saber
UK: ˈseɪbə | US: ˈseɪbər
n. a heavy cavalry sword with a curved blade
n. (historical) a sword used by cavalry in certain European armies
vt. to strike or cut with a saber
saber = sab<sword> + er<noun suffix>
- sab<sword>: Derived from French sabre, which likely originated via German Säbel from Hungarian szablya (meaning "tool to cut"). The Hungarian term traces back to the Turkic saply, meaning "to cut."
- er: A noun-forming suffix in English, often indicating an agent or object (e.g., "fighter," "computer").
Etymology Origin:
The word saber entered English in the 17th century via French, reflecting the weapon's adoption by European cavalry from Hungarian and Turkic warriors. Its curved design, optimized for slashing, distinguished it from straight swords. The morpheme sab preserves the core idea of cutting, while -er standardizes it as a noun in English.
The cavalry officer drew his saber and charged.
Historical reenactors often use replicas of Napoleonic sabers.
She studied the intricate engravings on the antique saber.
The duel was fought with sabers under moonlight.
He saber-cuts the ceremonial ribbon at the opening.