sword /sörd or sōrd/

1. A weapon with a long blade, sharp on one or both edges, for cutting or thrusting
2. A blade or flat rod resembling a sword
3. A swordfish's snout
4. Destruction or death by the sword or by war
5. War
6. Military force
7. The emblem of vengeance or justice, or of authority and power
8. (in pl) a suit in the tarot pack

To wield a sword

swordˈer noun (archaic)

1. A gladiator
2. An assassin, a cut-throat
3. A swordsman

swordˈless adjective

swordˈlike adjective

swordˈ-and-buckˈler adjective

Fought or armed with sword and buckler

swordˈ-and-sanˈdal adjective

Of or relating to a genre of film depicting swashbuckling events in the ancient world

swordˈ-and-sorˈcery adjective

Of or relating to a genre of fiction generally set in a milieu in which no firearms exist and magic is used

swordˈ-arm, -hand noun

The arm, and hand, that wield the sword

swordˈ-bayonet noun

A bayonet shaped somewhat like a sword, and used as one

swordˈ-bean noun

1. An Indian papilionaceous plant (genus Canavalia) with long sword-shaped edible pods
2. Its seed

swordˈ-bearer noun

A public officer who carries the sword of state

swordˈ-belt noun

A belt from which the sword is hung

swordˈbill noun

A S American hummingbird with a bill longer than its body

swordˈ-blade noun

The blade of a sword

swordˈ-breaker noun

An old weapon for grasping and breaking an adversary's sword

swordˈ-cane or swordˈ-stick noun

A hollow cane or stick containing a sword

swordˈcraft noun

1. Swordsmanship
2. Military power

swordˈ-cut noun

1. A cut with the edge of a sword
2. A wound or scar so produced

sword dance noun

A dance performed sword in hand or among or over swords

swordˈ-dollar noun (historical)

A Scottish silver coin of James VI, worth 30s Scots (2s 6d English), with a sword on the reverse

sword fern noun

A fern with long sword-shaped fronds

swordˈfish noun

A large fish (Xiphias or other genus of the family Xiphiidae) with upper jaw compressed and prolonged as a stabbing weapon

sword grass noun

A name for many plants with sword-shaped leaves

swordˈ-guard noun

The part of a sword-hilt that protects the bearer's hand

sword-hand see sword-arm above.

sword knot noun

A ribbon tied to the hilt of a sword

swordˈ-law noun

Government by the sword

sword lily noun

The gladiolus

swordˈman noun

1. A swordsman
2. A fighting man

swordˈplay noun

Fencing

swordˈplayer noun

swordˈproof adjective

Capable of resisting the blow or thrust of a sword

swordˈ-rack noun

A rack for holding swords

swordˈ-shaped adjective

sword side same as spear side (see under spear).

swordsˈman or swordsˈwoman noun

A person who is skilled in the use of a sword

swordsˈmanship noun

sword-stick see sword-cane above.

swordˈ-swallower noun

A performer who inserts the blade of a sword inside his or her throat

swordˈtail noun

A small Central American freshwater Cyprinodont fish with a swordlike tail-lobe

cross swords with see under cross

put to the sword

1. (of armies, etc) to kill (prisoners, etc) by the sword
2. To defeat utterly

• when push comes to shove
• whens
• whensoe'er
• whensoever
• when the balloon goes up
• whillywhaw
• whillywhawed
• whillywhawing
• whillywhaws
• whilom
• whilst
• whim
• whimberries
• whimberry
• whimbrel
• whimbrels
• whimmed
• whimmier
• whimmiest
• whimming
• whimmy
• whimper
• whimpered
• whimperer
• whimperers