the sword in the stone
/ðə ˌsɔːd ɪn ðə ˈstəʊn/
/ðə ˌsɔːrd ɪn ðə ˈstəʊn/
- (in the stories about King Arthur) the magic sword Excalibur, which Arthur as a boy is able to pull out of the large stone in which it is fixed. By doing this he shows that he will be the next king of England.