saber

noun sa·ber \ ˈsā-bər \

variants: or sabre

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of saber

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, ⁴foil

b : the sport of fencing with the saber

See saber defined for English-language learners

See saber defined for kids

Recent Examples of saber from the Web

Wednesday’s brawl was like watching Obi-Wan power up a dusty old light saber.

— jason gay, WSJ, "Uh-Oh. The Yankees and Red Sox Hate Each Other Again," 12 Apr. 2018
His rack of lamb looks great—pink and glistening, with a roasty brown crust rubbed with ground blood-orange peel and a bone that swings out of each chop like the grip on a saber.

— mike sula, Chicago Reader, "Tied House is that rarest of neighborhood restaurants: a destination," 12 Apr. 2018
Trump followed up his early-morning saber-rattling with an admission that his attempts to improve relations with Russia have failed.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "Russia to Trump: ‘We Don’t Do Twitter Diplomacy’," 11 Apr. 2018
There's even an epic light saber battle between Gumby and his clone.

— stacey grant, Seventeen, "12 Nostalgic Movies You Need To Binge-Watch On Amazon Prime STAT," 15 Aug. 2017
Brian Duncan, an Illinois hog farmer, had hoped the tough trade talk in recent weeks between President Donald Trump and China amounted to saber-rattling.

— greg trotter, chicagotribune.com, "Illinois pork farmer on Chinese tariffs: 'Our worst fears seem to be coming true'," 2 Apr. 2018
The military expenditures, combined with the maneuvering and saber-rattling in the crucial South China Sea waterway and near Taiwan, have prompted concerns in Asian and U.S. corridors of power.

— christopher carbone, Fox News, "China conducts air force drills again in disputed South China Sea," 25 Mar. 2018
After rattling its saber in a territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, Tokyo is taking its rivalry with China to Africa.

— pete guest, Newsweek, "Japan Takes On China Far From Home—in Africa," 26 Mar. 2014
Here are a few examples: Mr. Bolton’s critics often accuse him of belligerence and reactive saber-rattling.

— the editorial board, WSJ, "John Bolton for National Security," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'saber.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of saber

Origin and Etymology of saber

French sabre, modification of German dialect Sabel, from Middle High German, probably of Slav origin; akin to Russian sablya saber

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1680

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Weapons and Explosives Terms

automatic, carbine, cudgel, muzzle, rapier

saber

verb

variants: or sabre

Definition of saber

sabered or sabred; sabering or sabring play \ˈsā-b(ə-)riŋ\

transitive verb

: to strike, cut, or kill with a saber

Recent Examples of saber from the Web

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to saber a bottle of champagne.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "How to Saber a Bottle of Champagne," 21 Dec. 2017
Michael Minnillo, the general manager of the French Laundry, the chef Thomas Keller’s elegant restaurant in Yountville, Calif., had just sabered open a bottle of Dom Pérignon, leaving the eyes of the teenagers wide.

— sam sifton, New York Times, "Settle In for Winter With This Sausage Risotto," 18 Jan. 2018
Afterward, learn the Napoleonic tradition of sabering champagne bottles and bundle up for the Kettle One Ice Room, the world’s coldest vodka tasting room.

— destination canada, Bon Appetit, "The Ultimate Guide to British Columbia’s Après-Ski Scene," 31 Oct. 2017
The most impressive way to kick off any Champagne-fueled party is to saber a bottle, popping the cork from the wine with the swipe of a knife.

— madeleine luckel, Vogue, "A Champagne Lover’s Guide to Hosting a Last-Minute Bastille Day Soiree," 14 July 2017
A waiter with a ponytail has just sabered a bottle of champagne with a sword, and now a half-dozen topless cabaret dancers are swinging upside-down from the ceiling.

— eliot stein, CNT, "Booking.com's Digital Travel Assistant Planned Our Trip to Paris," 10 Jan. 2017
Nearby, a group celebrating a birthday summoned a suited steward to saber-open a bottle of champagne—as in with an actual sword—

— irina aleksander, GQ, "Inside Trump International Hotel, the Mecca of Trump-ism," 27 June 2017