once upon a time dueling with swords was the gentlemanly way to settle a point of honor
Recent Examples on the WebThis engraving suggests the weapon could be an Ulfberht sword—a special class of medieval Frankish weapon.—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2024 Particularly for a series aimed toward women, without a sword, crossbow or lightsaber in sight.—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024 On a small stage, three actors practiced a sword fight — slowly, then faster.—Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 4 June 2024 See the newest discoveries Photos show the rusty 1,000-year-old sword.—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 31 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for sword
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sword.' 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
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
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