n.
Pronunciation: st ī - ' let, ' st ī -l ə t
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Middle French stilet stiletto, from Old Italian stiletto ― more at STILETTO
Date: 1697
1 a : a slender surgical probe b : a thin wire inserted into a catheter to maintain rigidity or into a hollow needle to maintain patency c : a pointed instrument (as for graving)
2 : a relatively rigid elongated organ or appendage (as a piercing mouthpart) of an animal
3 : STILETTO