Sword

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /sɔɹd/, /ˈsoÊŠ.Éšd/
• UK IPA: /sɔːd/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(r)d

Alternative forms

• swerd obsolete

Origin

From Middle English sword, swerd, from Old English sweord ("sword"), from Proto-Germanic *swerdą ("sword"), from Proto-Indo-European *swr̥dʰom ("sword"), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- ("to cut, pierce, fester"). Cognate with Scots swerd, sword ("sword"), North Frisian swird ("sword"), West Frisian swurd ("sword"), Dutch zwaard ("sword"), Low German Sweerd, Schwert ("sword"), German Schwert ("sword"), Danish sværd, Swedish svärd ("sword"), Icelandic sverð ("sword"), Old East Slavic свьрдьлъ ("drill").

Full definition of sword

Noun

1. (weaponry) A long-bladed weapon having a handle and sometimes a hilt and designed to stab, hew, or slice.
• 1591, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part III, Act II, Scene II, line 59.Unsheathe your sword and dub him presently.
• 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 49.Some swords were also made solely to thrust, and some only to cut; others were equally adapted for both.
2. Someone paid to handle a sword.
3. (tarot) A suit in the minor arcana in tarot.
4. (tarot) A card of this suit.
5. (weaving) One of the end bars by which the lay of a hand loom is suspended.

Derived terms

Coordinate terms

• (weaponry) bayonet, claymore, cutlass, epee, épée, falchion, foil, katana, knife, machete, rapier, sabre, saber, scimitar, vorpal, yataghan, yatagan

Anagrams

• words