Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

épée

1 American  
[ey-pey, ep-ey] / eɪˈpeɪ, ˈɛp eɪ /
Or epee

noun

Fencing.

  1. a rapier with a three-sided blade and a guard over the tip.

  2. the art or sport of fencing with an épée, points being made by touching any part of the opponent's body with the tip of the weapon.

Épée 2 American  
[ey-pey] / eɪˈpeɪ /

noun

  1. Charles Michel, Abbé de l', 1712–89, French priest and teacher of the Deaf: pioneer in the development of sign language.

épée British  
/ epe, ˈɛpeɪ /

noun

  1. a sword similar to the foil but with a larger guard and a heavier blade of triangular cross section

"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

Etymology

Origin of épée

1885–90; < French: sword < Latin spatha sword < Greek spáthē blade. See spade 1

Explanation

An epee is a special sword that fencers use. The blade of an epee is heavier and stiffer than those of other types of fencing swords. Use your epee with caution! Epee comes from the French épée, or "sword," and the sword itself is a descendent of the 19th century fighting weapon called the Épée de Combat. These original epees ended in sharp points, while a sport fencer's epee is blunt. In fencing, there are three weapons, including the foil and sabre. When using an epee, fencers can use the opponent's entire body as a target — each "touch" is registered as a point.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing epee

Scrabble: Four-Letter Words with 3 Vowels

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

2015 National Spelling Bee Words

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

4-letter words, List 1

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

This departure was so embarrassing to the Russians that it led to the firing of the country’s top épée coach.

From New York Times • Jul. 27, 2023

Yep, the wheelchair fencing has the team épée gold at the end of the day’s qualifying fights.

From The Guardian • Aug. 26, 2021

The 17th gold medal saw Japan become the first Asian nation to win Olympic men’s épée team fencing by beating the Russian Olympic Committee team.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 30, 2021

The American’s fell 45-39 to Japan in the men’s épée event.

From Fox News • Jul. 30, 2021

I followed the épée group into the adjacent cafeteria, where we were broken down into smaller groups of ten or so based on our ability.

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.