once upon a time dueling with swords was the gentlemanly way to settle a point of honor
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Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.—Jordan Freiman, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026 Highlights include K-pop dance crews, Chinese lion dances, and Japanese sword/kendo and samurai demonstrations.—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026 Contortionists catwalk across the stage and second-story boxes while dancers pose around golden bird cages and sword-swallowers stretch over leather bars.—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026 According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the helmet and sword began during a team-bonding dinner at Medieval Times in Scottsdale during spring training.—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026 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