stab

I UK [stæb] / US verb
Word forms "stab":
present tense I/you/we/they stab he/she/it stabs present participle stabbing past tense stabbed past participle stabbed
*

1) [transitive] to kill or hurt someone by pushing a knife or other sharp object into their body

His brother was stabbed in the hand.

stab someone to death:

One fan was stabbed to death in a fight between gangs.

a) to push a sharp object quickly into something

She stabbed the meat with her fork.

b) stab or stab at

[intransitive/transitive] to make a movement with your finger or a pointed object as if you are stabbing something, usually to emphasize something that you are saying

"Here!" she said, stabbing the book with her finger.

stab at:

He stabbed at the paper with his pen.

2)

a) [intransitive/transitive] if an unpleasant or negative feeling stabs you, you suddenly feel it very strongly

b) if someone's words stab you, they make you feel suddenly very sad or afraid

His words stabbed her to the heart.

3) [transitive] mainly journalism to quickly push or kick a ball somewhere

The new striker ran up and stabbed the ball home.

•

- stab someone in the back

II UK [stæb] / US noun [countable]
Word forms "stab":
singular stab plural stabs

1)

a) mainly literary a sudden feeling of pain

stab of:

He felt a stab of pain from his wounded leg.

b) a sudden feeling of a negative emotion

stab of:

a stab of jealousy/fear/disappointment

2) an act of stabbing

a stab wound

3) informal an attempt to do something, especially when you have no experience of doing it

There have been stabs at regulating Web content.

have/make/take a stab at something:

They decided to have a stab at fixing the car themselves.

•

- a stab in the back

- a stab in the dark