assegai

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Pronunciation

• (British) IPA: /ˈæsəɡaɪ/

Noun

assegai (plural assegais)

1. A slim hardwood spear or javelin with an iron tip, especially those used by Bantu peoples of Southern Africa.
   • 1902, Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, Tank Form 2007, p.99:

     Native mats covered the clay walls; a collection of spears, assegais, shields, knives was hung up in trophies.

   • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, Abacus 2010, p. 32:

     Without a word, he took my foreskin, pulled it forward, and then, in a single motion, brought down his assegai.

2. The tree species Curtisia dentata, the wood of which is traditionally used to make assegais.

Translations

• French: sagaie, zagaie
• German: Assagai
• Italian: zagaglia
• Portuguese: azagaia, zagaia
• Spanish: azagaya

Translations

• Portuguese: azagaia

Verb

assegai (assegais, present participle assegaiing; past and past participle assegaied)

1. To spear with an assegai.

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