Dagger is a small, handheld weapon with a short, pointed blade. Daggers are chiefly used for self-defense and sudden attack, but some have served purely ceremonial or decorative purposes. Daggers typically measure from 6 to 20 inches (15 to 51 centimeters) in length. Both edges of the blade are sharpened.
Daggers have been used since prehistoric times. Most daggers have had metal blades, but some have been made of stone, bone, wood, and plastic. The earliest form of bayonet was a dagger with a tapered handle that would fit into the muzzle of a musket.
See also Bayonet; Bowie knife.
