saber

1 of 2

noun

sa·​ber ˈsā-bər 

variants or chiefly British sabre

1

: a cavalry sword with a curved blade, thick back, and guard

2

a

: a light fencing or dueling sword having an arched guard that covers the back of the hand and a tapering flexible blade with a full cutting edge along one side and a partial cutting edge on the back at the tip compare épée, foil entry 4

b

: the sport of fencing with the saber

Illustration of saber

• saber 1

saber

2 of 2

verb

variants or chiefly British sabre

sabered or sabred; sabering or sabring ˈsā-b(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

: to strike, cut, or kill with a saber

Examples of saber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Susan Baek Fencing uses three different weapons: epee (or épée), foil, and saber. —NBC News, 28 July 2024

All the while, Moscow continues to rattle its nuclear saber. —Jens Stoltenberg, Foreign Affairs, 3 July 2024

Some juvenile Smilodon fatalis skulls had two sets of sabers—four blade-like teeth. —Katie Cottingham, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024

There hadn't been an all-U.S. final in an Olympic fencing event since 2008, when Zagunis beat Sada Jacobson in saber as part of an American podium sweep. —CBS News, 29 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French sabre, modification of German dialect Sabel, from Middle High German, probably of Slav origin; akin to Russian sablya saber

First Known Use

Noun

1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1790, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing saber

• false saber-tooth cat
• false saber-toothed cat
• false saber-toothed tiger
• saber rattling
• saber saw
• saber-tooth cat
• saber-toothed
• saber-toothed cat
• saber-toothed tiger
• saber-tooth tiger

Kids Definition

saber

noun

sa·​ber

variants or sabre

ˈsā-bər

: a cavalry sword with a curved blade