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rapier

[ rey-pee-er ]
/ ˈreɪ pi ər /
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noun
a small sword, especially of the 18th century, having a narrow blade and used for thrusting.
a longer, heavier sword, especially of the 16th and 17th centuries, having a double-edged blade and used for slashing and thrusting.

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Origin of rapier

1545–55; <Middle French (espee) rapiere literally, rasping (sword); see rape3

OTHER WORDS FROM rapier

ra·pi·ered, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rapier in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rapier

rapier
/ (ˈreɪpɪə) /

noun
a long narrow two-edged sword with a guarded hilt, used as a thrusting weapon, popular in the 16th and 17th centuries
a smaller single-edged 18th-century sword, used principally in France

Derived forms of rapier

rapier-like, adjective

Word Origin for rapier

C16: from Old French espee rapiere, literally: rasping sword; see rasp 1
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
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