noun
sword
sawd
noun
1
A long-bladed weapon with a hilt, used for cutting or stabbing.
"The knight drew his sword before the duel began."
"Museum visitors admired the engraved medieval sword."
2
A suit in Spanish and Italian playing cards, used especially in tarot and fortune-telling.
"She drew the Three of Swords during the tarot reading."
How to Use Sword
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA bladed hand weapon — also a suit in tarot cards, and figuratively a symbol of military force.
Common mistake
Not to be confused with "swordfish," which is a completely different thing — a fish with a long bill, not a weapon.
Common pairings
draw a sword
sheathe a sword
cross swords
sword and shield
Word Forms
sworded past tense, swords plural, Swords plural, swords singular
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The knight drew his _____ before the duel began.
Etymology
From Old English sweord, going back to a very old Germanic root for "sword," related to words like Schwert in German and zwaard in Dutch.