sword

English

A sword lying beside its scabbard.

The canting arms of Schwerte, Germany, are two swords.

Alternative forms

swerd (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English sword, swerd, from Old English sweord (“sword”), from Proto-West Germanic *swerd, from Proto-Germanic *swerdą (“sword”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂w- (“sharp”). Cognate with Scots swuird, swerd, sword (“sword”), North Frisian swird (“sword”), West Frisian swurd (“sword”), Dutch zwaard (“sword”), Low German Sweerd, Schwert (“sword”), German Schwert (“sword”), Danish sværd, Norwegian sverd, Swedish svärd (“sword”), Icelandic sverð (“sword”), Old East Slavic свьрдьлъ (svĭrdĭlŭ, “drill”).

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA^(key): [sɔːd]
(Standard Southern British, MLE) IPA^(key): [soːd]
(Ireland) IPA^(key): [soːɹd]
(General American, Scotland) IPA^(key): [sɔɹd]
- Audio (US): (file)
(rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /so(ː)ɹd/
(non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /soəd/
(obsolete) IPA^(key): /swɔːrd/ = sward
Homophones: soared, (non-rhotic, horse–hoarse merger) sawed
Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)d

Noun

sword (plural swords)

A long bladed weapon with a grip and typically a pommel and crossguard (together forming a hilt), which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack.
- c. 1515–1516, John Skelton, Againſt venemous tongues enpoyſoned with ſclaunder and falſe detractions &c., published 1568:
  Malicious tunges, though they have no bones,
  Are ſharper then ſwordes, ſturdier then ſtones.
- c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], line 59:
  Unsheathe your sword and dub him presently.
- 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 49:
  Some swords were also made solely to thrust, and some only to cut; others were equally adapted for both.
A suit in certain playing card decks, particularly those used in Spain and Italy, or those used for divination.
1. A card of this suit.
(weaving) One of the end bars by which the lay of a hand loom is suspended.

Coordinate terms

(weaponry): bayonet, claymore, cutlass, dagger, epee, épée, falchion, foil, katana, knife, machete, rapier, sabre, saber, scimitar, vorpal, yataghan, yatagan

Derived terms

Descendants

→ Japanese: ソード

Translations

weapon

Abkhaz: аса (asa)
Adyghe: чатэ (čatɛ)
Afrikaans: swaard
Albanian: thikare (sq) f, shpatë (sq) f, pallë (sq) f, shkallmë f
Amharic: ሰይፍ (säyf)
Arabic: سَيْف (ar) m (sayf)
Egyptian Arabic: سيف m (sēf)

Hijazi Arabic: سيف m (sēf)
Aragonese: espata f
Armenian: թուր (hy) (tʻur), սուր (hy) (sur)
Aromanian: apalã f, spatã f, coardã f, cealãmi f, lipidã f
Assamese: তৰোৱাল (torüal), হেংদাং (heṅdaṅ)
Asturian: espada (ast) f
Avar: кӏалден (kʼalden)
Azerbaijani: qılınc (az)
Balinese: pedang, bérang, kléwang
Baluchi: زہم (zahm)
Bashkir: ҡылыс (qılıs)
Basque: ezpata (eu)
Belarusian: ша́бля f (šáblja), меч m (mječ)
Bengali: তলোয়ার (bn) (tolōẏar), তরোয়াল (bn) (torōẏal), তেগ (bn) (teg), শমশের (bn) (śomośer), ছুরি (bn) (churi), দাও (bn) (daō), দা (bn) (da)
Breton: kleze (br) m, klezeñv m
Bulgarian: меч (bg) m (meč)
Burmese: ဓား (my) (dha:)
Burushaski: please add this translation if you can
Buryat: һэлмэ (helme)
Catalan: espasa (ca) f, glai (ca)
Chakma: 𑄙𑄟 (dhāmā)
Chechen: гӏалакх (ğalaq), тур (tur)
Cherokee: ᎭᏰᎳᏍᏗ ᎦᏅᎯᏓ (hayelasdi ganvhida)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 劍／剑 (yue) (gim³)

Eastern Min: 劍／剑 (giéng)

Hakka: 劍／剑 (kiam)

Hokkien: 劍／剑 (kiàm)

Mandarin: 劍／剑 (zh) (jiàn), 刀 (zh) (dāo)

Wu: 劍／剑 (⁵ci)
Chuukese: ketinas
Classical Nahuatl: tepozmāccuahuitl
Classical Syriac: ܣܝܦܐ m (sāyp̄ā)
Coptic:
Bohairic: ⲥⲏϥⲓ f (sēfi)

Sahidic: ⲥⲏϥⲉ f (sēfe)
Cornish: kledha m
Corsican: spada (co) f
Czech: meč (cs) m
Dalmatian: sputa f
Danish: sværd n
Daur: selmii
Dhivehi: ކަނދި (kaⁿdi)
Dongxiang: baojien
Dutch: zwaard (nl) n
Egyptian:

