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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
When Gaza's medical board approved Amina Abu al-Kas to leave the Strip for treatment abroad, her son Saber said it felt like the beginning of a new life.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
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
Saber, not his real name, says he was gripped by fear after a colleague, Hisham al-Hakimi, died while in Houthi detention in October 2023.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 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
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.
