--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unsheathe your dagger definitions." description: "\"“Unsheathe your dagger definitions.”\" — James Joyce" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e9/james-joyce-281_dagger_unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions-247359_2473598.jpg" --- # Unsheathe your dagger definitions. ![“Unsheathe your dagger definitions.” quote by James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e9/james-joyce-281_dagger_unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions-247359_2473598.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e9/james-joyce-281_dagger_unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions-247359_2473598.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e9/james-joyce-281_dagger_unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions-247359_2473598.jpg) > ““Unsheathe your dagger definitions.”” [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The phrase urges confronting harsh truths directly, without hesitation. **In simple terms:** Confront harsh truths directly. Key Takeaway Face reality without avoidance. Themes truth courage self-awareness literature Mood introspective challenging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal reflection - conflict resolution - critical thinking - decision making Key Concepts psychology philosophy literary analysis Questions to Reflect On - What truths are you avoiding? - How does confronting them change you? A Different Perspective Denial can be a coping mechanism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dagger/) [Dagger Definitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dagger-definitions-786330/) [Definitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definitions/) [Unsheathe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unsheathe-786331/) [Unsheathe Dagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unsheathe-dagger-786329/) ## Related quotes > [“Unsheathe your dagger definitions; Horseness is the Whatness of All Horse...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions-horseness-is-the-whatness-of-all/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“could unsheathe from her arsenal a mockingly grave way of talking about things she found either portentous or frivolous. She could shrink your aspirations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/could-unsheathe-from-her-arsenal-a-mockingly-grave-way-of-talking/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [A dagger is the noble weapon of Brutus. Everyone understands that tyrants fall to daggers. A bomb is a sordid modern device with many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-sterling/a-dagger-is-the-noble-weapon-of-brutus-everyone-understands-that/) [Bruce Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-sterling/) > [“Each weapon is a work of art, and I wonder what drives the impulse to make the instruments of death beautiful. A jewel-encrusted dagger.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breeana-shields/each-weapon-is-a-work-of-art-and-i-wonder-what-drives-the-impulse-to/) [Breeana Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breeana-shields/) > [Word - that invisible dagger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/word-that-invisible-dagger/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [“She slid the dagger into the hidden sheath at her belt before lifting her hand, twirling her fingers around in a circle. With a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/she-slid-the-dagger-into-the-hidden-sheath-at-her-belt-before-lifting/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“But when your sword breaks, you draw your dagger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/but-when-your-sword-breaks-you-draw-your-dagger/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Jesus Christ. What does it take to kill that thing?” As if taking that as her cue, the girl stabbed the dagger into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ferraro/jesus-christ-what-does-it-take-to-kill-that-thing-as-if-taking-that/) [Dave Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ferraro/) > [“Xander twisted back around with a crooked grin. “Just admiring the view is all.” “You and I go back a long time, Xander.” Gavin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keri-lake/xander-twisted-back-around-with-a-crooked-grin-just-admiring-the-view/) [Keri Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keri-lake/) > [The hand that held the dagger has struck it into the back of its neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-hand-that-held-the-dagger-has-struck-it-into-the-back-of-its/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [I realized that we were all sort of conspiring, well, not conspiring against each other, but all this cloak and dagger stuff and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-san/i-realized-that-we-were-all-sort-of-conspiring-well-not-conspiring/) [Eric San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-san/) > [Plunge your dagger into the heart of an enemy and wait for the wound to grow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/plunge-your-dagger-into-the-heart-of-an-enemy-and-wait-for-the-wound/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/is-this-a-dagger-which-i-see-before-me-the-handle-toward-my-hand-come/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Think about it. He drinks poison. What kind of man drinks poison? She is the one who stabs herself with his dagger. The manly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fortier/think-about-it-he-drinks-poison-what-kind-of-man-drinks-poison-she-is/) [Anne Fortier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fortier/) > [“Okay. Right. Horror meets romance meets erotica meets fantasy meets hip hop. Throw in some leather and some Miami Ink shit, stir with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/okay-right-horror-meets-romance-meets-erotica-meets-fantasy-meets-hip/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) ## More by James Joyce > [He found in the world without as actual what was in his world within as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/he-found-in-the-world-without-as-actual-what-was-in-his-world-within/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“Ah, poor dogsbody! Here lies poor dogsbody's body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/ah-poor-dogsbody-here-lies-poor-dogsbody-s-body/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [Shaw's works make me admire the magnificent tolerance and broadmindedness of the english.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/shaw-s-works-make-me-admire-the-magnificent-tolerance-and/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“Do you know what Ireland is?' asked Stephen with cold violence. 'Ireland is the old sow that eats her farrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/do-you-know-what-ireland-is-asked-stephen-with-cold-violence-ireland/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [The studious silence of the library ... Thought is the thought of thought. Tranquil brightness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/the-studious-silence-of-the-library-thought-is-the-thought-of-thought/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“two cronies drank to the memory of their past. An abyss of fortune or of temperament sundered him from them. His mind seemed older…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/two-cronies-drank-to-the-memory-of-their-past-an-abyss-of-fortune-or/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [He passes, struck by the stare of truculent Wellington but in the convex mirror grin unstruck the bonham eyes and fatchuck cheekchops of Jollypoldy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/he-passes-struck-by-the-stare-of-truculent-wellington-but-in-the/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“-Qui vous a mis dans cette fichue position?