saber

American  

[sey-ber] / ˈseɪ bər /

especially British, sabre

noun

1. a heavy, one-edged sword, usually slightly curved, used especially by cavalry.

2. a soldier armed with such a sword.

3. Fencing.

   1. a sword having two cutting edges and a blunt point.

   2. the art or sport of fencing with the saber, with the target being limited to the head, trunk, and arms, and hits being made with the front edge and the upper part of the back edge of the sword and by thrusts.

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verb (used with object)

1. to strike, wound, or kill with a saber.

saber British  

/ ˈseɪbə /

noun

1. the US spelling of sabre

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Other Word Forms

• saberlike adjective
• unsabered adjective

Etymology

Origin of saber

First recorded in 1670–80; from French sabre, sable, from German Sabel (now Säbel ), earlier sewel, schebel, from Polish szabla; compare Czech šavle, Serbo-Croatian sȁblja, Russian sáblya “sword, saber,” perhaps all ultimately from Hungarian szablya, though derivation and transmission uncertain

Example Sentences

He told the president he could go even farther than Ronald Reagan, which, in this context, is an interesting statement, since Reagan rattled some sabers initially but actually made the judicious decision to withdraw.

From Salon

Previous finds from the site include early snakes and small saber toothed mammals.

From Science Daily

“Everybody grabs a light saber. You don’t have to take yourself too seriously — we all feel like kids again.”

From Los Angeles Times

For years, historians followed the bomb’s echoes through the Cold War: Bikini Atoll and nuclear bunkers, Strangelove and SALT, détente and Defcon, Star Wars and saber rattling, to hit a few low points.

From The Wall Street Journal

Yet at other times he has rattled the nuclear saber.

From Barron's

Related Words

• sword