saber
Americannoun
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a heavy, one-edged sword, usually slightly curved, used especially by cavalry.
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a soldier armed with such a sword.
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Fencing.
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a sword having two cutting edges and a blunt point.
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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.
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verb (used with object)
noun
Other Word Forms
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
Explanation
A saber is an old fashioned sword with a curved blade. Sabers were used in many historic battles, including the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. The saber is usually described as a "cavalry sword," or a weapon carried by a soldier on horseback. As guns became more common during wartime, cavalry troops armed with sabers became less and less typical. The word saber comes from the French sabre, "heavy, curved sword," Säbel in German and szablya in Hungarian, from the root szabni, "to cut."
Vocabulary lists containing saber
"The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
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"The War Prayer"
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The Wishing Spell
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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.
Saber Nuraldin from EPA Images was a finalist with a shot of Palestinians swarming over an aid truck in Gaza, scrambling to get flour during a brief pause in Israel's blockade.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
“There’s nothing inherently wrong with vendor financing,” John Huber, founder and portfolio manager at Saber Capital Management, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 8, 2025
Still missing all these months later are four bodies: Dina, 11; Ali, 7; Yusra, 5; and Saber, a 2-week-old boy.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2025
Ono Lennon has a string of solo records to his name, as well as performing with a host of bands including Cibo Matto, The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, and The Lennon Claypool Delirium.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2024
Saber came much more naturally to me than épée had, and I almost felt guilty that after two years of hard work on the épée squad, I abandoned it with no regrets.
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.
