Obs. exc. Hist. [a. F. archegaie, archigaie, variant of arcigaye, also azegaye, azagaye, ad. Pg. and Sp. azagaya, a. Arab. az-zaghāyah, i.e., al the + zaghāyah, Berber name of a javelin or dart: now called in Eng. (from Pg.) assagai, assegai. (Erroneously made two syllables by W. Morris.)]
An iron-pointed wooden dart; an assagai.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccxxxvii. 340. With speares, iauelyns, archegayes, and swerdes. Ibid., ccxli. 355. They of Granade … fought ferseley with their bowes and archegayes.
1858. Morris, Harpdon’s End, 76. Bows, archgays, lances.
