sabres

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralBritish

   heavy swords with a curved blade, used especially by soldiers on horseback in the past

   Grammar: This is the plural form; the singular is sabre. It refers to more than one sword.

   Patterns

   • draw sabres
   • a soldier with sabres
   • the clash of sabres

   The cavalry soldiers raised their sabres and charged.

   In the museum you can see old sabres used in the 19th century.

   The officers kept their sabres in decorated cases.

2. 2noununcountableBritishsport

   a sport in which people fight with light, thin swords called sabres

   Grammar: As a sport, sabres is uncountable: you compete in sabres, not in *a sabres*.

   Patterns

   • compete in sabres
   • a sabres match
   • train in sabres

   She has won medals in sabres at three world championships.

   Sabres is one of the three fencing events at the Olympics.

   He started fencing in sabres when he was ten.

Word forms

Common combinations

draw sabres

The soldiers drew their sabres and prepared to attack.

a clash of sabres

We heard the clash of sabres as the two fencers met.

compete in sabres

She will compete in sabres at the next Olympics.

cavalry sabres

The museum displays cavalry sabres from the 1800s.

Synonyms and how they differ

swords

Swords is the general word for bladed weapons; sabres are a particular kind with a curved blade.

blades

Blades is informal for swords or fencing weapons; sabres is more exact and technical.

Word family

sabre noun

The singular form: one curved sword or one fencing weapon.

sabre-rattling noun

The act of threatening to use military force.

Commonly confused: sabres or sabers?

Practice

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