noun
sabre
SAY-buh
noun
1
A curved, single-edged sword traditionally used by cavalry.
"The officer's ceremonial sabre hung above the mantelpiece."
"Cavalry regiments once charged into battle wielding sabres."
2
A lightweight fencing sword modelled on the cavalry weapon, used in the Olympic fencing discipline of the same name.
"She won gold in the women's individual sabre event."
How to Use Sabre
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA curved sword, or the fencing sport/weapon based on it.
UK vs US
Spelled "sabre" in British English, "saber" in American English.
Common pairings
rattle a sabre
sabre-toothed
sabre fencing
Word Forms
sabred past tense, sabres plural, sabres singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “sabre”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The officer's ceremonial _____ hung above the mantelpiece.
Etymology
Borrowed from French sabre, tracing back through German Säbel to Hungarian szablya.