saber

1 of 2

noun

sa·​ber ˈsā-bər How to pronounce saber (audio)
variants or chiefly British sabre
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 entry 4
b
: the sport of fencing with the saber

Illustration of saber

Illustration of saber
  • saber 1

saber

2 of 2

verb

variants or chiefly British sabre
sabered or sabred; sabering or sabring ˈsā-b(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce saber (audio)

transitive verb

: to strike, cut, or kill with a saber

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Though Richie and Grainge haven't disclosed any flavor details, the confection was so grand that the newlyweds had to use a saber to slice it, according to photos published by Vogue. Maggie Kreienberg, Peoplemag, 28 Apr. 2023 The bowl, carpet and saber are in the possession of the National Archives, which received many of the gifts once Trump left office. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2023 Steinbrenner rattled the saber about a potential move across the river to New Jersey. Vince Guerrieri, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Mar. 2023 My son, who is having a Star Wars year, spends much of his free time in Jedi robes, heroically battling our apartment’s dust bunnies with a light saber. Motoko Rich Kyle Berger, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2023 Barnes’s understatedly chic champagne bucket, saber, and vasque (an enlarged bucket intended for two or more bottles), were all designed around the idea of an ellipse. Camille Okhio, ELLE Decor, 28 Apr. 2023 Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear saber rattling during the war has alarmed the US and its allies, though officials have repeatedly dismissed the moves as empty threats. Nectar Gan, CNN, 23 Feb. 2023 Alice Roosevelt was a guest at the White House decades later, when President Lyndon Johnson’s daughter Lynda Bird Johnson was married in 1967 and Lynda used her husband Charles Robb’s Marine Corps saber to cut their wedding cake. Brian Bennett, Time, 18 Nov. 2022 The video for the bouncy electro pop song finds Al performing the song on a beach with some members of the Max Rebo band alongside footage from the movie, including Darth Vader chilling with a taco in one hand and a sparkler in the other and everyone’s favorite surfside game: light saber limbo. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 Aug. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saber.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1790, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saber was in 1680

Dictionary Entries Near saber

Cite this Entry

“Saber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saber. Accessed 8 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

saber

noun
sa·​ber
variants or sabre
ˈsā-bər
: a cavalry sword with a curved blade
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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