sword
pronunciation
How to pronounce sword in British English:
UK [sɔːd]
How to pronounce sword in American English:
US [sɔːrd]
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- Noun:
- a cutting or thrusting weapon with a long blade
Word Origin
- sword
- sword: [OE] Sword comes from a prehistoric Germanic *swertham, which also produced German schwert, Dutch zwaard, Swedish svärd, and Danish sværd. It is not known what its ultimate source was, although it has been speculated that it may have links with Old High German swerdo ‘pain’ – in which case its etymological meaning would be the ‘stinger, causer of pain’.
- sword (n.)
- Old English sweord, swyrd (West Saxon), sword (Northumbrian) "sword," from Proto-Germanic *swerdam (cognates: Old Saxon, Old Frisian swerd, Old Norse sverð, Swedish svärd, Middle Dutch swaert, Dutch zwaard, Old High German swert, German Schwert "a sword"), related to Old High German sweran "to hurt," from *swertha-, literally "the cutting weapon," from PIE root *swer- (3) "to cut, pierce." Contrast with plowshare is from the Old Testament (Isaiah ii:4, Micah iv:3). Phrase put (originally do) to the sword "kill, slaughter" is recorded from mid-14c. An older Germanic word for it is in Old Saxon heoru, Gothic hairus "a sword."
Antonym
Example
- 1. User feedback can be a double - edged sword .
- 2. His sword is turned downward as a sign of peace .
- 3. Then the prisoner spoke and I understood that he wanted my sword .
- 4. But this is a double-edged sword .
- 5. A sword knows all that .