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

Examples of saber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Arguably the best change is a playable Darth Maul getting his iconic double-bladed saber. Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2025 Nowhere is this more evident than in Trump’s saber rattling about the international role of the U.S. dollar. Jonathan Kirshner, Foreign Affairs, 22 Jan. 2025 Even Trump and his choice for Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr, are rattling their sabers and threatening to pull the broadcast licenses of networks that run programs or news stories the White House doesn’t like. Alex Cranz, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2025 For now, Trump’s saber rattling has settled down to a 90-day, across-the-board tariff of 10 percent for most countries (with the notable exception of China), but even that can quickly become a surcharge of many thousands of dollars. Will Peischel, Curbed, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for saber

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

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Cite this Entry

“Saber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saber. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

saber

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

More from Merriam-Webster on saber

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