Stab
WordNet
noun
(1) Informal words for any attempt or effort
"He gave it his best shot"
"He took a stab at forecasting"
(2) A strong blow with a knife or other sharp pointed instrument
"One strong stab to the heart killed him"
(3) A sudden sharp feeling
"Pangs of regret"
"She felt a stab of excitement"
"Twinges of conscience"
verb
(4) Poke or thrust abruptly
"He jabbed his finger into her ribs"
(5) Stab or pierce
"He jabbed the piece of meat with his pocket knife"
(6) Use a knife on
"The victim was knifed to death"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From stap, stab < . Cognate with English , Dutch , Swedish , Old Norse . The meaning co-workers is secondary: in the German word the meaning changed from the staff as a symbol of authority to the group of military officers and later to any group of co-workers..