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

As for what a fan might do with such a saber? —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 June 2026

In all three cases, the light-saber-like lighting unit itself quickly attaches/detaches to and from a bayonet mount at the rear end of the main bracket. —Ben Coxworth may 15, New Atlas, 15 May 2026

But then, after weeks of saber rattling, the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran. —Bella Bromberg, ARTnews.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Maybe there were other things Donovan could have tried; other sabers to rattle, other philanthropists to approach. —Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for saber

• labor
• neighbor
• neighbour
• sabre
• tabor
• belabor
• nonlabor

Kids Definition

saber

noun

sa·​ber

variants or sabre

ˈsā-bər

: a cavalry sword with a curved blade