a fight and another was shot on Toronto streets in separate violent incidents Sunday afternoon.”
First attested in Scottish English (compare Scots stob, stobbe, stabb (“a pointed stick or stake; a thrust with a pointed weapon”)), from Middle English stabbe (“a stab”), probably a variant of Middle English stob, stub, stubbe (“pointed stick, stake, thorn, stub, stump”), from Old Norse stobbi, stubbi, cognate with Old English stybb. Cognate with Middle Dutch stobbe. Supposed by some to derive from Scottish Gaelic stob (“to prick, to prod, to push, to thrust”); supposed by others to be from a Scots word.
Clipping of stabilizer or stabiliser.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.