Meaning & use
scabbard
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Meaning
nouncountable
A protective case for the blade of a sword or similar long weapon.
Grammar: Countable: one scabbard, two scabbards. Often used with 'in' or 'into': put the sword in its scabbard.
Patterns
- in a scabbard
- into a scabbard
- draw from a scabbard
The knight slid his sword back into its scabbard.
The museum displayed a ceremonial sword in a decorated scabbard.
He drew the blade from the scabbard and held it up to the light.
Word forms
| plural | scabbards |
|---|
Common combinations
- in its scabbard
- The sword rested in its scabbard by the door.
- draw a sword from its scabbard
- She drew the sword from its scabbard in one smooth motion.
- leather scabbard
- A leather scabbard hung from his belt.
- metal scabbard
- The metal scabbard was engraved with patterns.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sheath
- Sheath is the more general word and is used for knives and shorter blades as well as swords; scabbard is usually reserved for swords or other long weapons.
- case
- Case is a very general word for any container; scabbard is specific to a weapon's blade.
- holster
- Holster is for a gun, not a blade; use scabbard for swords.
Commonly confused: scabbard or sheath?
scabbard vs sheath
A sheath can be a case for a knife or blade, or a close-fitting dress. A scabbard is specifically for a sword or long weapon.
Practice
The knight put his sword back into its ______ after the battle.
Choose one answer.
Scabbard is the usual word for the case of a sword. Sheath is possible but less specific for a long weapon; holster is for a gun, and case is too general.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scabbard”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.