saber

noun sa·ber \ ˈsā-bər \

variants: or sabre

|Updated on: 18 Jun 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

During the Clinton administration, the landmark disarmament deal known as the Agreed Framework was hatched in October 1994 and ended months of saber-rattling after Pyongyang withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

— john hudson, Washington Post, "Compared with Trump, previous presidents extracted more concessions from N. Korea, experts say," 12 June 2018
Japan will also be watching with ambivalence – happy to see the saber-rattling ending but worried its security might be sacrificed in Trump's rush to neutralize the North Korean threat to the United States.

— robert birsel, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump, Kim launch historic Singapore summit with a handshake," 12 June 2018
The message, though unspoken, was clear: All this saber-rattling is bad for business.

— travis jeppesen, WSJ, "A Consumer Class Wields New Power in North Korea," 1 June 2018
Andrew Stewart watched the original trilogy on VHS tapes and battled with his cousins with light sabers fashioned from sticks.

— karina bland, azcentral, "Mom looks to 'Star Wars' for baby name, because there's always another Jacob or Emily," 11 May 2018
This is not the first time that Mr. Netanyahu has rattled sabers toward Iran.

— New York Times, "For Netanyahu, Vindication and New Risk After Trump’s Iran Decision," 8 May 2018
The actress was escorted by Junior ROTC cadets and walked through an officers’ arch of sabers, receiving a hand salute.

— paula allen, San Antonio Express-News, "Jefferson High Lassos were featured in a 1940 movie starring Jane Withers," 7 Apr. 2018
There’s a laundry basket in the shape of R2-D2, shelves of Star Wars books and a teddy bear in Jedi robes with a light-up blue light saber.

— karina bland, USA TODAY, "'Star Wars' baby names? This mom went for it because there's always another Jacob out there," 14 May 2018
There’s a laundry basket in the shape of R2-D2, shelves of Star Wars books and a teddy bear in Jedi robes with a light-up blue light saber.

— karina bland, azcentral, "Mom looks to 'Star Wars' for baby name, because there's always another Jacob or Emily," 11 May 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