dart
/dɑːt/ (bre, ipa) · /dɑːrt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdärt/ (ame, mw)
dart — noun
- dartsingular
- dartsplural
1. a small thin pointed object, often fitted with feathers or plastic fins at the b
a small thin pointed object, often fitted with feathers or plastic fins at the back, which players throw at a circular board in the sport called darts to win points
Christopher threw three darts at the board and scored fifty-two points.
dart + at the board / score + points
The blue dart had a cracked tip, so Andrés chose another from the set.
Yuna aimed carefully and released the dart with a quick flick of her wrist.
Each dart in the tournament set weighed exactly twenty-two grams.
Ryo pulled a dart from the wall-mounted board and handed it back to his teammate.
用法筆記
Frequently found in compounds such as dartboard, dart player, and dart throw. The object itself has a pointed metal tip and a flight section at the back to stabilise its path through the air.
常見錯誤
2. a sport where participants take turns throwing pointed objects at a circular tar
a sport where participants take turns throwing pointed objects at a circular target divided into numbered sections, each worth a different number of points
Zayd plays darts every Thursday at a pub near his apartment.
play darts at a pub
The local darts league has eight teams that compete from September to May.
Sivan won the match by hitting the bullseye with her final throw.
Darts is one of the most popular games in British pubs and clubs.
用法筆記
Takes a singular verb: 'Darts is played indoors.' Distinguished from sense 1 by the uncountable use — compare 'three darts' (countable objects) with 'play darts' (the game). Common in British cultural contexts; less familiar to learners from cultures where pub games are different.
常見錯誤
3. a small thin pointed object that can be fired using a gun or launched through a
a small thin pointed object that can be fired using a gun or launched through a blowpipe by breath, sometimes tipped with a substance to drug or poison for hunting or defence
The hunter dipped each dart in poison before loading the blowpipe.
dart + dipped in poison
Park rangers use tranquiliser darts to calm large animals before moving them.
tranquiliser dart / calm animals
Aarav examined the tiny dart under a microscope to study the substance on its tip.
The blowpipe dart flew silently and struck the target from thirty metres away.
- projectile
any object fired through the air; much broader, includes bullets and arrows
- tranquiliser dart
a specific type of dart used to sedate animals; the most common modern context for this sense
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: the weapon dart is propelled by a device (gun or blowpipe) and is often coated with substances, whereas the game dart is thrown by hand and has no coating. Common in contexts of hunting, animal conservation, and certain traditional cultures.
4. a narrow, V-shaped stitched fold in a garment that tapers to nothing, made so th
a narrow, V-shaped stitched fold in a garment that tapers to nothing, made so the fabric fits the curves of the body more snugly
Élise sewed two long darts into the back of the dress to make it fit.
sew a dart into a dress
The tailor unpicked the darts and re-stitched them closer to the side seams.
Min marked the dart positions on the fabric with chalk before cutting.
A well-placed dart can transform a loose jacket into a fitted garment.
- tuck
a broader term for any folded-and-stitched area in fabric; a dart is a specific type of tuck that tapers
用法筆記
Domain-specific to sewing and fashion design. Not related to the other senses of dart etymologically — this sense comes from a different Old Germanic root meaning 'to cut'. Distinguished by the clothing context.
5. a sudden, swift movement in a particular direction, often by a person, animal, o
a sudden, swift movement in a particular direction, often by a person, animal, or thing
The cat made a sudden dart toward the open kitchen door.
make a sudden dart
With a swift dart to the left, the goalkeeper caught the ball.
Ari saw a flash of movement — a squirrel's dart up the tree trunk.
Yasmin felt a dart of pain in her shoulder when she lifted the box.
- crawl
very slow movement
用法筆記
Often used in literary or descriptive language. The phrase 'a dart of pain' figuratively compares a sudden stabbing pain to the movement of a thrown dart. The bare noun form usually appears with a modifier such as 'sudden', 'swift', or 'quick'.
dart — verb
- dartpresent simple I / you / we / they
- darts3rd person singular
- darting-ing form
- dartedpast simple
1. to move suddenly and quickly in a particular direction, usually over a short dis
to move suddenly and quickly in a particular direction, usually over a short distance, like a thrown object
A small fish darted between the rocks in the shallow stream.
dart between [two things]
Théo darted across the street to catch the bus before it left.
dart across [surface]
Brian darted into the shop just as the rain started pouring down.
Zuri darted out of the library as soon as the bell rang.
Ada darted back to her desk when she saw the teacher coming.
- creep
to move slowly and quietly, the opposite of sudden speed
文法句型
dart + adverb/preposition (across, into, out of, through, between)
用法筆記
Requires a preposition or adverb phrase indicating direction — 'dart across', 'dart into', 'dart out', etc. Cannot be used without a directional complement: 'She darted' is incomplete and ungrammatical in this sense.
常見錯誤
2. to turn your eyes sharply towards a person, thing, or place, or to move your gaz
to turn your eyes sharply towards a person, thing, or place, or to move your gaze rapidly from one spot to another
During the exam, Liam's eyes darted to the window every time a bird flew past.
eyes dart to [someone/something]
The security guard darted a glance at the monitor before returning to his magazine.
dart a glance at [someone]
Mateo darted a look at his neighbour to check if they had finished the test.
Heloísa darted a worried look at the doctor while the nurse checked the wound.
- stare
to look fixedly for a long time
文法句型
eyes dart + preposition (to, around, across)
dart a glance/look at [someone]
用法筆記
Two patterns exist: (a) intransitive with 'eyes' as subject ('Her eyes darted around the room'), and (b) transitive with a direct object like 'a glance' or 'a look' ('He darted a look at the clock'). The transitive pattern is more formal and descriptive.