noun

stiletto

stih-LEH-toh

Stiletto (noun) means a short, slender knife or dagger used for stabbing. Example: “The assassin hid a stiletto up his sleeve.”

noun

A short, slender knife or dagger used for stabbing.

"The assassin hid a stiletto up his sleeve."

A woman's shoe with a very tall, thin heel.

"She wobbled across the cobblestones in her new stilettos."

How to use stiletto

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a thin stabbing knife, or the tall thin heel shoe shaped like one.

Common pairings

stiletto heels stiletto blade

Word forms

stilettoed past tense, stilettos plural, stilettoes plural, stiletti plural, stilettos singular

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The assassin hid a _____ up his sleeve.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian stiletto, from Latin stilus ("a pointed writing instrument") — the same root as "stylus" and "style".

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for stiletto

ghetto falsetto Geppetto

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Frequently asked questions

What does “stiletto” mean?

The word “stiletto” means a short, slender knife or dagger used for stabbing. In plain terms, either a thin stabbing knife, or the tall thin heel shoe shaped like one.

How do you pronounce “stiletto”?

“Stiletto” is pronounced stih-LEH-toh (/stɪˈlɛtoʊ/ in IPA).

How do you use “stiletto” in a sentence?

Here is “stiletto” used in a sentence: “The assassin hid a stiletto up his sleeve.”

What part of speech is “stiletto”?

“Stiletto” is a noun.

Where does the word “stiletto” come from?

The word “stiletto” comes from Latin. Borrowed from Italian stiletto, from Latin stilus ("a pointed writing instrument") — the same root as "stylus" and "style".

How many meanings does “stiletto” have?

“Stiletto” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a short, slender knife or dagger used for stabbing.