Heavy swords with a curved blade, historically used by cavalry soldiers and also used in fencing sports.
From Hungarian 'szablya,' borrowed from Turkish 'saïf.' The word entered European languages in the 16th-17th century as Ottoman military power introduced new weapons. English borrowed it from German 'Säbel.'
Sabers left unexpected marks on language—'saber-rattling' means making threatening military noises, and the saber was featured so prominently in cavalry charges that the 'Light Brigade' is remembered as 'the Charge of the Light Brigade' partly because sabers gleaming in sunlight made for dramatic poetry.
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