saber

play

noun sa·ber \ ˈsā-bər \

variants: or sabre

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, foil

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

Note: Be sure to douse the light sabers when the show starts.

— carol wolfram, NOLA.com, "10 fun things to do with your family this weekend in St. Tammany," 18 July 2017
His comments came after weeks of saber-rattling in New Delhi and Beijing, as officials from both sides talk up a potential clash even bloodier than their 1962 war that left thousands dead.

— Bloomberg.com, "China Demands India Leave Himalayan Plateau in Rising Spat," 6 July 2017
His comments came after weeks of saber-rattling in New Delhi and Beijing, as officials from both sides talk up a potential clash even bloodier than their 1962 war that left thousands dead.

— Bloomberg.com, "China Demands India Leave Himalayan Plateau in Rising Spat," 6 July 2017
His comments came after weeks of saber-rattling in New Delhi and Beijing, as officials from both sides talk up a potential clash even bloodier than their 1962 war that left thousands dead.

— Bloomberg.com, "China Demands India Leave Himalayan Plateau in Rising Spat," 6 July 2017
His comments came after weeks of saber-rattling in New Delhi and Beijing, as officials from both sides talk up a potential clash even bloodier than their 1962 war that left thousands dead.

— michael holtz, The Christian Science Monitor, "China takes hard stance in territorial dispute with India," 5 July 2017
But going viral on social media in sexy red lingerie and a Storm Troopers helmet and light saber was pretty funny.

— liza corsillo, GQ, "Model Charlie Austin's Instagram Feed Is Your Guide to Summer," 24 June 2017
Hence in a world filling up with saber-rattling and bad vibes, perhaps our best guarantee of peace is that major powers aren’t familiar with any recent example of a successful war.

— yuval noah harari, Time, "Why It’s No Longer Possible for Any Country to Win a War," 23 June 2017
Held at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, the three-day festival mixes counterculture acts like the Pixies and Goldfrapp with live science experiments and nerdcore events such as light-saber practice at the Jedi Training Academy.

— alex hawgood, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Under-the-Radar Summer Festivals Around the World," 22 June 2017

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

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

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
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
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