Main Entry: ¹sa·ber

Variant(s): or sa·bre \ˈsā-bər\

Function: noun

Etymology: French sabre, modification of German dial. Sabel, from Middle High German, probably of Slavic origin; akin to Russian sablya saber

Date: 1680

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 b : the sport of fencing with the saber

[saber illustration]