home thrust

noun — 2 senses

home thrust

noun

1

A well-directed or effective thrust; one that wounds in a vital part.

2

Figuratively A personal attack.

“I make it a point of honour not to lose a man for King George (God bless him!) and the gallows.” The rogues looked at each other but swallowed the home-thrust in silence.1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.