Excalibur

[ ek-skal-uh-ber ]

/ ɛkˈskæl ə bər /

Save This Word!

noun

Arthurian Legend. the magic sword of King Arthur.

QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby Excalibur

exasperate, exasperated, exasperation, exbi-, exc., Excalibur, excardination, ex cathedra, excaudate, excavate, excavation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Excalibur in a sentence

But hundreds of thousands of people tried to save Excalibur.
The Dog is Dead—And We’ll Never Know if He Had Ebola|Barbie Latza Nadeau|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He also said police intend to put their beloved family pet, a Staffordshire bull terrier named Excalibur, to sleep.
Ebola in Europe: What Went Wrong|Barbie Latza Nadeau|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One swing of his bat (the Excalibur-like “Wonderboy”) could mean redemption—or ruin.
The 13 Best Baseball Books: From ‘The Art of Fielding’ to ‘Moneyball’|Jimmy So|April 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Yes, yes, there's John Boorman's Excalibur, a flawed film with with some great parts.
George R.R. Martin's Top 10 Fantasy Films|George R.R. Martin|April 11, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Below them stood the knight of Malta, with Excalibur drawn in his hand, and gleaming in the sunshine.
Rookwood|William Harrison Ainsworth
I've been calling you that in my mind since the night of the Duke's ball, when you were just home from school on Excalibur.
Space Viking|Henry Beam Piper
The cloud-veil hid the stars from Gram, and Elaine had missed them, since coming home from Excalibur.
Space Viking|Henry Beam Piper
For it was after that fight that King Arthur obtained his famous sword Excalibur, as was therein told.
The Story of the Champions of the Round Table|Howard Pyle
He was the last of Arthur's knights, and was sent by the dying king to throw his sword Excalibur into the mere.
Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol 1|The Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D.

British Dictionary definitions for Excalibur

Excalibur

/ (ɛkˈskælɪbə) /

noun

(in Arthurian legend) the magic sword of King Arthur

Word Origin for 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)

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

Cultural definitions for Excalibur

Excalibur

[ (eks-kal-uh-buhr) ]

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.