once upon a time dueling with swords was the gentlemanly way to settle a point of honor
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The yarns of Joe Turner interweave gradually, everyday chit-chat, bargaining, and flirtation interlocking over time with threads of mysticism — both the ghosts of a brutal history and the ancestral spirits that stand protective and defiant like a phalanx of angels with shining swords.—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026 Will this new serving of swords and the supernatural have the power?—Mark Meszoros, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026 There was plenty of sword fighting, martial arts, explosions, fireballs and fireworks.—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026 Be sure to stop by the concession stand and stock up on liquids before sitting down to watch Rupert Wyatt’s anachronistic swords-and-sandals epic set, as the opening graphics inform us, 1,500 years ago in Arabia.—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 23 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