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Synonyms

saber

American  
[sey-ber] / ˈseɪ bər /
especially British, sabre

noun

  1. a heavy, one-edged sword, usually slightly curved, used especially by cavalry.

  2. a soldier armed with such a sword.

  3. Fencing.

    1. a sword having two cutting edges and a blunt point.

    2. the art or sport of fencing with the saber, with the target being limited to the head, trunk, and arms, and hits being made with the front edge and the upper part of the back edge of the sword and by thrusts.

verb (used with object)

  1. to strike, wound, or kill with a saber.

saber British  
/ ˈseɪbə /

noun

  1. the US spelling of sabre

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • saberlike adjective
  • unsabered adjective

Etymology

Origin of saber

First recorded in 1670–80; from French sabre, sable, from German Sabel (now Säbel ), earlier sewel, schebel, from Polish szabla; compare Czech šavle, Serbo-Croatian sȁblja, Russian sáblya “sword, saber,” perhaps all ultimately from Hungarian szablya, though derivation and transmission uncertain

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Guidance should be fairly balanced given the geopolitical tensions, though Nomura anticipates some saber rattling to help contain inflation expectations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Yet at other times he has rattled the nuclear saber.

From Barron's • Oct. 30, 2025

The Eisenhower library has several swords from the president in its collection, including a saber and a sword of honour featured in a current exhibit.

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2025

“Si alguien lo ha hecho antes que yo, quiero saber qué ha aprendido”, declaró la alcaldesa Karen Bass tras una reciente misión de investigación en Francia.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 20, 2024

Coach Mustilli worked with me one-on-one during practice for at least thirty minutes every day until he was confident he could turn me loose with the rest of the saber fencers.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.