once upon a time dueling with swords was the gentlemanly way to settle a point of honor
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Over the years, excavators have found around 280 artifacts in the lake, including 145 axes, 64 spearheads, eight swords and, most recently, four spears.—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025 Is Tagovailoa being diplomatic, falling on the sword, taking blame for the offense’s poor performance?—Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025 Moseley added his own costar memories, telling Metro that Tilda Swinton (who starred as the White Witch) loved participating in stunt sequences — including a sword fight scene.—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025 Seeking revenge, Onimaru impulsively picks up a demonic sword in a shortcut to power, setting off a grand adventure.—Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sword
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English sweord; akin to Old High German swert sword
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of sword was
before the 12th century
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