sabre
UK[ˈseɪbə(r)]US[ˈseɪbər]
n
a heavy cavalry sword with a curved blade and a single cutting edge.
n
a light fencing sword with a tapering, typically flexible blade.
v
to cut down or wound with a sabre.
Etymology
the word 'sabre' entered english in the 1670s from the french 'sabre', which itself was borrowed from the german 'säbel'. the german term has a more complex history, likely originating from the magyar (hungarian) 'szablya', meaning "to cut". this hungarian word is thought to be a loan from a south slavic language, such as the polish 'szabla', which may ultimately trace back to a turkic source. the weapon's name, therefore, traveled across cultures with the cavalry tactics of eastern europe and the steppes, entering western european languages as a unified term for the distinctive curved sword. its spelling in english stabilized as 'sabre' (commonwealth) and 'saber' (us).
Analysis
this word is a loanword adopted as a single unit into english. it is not productively formed from smaller, recognizable english morphemes.
Examples
the cavalry officer drew his polished sabre as they charged.
she excels in sabre, one of the three weapons in modern fencing.
historical accounts tell of soldiers being sabred by charging horsemen.