sword
Americannoun
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swords
plural
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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.
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this weapon as the symbol of military power, punitive justice, authority, etc..
The pen is mightier than the sword.
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a cause of death or destruction.
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war, combat, slaughter, or violence, especially military force or aggression.
to perish by the sword.
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Military. Sword. the code name for one of the five D-Day invasion beaches on France's Normandy coast, assaulted by British forces.
noun
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a thrusting, striking, or cutting weapon with a long blade having one or two cutting edges, a hilt, and usually a crosspiece or guard
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such a weapon worn on ceremonial occasions as a symbol of authority
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something resembling a sword, such as the snout of a swordfish
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to argue or fight
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violence or power, esp military power
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death; destruction
to put to the sword
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of sword
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sweord; cognate with Dutch zwaard, German Schwert, Old Norse sverth
Explanation
A sword is a weapon with a long, sharp, metal blade. If you want to dress up as a knight for Halloween, you'll definitely need a sword — and maybe a suit of armor. Swords evolved from daggers, which, like knives, have two sharp edges instead of just one. Some time during the Bronze Age, daggers became longer and longer, eventually being classified as swords. These long, sharp weapons were used by soldiers on battlefields, and for self-defense and dueling. Sword can be traced back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cut or pierce."
Vocabulary lists containing sword
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“You need to deal with what you wear and wear it comfortably,” the 35-year-old teacher told AFP, brandishing a sword and wearing blood-red contact lenses.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
"In California, atmospheric rivers are a double-edged sword," Mimi said.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
Drapatiy returned to university in 2021 for further operational and strategic training and was presented with a sword of honour as top graduate in June 2021 by British ambassador Melinda Simmons.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
But the White House soon discovered that its blockade could be a double-edged sword.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
And it was a good find: maps, cooking pots, a sword, a gun.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
"For now, people are sharpening their swords and firming up their positions," auto analyst Stefan Bratzel of the Centre of Automotive Management told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
But this was not the first time Uefa has crossed swords with Fifa.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The suits of the Brambilla cards—batons, swords, coins and cups—are placed against an austere silver plane, almost abstract in their rendering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
She’s also spoken about swords as a symbol of authority.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
And wherever you looked you could see people tightening girths, putting on helmets, drawing swords, and throwing cloaks to the ground.
From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