(mšw)
Elfdalian: swärd
Emilian: please add this translation if you can
Esperanto: glavo (eo)
Estonian: mõõk (et)
Evenki: тутэкэ̄н (tutəkə̄n)
Faroese: svørð n, mæki m (archaic)
Fijian: iseleivau
Finnish: miekka (fi)
French: épée (fr) f, glaive (fr) m
Old French: espee f
Friulian: spade f
Gagauz: kılıç
Galician: espada (gl) f
Georgian: ხმალი (ka) (xmali), დაშნა (ka) (dašna), მახვილი (maxvili), ლახვარი (ka) (laxvari)
German: Schwert (de) n
Alemannic German: Schwärt n
Gothic: 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌿𐍃 m (hairus), 𐌼𐌴𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 m (mēkeis)
Greek: ξίφος (el) n (xífos), σπαθί (el) n (spathí)
Ancient: ξίφος n (xíphos), φάσγανον n (phásganon), μάχαιρα f (mákhaira) (short), ῥομφαία f (rhomphaía) (long and broad)
Greenlandic: pana
Guaraní: kysepuku
Gujarati: તલવાર (gu) f (talvār), શમશેર f (śamśer)
Hebrew: חֶרֶב (he) f (ẖérev), סַיִף (he) m (sáyif)
Hindi: तलवार (hi) f (talvār), शमशेर (hi) f (śamśer)
Hungarian: kard (hu)
Hunsrik: Schweert n
Icelandic: sverð (is) n
Ido: espado (io)
Indonesian: pedang (id)
Ingrian: meekka
Interlingua: spada, gladio
Iranun: please add this translation if you can
Irish: claíomh m
Old Irish: claideb m
Istriot: spada f
Italian: spada (it) f, brando (it) m (poetic), stocco (it) m, gladio (it) m, ghiado m
Japanese: 刀 (ja) (かたな, katana), 剣 (ja) (つるぎ, tsurugi; けん, ken)
Jarai: đao
Javanese: pedhang (jv)
Kalmyk: селм (selm), үлд (üld), мишл (mişl), чашк (çaşk)
Kannada: ಕತ್ತಿ (kn) (katti)
Karachay-Balkar: къылыч (qılıç)
Karakalpak: qılısh
Kashubian: miecz m
Kazakh: қылыш (qylyş)
Khakas: хылыс (xılıs)
Khmer: ដាវ (km) (daaw)
Komi-Permyak: шыпурт (šypurt)
Korean: 검(劍) (ko) (geom), 칼 (ko) (kal)
Kumyk: къылыч (qılıç)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: شِمشێر (şimşêr), شیر (ckb) (şîr)

Northern Kurdish: şûr (ku) m
Kyrgyz: кылыч (kılıc)
Ladin: please add this translation if you can
Lao: ດາບ (lo) (dāp)
Latgalian: zūbyns
Latin: gladius (la) m, spatha f, ēnsis m, machaera f, mūcrō m, ferrum (la) n
Latvian: zobens m
Ligurian: spâ f
Limburgish: zwerd n
Lithuanian: kalavijas (lt) m, kardas (lt) m
Lombard: spada f
Low German:
German Low German: Sweerd n
Lü: please add this translation if you can
Macedonian: меч m (meč)
Maguindanao: sundang
Malagasy: antsifotsy (mg), sabatra (mg), viarara (mg)
Malay: pedang (ms)
Malayalam: വാള് (ml) (vāḷŭ)
Maltese: sejf m, xabla f
Manchu: ᠯᠣᡥᠣ (loho)
Manx: cliwe m
Maori: hoari
Maranao: koyang, miros, pedang
Marathi: तलवार f (talvār)
Mazanderani: please add this translation if you can
Middle English: sword
Minangkabau: please add this translation if you can
Mon: please add this translation if you can
Mongghul: uldi
Mongolian: илд (mn) (ild), сэлэм (mn) (selem)
Nahuatl: tepozmācuahuitl
Nanai: пакан (pakan), лохон (lohon)
Navajo: diltłish
Ngazidja Comorian: upanga class 11/10
Nogai: кылыш (kılış)
North Frisian: swird n, Swērt c (Sylt), Swiirt n (Sylt)
Northern Qiang: hɑː
Northern Thai: ᨯᩣ᩠ᨷ
Norwegian:
Bokmål: sverd (no) n

