as·se·gai
or as·sa·gai (ăs′ə-gī′)n.
1. A light spear or lance used by Bantu peoples of southern Africa.
2. A tall evergreen tree (Curtisia dentata) of southern Africa, having durable wood used for making weapons, furniture, and other wooden products, and bark that is used in traditional medicine.
[Early Modern English, from Middle French azagaye (probably via Old Spanish azagaya, a small spear or javelin), from Arabic az-zaġāya, the spear : al-, the + zaġāya, spear, of Berber origin; akin to Tuareg tăhġait, bayonet, from earlier *tăzġait (*tă-...-t, feminine noun circumfix).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
assegai
(ˈæsəˌɡaɪ) orassagai
n, pl -gais
1. (Plants) a southern African cornaceous tree, Curtisia faginea, the wood of which is used for making spears
2. (Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) a sharp light spear, esp one made of this wood
[C17: from Portuguese azagaia, from Arabic az zaghāyah, from al the + zaghāyah assegai, from Berber]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
as•se•gai
or as•sa•gai
(ˈæs əˌgaɪ)n., pl. -gais.
1. an iron-tipped spear used by Bantu peoples of S Africa.
2. a S African tree, Curtisia dentata, of the dogwood family, from whose wood such weapons were made.
[1615–25; earlier azagaia < Portuguese < Arabic az zaghāyah]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
assegai - the slender spear of the Bantu-speaking people of AfricaTranslations
assegai
n → Assagai m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007