saber

1 of 2

noun

sa·​ber ˈsā-bər How to pronounce saber (audio)
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

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 How to pronounce saber (audio)

transitive verb

: to strike, cut, or kill with a saber

Examples of saber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
If only there was a piece of antique furniture from a great-aunt, a Civil War saber from a distant cousin. Lisa Swander, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2024 Some of his favorites include a Spanish cup-hilt rapier, a defensive left-hand dagger from the 15th century, and a Napoleonic cavalry saber. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 Beijing is saber rattling, analysts say, partly to try to influence the Taiwanese presidential election in January. Vic Chiang, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2023 There’s two gunfighters with sabers — people completely misconstrued it. Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023 In July 2023, Victoria shared a clip of the newlyweds cutting into their grand wedding cake with a saber before sharing a quick kiss. Ariana Quihuiz, Peoplemag, 2 Oct. 2023 Initially, Cope’s Rule seemed like a good explanation for the mega mammals like wooly mammoths and saber tooth tigers that once roamed North America. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 18 Jan. 2024 Xi’s coercive measures and saber rattling have contributed to the hardening rift. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2024 Expect some sci-fi violence, including light saber battles, guns, explosions and hand-to-hand combat. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saber.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of saber was in 1680

Dictionary Entries Near saber

Cite this Entry

“Saber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saber. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

saber

noun
sa·​ber
variants or sabre
ˈsā-bər
: a cavalry sword with a curved blade
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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