noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈseɪ.bə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/ˈseɪ.bɚ/
rhymes with -eɪbə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:S EY1 B ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A light sword with a curved blade, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, UK
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, UK
Topics: fencing, government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, sports, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To strike or kill with a sabre.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, UK, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To open (a bottle) via sabrage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, UK, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
a stout sword with a curved blade and thick back
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cavalry sword, saber
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: sword, blade, brand, steel
Narrower terms: scimitar
6
noun
Meaning 6
a fencing sword with a v-shaped blade and a slightly curved handle
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: saber
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fencing sword
7
verb
Meaning 7
kill with a saber
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: saber
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: kill
8
verb
Meaning 8
cut or injure with a saber
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: saber
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cut
History
Etymology
Borrowed from French sabre, from German Säbel, from Polish szabla, from Hungarian szablya. Cognate with Danish sabel, Russian са́бля (sáblja), Serbo-Croatian сабља, Sicilian sciàbbula.
Across languages
Translations
105 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Northern Altai:
кылыч
(kïlïč)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Southern Altai:
кылыч
(kïlïč)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Southern Altai:
кылыш
(kïlïš)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Azerbaijani:
qılınc
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Bashkir:
ҡылыс
(qılıs)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Basque:
sable
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Basque:
sabre
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Bats:
თურ
(tur)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Belarusian:
ша́бля
(šáblja)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Belarusian:
ша́шка
(šáška)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Bulgarian:
са́бя
(sábja)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Catalan:
sabre
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Chechen:
тур
(tur)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Chinese Mandarin:
佩劍 /佩剑
(pèijiàn)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Chinese Mandarin:
馬刀 /马刀
(mǎdāo)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Chinese Mandarin:
戰刀 /战刀
(zhàndāo)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Chinese Mandarin:
軍刀 /军刀
(jūndāo)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Ngazidja Comorian:
upanga class 11/10
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Ngazidja Comorian:
panga
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Czech:
šavle
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Danish:
sabel
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Dutch:
sabel
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Esperanto:
sabro
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Estonian:
saabel
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Finnish:
säilä
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Finnish:
sapeli
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
French:
sabre
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Galician:
sabre
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Georgian:
ხმალი
(xmali)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Georgian:
მახვილი
(maxvili)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
German:
Säbel
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Greek:
σπαθί
(spathí)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Greek:
μάχαιρα
(máchaira)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Ancient Greek:
ξιφομάχαιρα
(xiphomákhaira)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Hindi:
सेबर
(sebar)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Hungarian:
szablya
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Icelandic:
sveðja
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Italian:
sciabola
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Japanese:
サーベル
(sāberu)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Japanese:
セイバー
(seibā)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Kalmyk:
селм
(selm)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Kalmyk:
чашк
(çaşk)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Kalmyk:
мишл
(mişl)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Kashubian:
szabla
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Kazakh:
қылыш
(qylyş)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Korean:
군도
(gundo)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Korean:
사브르
(sabeureu)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Kyrgyz:
кылыч
(kılıc)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Latin:
xiphomachaera
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Latvian:
zobens
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Lithuanian:
kardas
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Lithuanian:
palašas
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Macedonian:
сабја
(sabja)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Manx:
cliwe markee
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Māori:
hoari piko
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Marathi:
सेबर
(sebar)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Mongolian:
сэлэм
(selem)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Navajo:
diltłish
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Norwegian Bokmål:
sabel
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Occitan:
sabre
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Old East Slavic:
саблꙗ
(sablja)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Plautdietsch:
Säbel
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Polish:
szabla
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Portuguese:
sabre
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Romanian:
sabie
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Russian:
са́бля
(sáblja)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Russian:
ша́шка
(šáška)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Scottish Gaelic:
claidheamh crom
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Serbo-Croatian:
са̏бља
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Serbo-Croatian:
sȁblja
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Slovak:
šabľa
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Slovene:
sablja
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Spanish:
sable
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Swedish:
sabel
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Tagalog:
sable
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Tatar:
кылыч
(qılıç)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Turkish:
kılıç
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Ukrainian:
ша́бля
(šáblja)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Ukrainian:
ша́шка
(šáška)
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Uzbek:
qilich
— light sword, sharp along the front edge, part of the back edge, and at the point
Belarusian:
ша́бля
(šáblja)
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Bulgarian:
са́бя
(sábja)
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Catalan:
sabre
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Chinese Mandarin:
佩劍 /佩剑
(pèijiàn)
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Czech:
šavle
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Dutch:
sabel
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Esperanto:
sabro
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Finnish:
säilä
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Galician:
sabre
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
German:
Säbel
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Hindi:
सेबर
(sebar)
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Italian:
sciabola
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Japanese:
サーブル
(sāburu)
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Korean:
사브르
(sabeureu)
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Lithuanian:
kardas
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Macedonian:
сабја
(sabja)
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Marathi:
सेबर
(sebar)
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Norwegian Bokmål:
sabel
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Polish:
szabla
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Portuguese:
sabre
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Russian:
са́бля
(sáblja)
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Scottish Gaelic:
claidheamh crom
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Spanish:
sable
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Turkish:
kılıç
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
Ukrainian:
ша́бля
(šáblja)
— modern fencing sword modeled after the sabre
