Meaning & use
dart
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Meanings
nouncountable
A small, pointed missile thrown by hand in a pub game, or shot from a gun or blowpipe.
Grammar: Countable; the game is called darts and takes a singular verb.
Patterns
- throw a dart
- a dart at something
He threw a dart and hit the bullseye.
The vet fired a tranquilizer dart at the lion.
Poison darts were used by hunters in the rainforest.
verbintransitive
To move suddenly and quickly in a particular direction.
Grammar: Needs a direction: the cat darted under the bed.
Patterns
- dart across something
- dart into something
- dart away
The cat darted under the bed.
Children darted between the market stalls.
A lizard darted across the path.
verbtransitive
To send a look, glance or smile quickly in a certain direction.
Grammar: Takes an object such as a glance or look.
Patterns
- dart a glance at someone
She darted a nervous glance at the door.
He darted a look at his watch.
The teacher darted an angry look at the class.
nouncountablespecialist
A narrow, stitched fold in a garment that helps it fit the body.
Grammar: Sewing term.
Patterns
- a dart in something
She added a dart at the waist to take in the dress.
The blouse has two darts in front.
He pinned the dart before sewing.
Word forms
| plural | darts |
|---|---|
| third person singular | darts |
| past tense | darted |
| past participle | darted |
| -ing form | darting |
Common combinations
- dart across the road
- A squirrel darted across the road.
- dart a glance
- He darted a glance over his shoulder.
- play darts
- We play darts at the pub on Fridays.
- tranquilizer dart
- The zookeeper used a tranquilizer dart.
- darting eyes
- His darting eyes gave away his nerves.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dash
- Dash means running fast for a short distance, usually bigger and less sudden than a dart.
- scurry
- Scurry is used for small steps in a hurry, whereas dart is a single sudden move.
- bolt
- Bolt suggests running away in panic, while dart can also be playful.
- flit
- Flit is lighter and suggests moving from place to place.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: dart or dash?
dart vs dash
Dash is a longer, faster run, while dart is a short sudden movement.
Practice
The mouse ___ across the kitchen floor when the light came on.
Choose one answer.
Darted means moved suddenly and quickly. The other options are similar-looking verbs that do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dart”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.