Nynorsk: sverd n
Occitan: espasa (oc) f
Odia: ଖଡ୍ଗ (khaḍga)
Ojibwe: ashaweshk
Old Church Slavonic: мечь m (mečĭ)
Old East Slavic: мечь m (mečĭ)
Old English: sweord n, sword (ang) n, bil n, mēċe m, secg m
Old Norse: mækir m, sverð n
Ossetian: кард (kard), цирхъ (cirq)
Ottoman Turkish: قلج (kılıc), سیف (seyf), شمشیر (şimşir)
Papiamentu: spada
Pashto: توره (ps) f (túra)
Pennsylvania German: Dege m, Schwart n, Schwaert n
Persian: شمشیر (fa) (šamšir)
Piedmontese: spa f
Plautdietsch: Schweat n, Schwieet n
Pohnpeian: kedlahs
Polabian: varo f
Polish: miecz (pl) m
Portuguese: espada (pt) f, gládio (pt) m
Punjabi: ਤਲਵਾਰ (pa) (talvār)
Quechua: sawli
Rohingya: kiris
Romagnol: spêda f
Romanian: sabie (ro) f, spadă (ro) f
Romansch: spada f, speda f
Russian: меч (ru) m (meč), шпа́га (ru) f (špága), са́бля (ru) f (sáblja)
Sami:
Kildin Sami: мӣһкь (mīhk’)

Skolt Sami: mieʹǩǩ, meäʹǩǩ
Samogitian: kalavėjs m
Sanskrit: कृपाण (sa) (kṛpāṇa), असि (sa) m (asi), खड्ग (sa) m (khaḍga)
Sardinian: spada f, ispada f
Saterland Frisian: Swäid n
Scottish Gaelic: claidheamh m, slòighre f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: мач m

Roman: mač (sh) m
Shan: လႅဝ်း (shn) (léao)
Shona: munondo
Shor: қылыш (qılış)
Sicilian: spata (scn) f
Sinhalese: කඩුව (kaḍuwa)
Slovak: meč m
Slovene: meč (sl) m, sablja (sl) f
Somali: seef f
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: mjac m

Upper Sorbian: mječ m
Southern Altai: кылыш (kïlïš)
Spanish: espada (es) f
Sudovian: kalavian
Swahili: upanga
Swedish: svärd (sv) n
Tagalog: tabak
Tai Dam: ꪒꪱꪚ (đáp)
Tajik: шамшер (tg) (šamšer)
Tamil: வாள் (ta) (vāḷ)
Tatar: кылыч (tt) (qılıç)
Telugu: కత్తి (te) (katti), కృపాణము (te) (kr̥pāṇamu)
Thai: ดาบ (th) (dàap)
Tibetan: དཔའ་དམ། (dpa' dam)
Tocharian B: apsāl, kertte
Tok Pisin: bainat, bainet
Tongan: heleta
Turkish: kılıç (tr)
Turkmen: gylyç
Tuvan: хылыш (xılış)
Ukrainian: меч (uk) m (meč)
Urdu: تلوار f (talvār), شمشیر f (šamšer)
Uyghur: قىلىچ (qilich), شەمشەر (ug) (shemsher)
Uzbek: qilich (uz), shamshir (uz)
Venetan: spada f
Veps: mek
Vietnamese: gươm (vi), kiếm (vi)
Volapük: gläv (vo)
Võro: myyk
Walloon: spêye (wa) f
Waray-Waray: espada
Welsh: cleddyf (cy) m
West Frisian: swurd n
White Hmong: ntaj
Yakut: кылыс (kılıs)
Yiddish: שווערד f (shverd)
Zazaki: şımşêr

one who handles a sword

Bulgarian: мечоно́сец m (mečonósec)
Catalan: espasa (ca) m or f
Finnish: miekkamies (fi)
French: épéiste (fr)
Galician: espadachín m
German: Schwertkämpfer (de), Schwertkämpferin (de) f
Greek: ξιφοφόρος (el) m (xifofóros), ξιφομάχος (el) m (xifomáchos)
Hungarian: kardforgató (hu) (lit. sword-swinger)
Macedonian: мечувалец m (mečuvalec)
Marathi: तलवारबाज m (talvārbāj)
Portuguese: espadachim (pt) m
Russian: мечено́сец (ru) m (mečenósec)

suit in cards

Finnish: miekat (fi) pl
Polish: miecz (pl) m

card of this suit

Finnish: miekka (fi)
Greek: σπαθί (el) n (spathí), σπαθιά (el) pl (spathiá)

Verb

sword (third-person singular simple present swords, present participle swording, simple past and past participle sworded)

To stab or cut with a sword

Anagrams

words

Middle English

Alternative forms

swerd, sord, sworde, zuord

Etymology

From Old English sword, a Mercian form of sweord (which some forms are directly from), from Proto-West Germanic *swerd, from Proto-Germanic *swerdą.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /swɔrd/, /swoːrd/
(from sweord) IPA^(key): /swɛrd/, /s(w)urd/

Noun

sword (plural swordes or (early) sweorden)

sword, sabre
- c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[1], published c. 1410, Matheu 10:34, page 4v, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:
  Nile ȝe deme þat I cam to ſende pees in to erþe / I cam not to ſende pees .· but swerd
  Don't feel that I came to bring peace to Earth. I didn't come to bring peace, but a sword.
(figuratively) Military might or power.

Descendants

English: sword
Scots: swerd, sword

References

“sword, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-03-16.

Old English

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /sword/, [sworˠd]

Noun

sword n (nominative plural sword) (Mercian)

Alternative form of sweord