épée
noun
a rapier with a three-sided blade and a guard over the tip.
épée
1 American
[ay-pay, ep-ay]
/ 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
[ay-pay]
/ 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
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2015 National Spelling Bee Words
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4-letter words, List 1
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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.
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
During introductions for the team épée competition, three U.S. fencers wore pink masks, apparently in support of sexual assault victims, while Hadzic was left wearing a black one.
From New York Times ● Jul. 31, 2021
The Japanese men’s 45-36 win over Russian fencers in the final of the team épée on Friday brought up the 17th gold medal for Japan in Tokyo.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 30, 2021
I wasn’t sure which weapon to select, but some of the other freshman girls I met earlier chose épée, so I did the same.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
