sword

[ sawrd, sohrd ]

/ sɔrd, soʊrd /

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See synonyms for: sword / swords on Thesaurus.com

noun

a weapon having various forms but consisting typically of a long, straight or slightly curved blade, sharp-edged on one or both sides, with one end pointed and the other fixed in a hilt or handle.

this weapon as the symbol of military power, punitive justice, authority, etc.: The pen is mightier than the sword.

a cause of death or destruction.

war, combat, slaughter, or violence, especially military force or aggression: to perish by the sword.

Sword. Military. the code name for one of the five D-Day invasion beaches on France's Normandy coast, assaulted by British forces.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about sword

at swords' points, mutually antagonistic or hostile; opposed: Father and son are constantly at swords' point.

cross swords,

to engage in combat; fight.
to disagree violently; argue: The board members crossed swords in the selection of a president.

put to the sword, to slay; execute: The entire population of the town was put to the sword.

Origin of sword

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sweord; cognate with Dutch zwaard, German Schwert, Old Norse sverth

OTHER WORDS FROM sword

swordless, adjectiveswordlike, adjective

Words nearby sword

swonken, swoon, swoop, swoosh, swop, sword, sword bayonet, sword bean, sword-bearer, sword belt, swordbill

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

How to use sword in a sentence

If critics still want to clash swords and hold people to higher standards, it will be to demand the same authenticity from the institutions that once determined so much of our cultural life.
Transformed by crisis, arts criticism may never be the same. And that’s a good thing.|Philip Kennicott|November 29, 2020|Washington Post
Of course, some buyers see this latter fact as somewhat of a double-edged sword – true, the interest rates might be low – but often, the costs of homes are high.
High housing prices and low mortgage rates|Jeff Hammerberg|November 22, 2020|Washington Blade
Her works reflect that women’s agency is a double-edged sword.
Why It’s Important To See Women As Capable … Of Terrible Atrocities|LGBTQ-Editor|November 21, 2020|No Straight News
Sure, you’re used to the rumble of the controller as your character falls down a rocky hill or gets struck by an enemy’s sword.
PlayStation 5 review: PS5 is a sensory game-changer|Elise Favis|November 6, 2020|Washington Post

It comes at the film’s conclusion, after Mulan has returned home to her family and received her father’s blessing for running away with his sword and armor.
The history of Mulan, from a 6th-century ballad to the live-action Disney movie|Constance Grady|September 4, 2020|Vox
But then the sword is miraculously returned to him, and he girds for battle once again.
Meet Moses the Swashbuckling Israelite|James Romm|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jonathan Gruber, the economist who helped design Romneycare and the Affordable Care Act, falls on his sword before Congress.
Obamacare Architect: I Wanted to Sound Smart|Ben Jacobs|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unlike all the trailers and screen shots for the movie, in the Bible Moses never holds a sword or wears armor.
Christian Bale: One Man's Moses Is Another Man's Terrorist|Candida Moss, Joel Baden|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Joshua puts to the sword women, infants, and animals at Jericho.
Christian Bale: One Man's Moses Is Another Man's Terrorist|Candida Moss, Joel Baden|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At Towton Field, on 29th March, 1461, 33,000 men perished by the sword and were buried there.
Blood in the Sand: When James Jones Wrote a Grunt’s View of D-Day|James Jones|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The men, whose poniards his sword parried, had recourse to fire-arms, and two pistols were fired at him.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Whatever you do, don't write a word to that Carr friend of yours; he's as sharp as a two-edged sword.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
He stabbed her from beneath, and passed half of his sword through her body, and at that the poor lady fell.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Since words have different meanings, we may sometimes find that a pair of words exemplify all three Laws, as plough and sword.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
The teeth of beasts, and scorpions, and serpents, and the sword taking vengeance upon the ungodly unto destruction.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions for sword

sword

/ (sɔːd) /

noun

a thrusting, striking, or cutting weapon with a long blade having one or two cutting edges, a hilt, and usually a crosspiece or guard

such a weapon worn on ceremonial occasions as a symbol of authority

something resembling a sword, such as the snout of a swordfish

cross swords to argue or fight

the sword

violence or power, esp military power
death; destructionto put to the sword

Derived forms of sword

swordless, adjectiveswordlike, adjective

Word Origin for sword

Old English sweord; related to Old Saxon swerd, Old Norse sverth, Old High German swert

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with sword

sword

In addition to the idiom beginning with sword

sword of Damocles

also see:

at sword's point
cross swords

sword

Idioms about sword

Origin of sword

OTHER WORDS FROM sword

Words nearby sword

Words related to sword

How to use sword in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sword

Derived forms of sword

Word Origin for sword

Other Idioms and Phrases with sword