Definition of stab

The word "stab" has its roots in Old English and Old Norse. The Old English word "stabian" meant "to thrust" or "to strike," and it is related to the Proto-Germanic word "*stabiz," which also meant "to strike" or "to thrust." This Proto-Germanic word is also the source of the Modern English word "step," which originally meant "to strike" or "to thrust." In Old Norse, the word "stabba" meant "to thrust" or "to stab," and it is still used in Modern Icelandic to mean "to stab" or "to pierce." The Modern English word "stab" likely emerged from the Middle English word "stabben," which was derived from the Old English word "stabian." The word "stab" has undergone significant semantic shifting over time, and now typically refers to a sharp and sudden thrust or strike, often with a knife or other sharp object. Despite its origins in verbs related to movement and action, the word "stab" is now often used to describe a speciic type of violent attack.