Meaning
dagger
In a sentence
Ho visto un pugnale nel vecchio cassetto.
I saw a dagger in the old drawer.
Perché hai comprato un pugnale così piccolo?
Why did you buy such a small dagger?
Non toccare quel pugnale sul tavolo.
Don't touch that dagger on the table.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| pugnale | masculine · singular |
| pugnali | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use pugnale for a literary or historical blade; coltello is the everyday word for a knife.
- More formal and evocative than lama or coltello; common in crime, history, and figurative writing.
- Often appears in figurative phrases about betrayal, not just literal weapons.