Stab
/stæb/noun
To wound or pierce with a pointed weapon or object.
Did you know?“Stab” is part of an old Germanic family of words for striking and thrusting, showing how everyday speech often preserves the language of physical force and combat.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*stebh-
“to stiffen, support, or thrust”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*stabjaną
“to thrust or pierce”
Old English
OE
stabban
“to thrust or stab”
Middle English
ME
stabben
“to pierce with a pointed weapon”
Modern English
English
stab
“to wound by thrusting a sharp object into someone or something”