Etymology

at daggers drawn

at dag·gers drawn

Today it means: In a state of open hostility. Full definition →

First used 17th c. but rare before 19th c.
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The story

Probably a reference to people preparing to fight by drawing their daggers from their sheaths. Compare French à couteaux tirés (literally “at daggers drawn”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from 17th c. but rare before 19th c. In a state of open hostility.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.