épée
noun
a rapier with a three-sided blade and a guard over the tip.
épée
1 American
[ey-pey, ep-ey]
/ eɪˈpeɪ, ˈɛp eɪ /
Or
epee
noun
Fencing.
-
a rapier with a three-sided blade and a guard over the tip.
-
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
épée
British
/ epe, ˈɛpeɪ /
noun
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.
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.
McAvoy’s Cyrano could eviscerate an adversary with épée or fist, but it’s language he wields most ferociously.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 14, 2022
Yep, the wheelchair fencing has the team épée gold at the end of the day’s qualifying fights.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 26, 2021
In the final, Koki Kano beat second-ranked épée fencer Sergey Bida 8-3 in the last bout to seal the victory.
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 was finally one of the top épée fencers, and Coach wanted me to start all over from scratch?
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.
