Alternative spellings

• assagai
• assagaie, assagay, assegay, azagaia, hassagay, hassaguay, zagaie, zagaye

Etymology

Noun

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

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

   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:

     A birdchief, bluestreaked and feathered in war panoply with his assegai, striding through a crackling canebrake over beechmast and acorns.

2. The tree species Curtisia dentata, because its wood is traditionally used to made assegais.