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/qui-vous-a-mis-dans-cette-fichue-position/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [I hear the ruin of all space, shattered glass and toppled masonry, and time one livid final flame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/i-hear-the-ruin-of-all-space-shattered-glass-and-toppled-masonry-and/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [Full many a flower is born to blush unseen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/full-many-a-flower-is-born-to-blush-unseen/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [In woman's womb word is made flesh but in the spirit of the maker all flesh that passes becomes the word that shall not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/in-woman-s-womb-word-is-made-flesh-but-in-the-spirit-of-the-maker-all/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [Though people may read more into Ulysses than I ever intended, who is to say that they are wrong: do any of us know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/though-people-may-read-more-into-ulysses-than-i-ever-intended-who-is/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [History, Stephen said, is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/history-stephen-said-is-a-nightmare-from-which-i-am-trying-to-awake/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“It flows purling, widely flowing, floating foampool, flower unfurling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/it-flows-purling-widely-flowing-floating-foampool-flower-unfurling/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) [Explore all 707 James Joyce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) ## More Dagger quotes > [“Okay. Right. Horror meets romance meets erotica meets fantasy meets hip hop. Throw in some leather and some Miami Ink shit, stir with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/okay-right-horror-meets-romance-meets-erotica-meets-fantasy-meets-hip/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [Think about it. He drinks poison. What kind of man drinks poison? She is the one who stabs herself with his dagger. The manly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fortier/think-about-it-he-drinks-poison-what-kind-of-man-drinks-poison-she-is/) [Anne Fortier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fortier/) > [“Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/is-this-a-dagger-which-i-see-before-me-the-handle-toward-my-hand-come/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Plunge your dagger into the heart of an enemy and wait for the wound to grow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/plunge-your-dagger-into-the-heart-of-an-enemy-and-wait-for-the-wound/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I realized that we were all sort of conspiring, well, not conspiring against each other, but all this cloak and dagger stuff and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-san/i-realized-that-we-were-all-sort-of-conspiring-well-not-conspiring/) [Eric San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-san/) > [The hand that held the dagger has struck it into the back of its neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-hand-that-held-the-dagger-has-struck-it-into-the-back-of-its/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [“Xander twisted back around with a crooked grin. “Just admiring the view is all.” “You and I go back a long time, Xander.” Gavin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keri-lake/xander-twisted-back-around-with-a-crooked-grin-just-admiring-the-view/) [Keri Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keri-lake/) > [“Jesus Christ. What does it take to kill that thing?” As if taking that as her cue, the girl stabbed the dagger into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ferraro/jesus-christ-what-does-it-take-to-kill-that-thing-as-if-taking-that/) [Dave Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ferraro/) > [“But when your sword breaks, you draw your dagger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/but-when-your-sword-breaks-you-draw-your-dagger/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“She slid the dagger into the hidden sheath at her belt before lifting her hand, twirling her fingers around in a circle. With a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/she-slid-the-dagger-into-the-hidden-sheath-at-her-belt-before-lifting/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [Word - that invisible dagger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/word-that-invisible-dagger/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [“Each weapon is a work of art, and I wonder what drives the impulse to make the instruments of death beautiful. A jewel-encrusted dagger.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breeana-shields/each-weapon-is-a-work-of-art-and-i-wonder-what-drives-the-impulse-to/) [Breeana Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breeana-shields/) > [A dagger is the noble weapon of Brutus. Everyone understands that tyrants fall to daggers. A bomb is a sordid modern device with many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-sterling/a-dagger-is-the-noble-weapon-of-brutus-everyone-understands-that/) [Bruce Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-sterling/) > [“What could you possibly write at Gates of Hades?” Cadmus asked. “Keep your spirits up.” Lycon sheathed the dagger he’d used to chisel the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sulari-gentill/what-could-you-possibly-write-at-gates-of-hades-cadmus-asked-keep/) [Sulari Gentill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sulari-gentill/) > [“It is illegal to portal anyone while they are under duress,I could lose my license if I were to do so." "You're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/it-is-illegal-to-portal-anyone-while-they-are-under-duress-i-could/) [Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/) [Browse all 127 Dagger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dagger/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Unsheathe your dagger definitions.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Joyce" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dagger" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e9/james-joyce-281_dagger_unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions-247359_2473598.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e9/james-joyce-281_dagger_unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions-247359_2473598.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e9/james-joyce-281_dagger_unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions-247359_2473598.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Unsheathe your dagger definitions.” — James Joyce", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Joyce", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Unsheathe your dagger definitions.”", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/unsheathe-your-dagger-definitions/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```