Excalibur

American  

[ek-skal-uh-ber] / ɛkˈskæl ə bər /

noun

1. Arthurian Legend. the magic sword of King Arthur.

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Excalibur British  

/ ɛkˈskælɪbə /

noun

1. (in Arthurian legend) the magic sword of King Arthur

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Excalibur Cultural  

1. The sword of King Arthur (see also Arthur). In one version of the legends of Arthur, he proved his right to rule by pulling Excalibur out of a stone. In another version, he received Excalibur from a maiden, the Lady of the Lake, to whom he returned it at the end of his life.

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Etymology

Origin of Excalibur

C14: from Old French Escalibor, from Medieval Latin Caliburnus, from Welsh Caledvwlch, perhaps related to Irish Caladbolg a legendary sword (literally: hard belly, hence, voracious)

Example Sentences

It now stands next to his four Excalibur IIs, lovingly lined up like soldiers on his living-room sofa.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

It will be an in-demand piece of equipment, but it’s not quite as unique as King Arthur’s Excalibur.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 24, 2026

He thinks of it as his Excalibur, he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2025

The reports, first revealed by The Washington Post, focus on the American-made Excalibur, a 155-millimeter guided artillery shell, and the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb or GLSDB.

From New York Times • May 25, 2024

Its gleaming chrome appearance reminded me of the bad-ass armor worn by the knights in Excalibur.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline