sword 
til 111 
II' ii ill Am-. Armour, III. 017. Sword and purse 
a m-, rmour, . . r se 
pune.- Sword -and-scepter piece, a s, , ,i : ii, Kold coin 
if tht- iritfn .if J:'iiii * \ [ mtglUng 7W; u'ntilis. ii Tut wot tli 
Swords. 
A, rapier, i6th century ; H, Italian sword, wrought-broiue hilt ; C, 
French hunting -sword, i8th century ; /), small sword, 18th century ; 
/:'. kuii'lits' sword, igth century. 
IB specifically considered as double edged, or as used for 
the point only, and therefore having no serviceable edge. 
See broadstt'iird, claymore, rapier, and cuts under ttaber, 
teeond, simitar, and tourney-word. 
Than he leiiie honde to his gicerde, that was oon of the 
beste of the worlde, (for, as the booke selth, it was som 
tyinn Hercules. Merlin (E. E. T. 8.), II. 33R 
His bootelessc fwerd he girded him about, 
And ran amid his foes redy to dye. 
Surrey, l-.m M II. 
The Earl of Northumberland bore the pointless tirorj 
(at Richard III.'s coronation), which represents the royal 
attribute of mercy. ./. Oairdner, Klchard III., iv. 
2. Figuratively, the power of the sword that 
is, the power of sovereignty, implying overrul- 
ing justice rather than military force. 
For he beareth not the mvrd in vain. Rom. xiii. I. 
Justice to merit does weak aid afford, 
She quits the balance, and resigns the ttrord. 
Drydeti. 
3. Specifically, military force or power, whe- 
ther m the sense of reserved strength or of ac- 
tive warfare; also, the military profession; the 
profession of arms; arms generally. 
It hath been told him that he hath no more authority 
over the muni than over the law. Milton. 
4. The cause of death or destruction. [Rare.] 
This avarice 
. . . hath been 
The tword of our slain kings. 
SAo*., Macbeth, Iv. :;. 87. 
5. Conflict; war. 
I came not to send peace, but a mcord. Mat. x. 34. 
6. Any utensil or tool somewhat resembling 
a sword in form or in use, as a swingle used in 
flax-dressing. 7. The prolonged snout of a 
swordflsh or a sawfish city swordt. See city. 
Flaming sword, In her., a bearing representing n sword 
from the blade of which small pull's of flame emerge, usu- 
ally si -it-nil on each si, I.-. Leaf-shaped sword, See 
cieddyo. Letters of flre and swordL See/re. Mes- 
senger sword. See inesu-nger. - Order Of St. James Of 
the Sword. Seeorrf-. Order of the Sword, a Swedish 
order founded in the sixteenth century, and revived by 
Frederick I. in the eighteenth century. It is the national 
order for military merit. The badge is a cross of eight 
points saltierwise, surmounted by a crown. The cen- 
ter of the cross is a blue medallion, having represented 
upon It a sword wreathed with laurel. The arms are 
wnite enamel, and between them are ducal coronets. 
Crossed swords in gold are also arranged between the arms 
of the cross, more or fewer according to the class. The 
ribbon is yellow bordered with blue. Provant swordt, 
a regulation sword; a plain unornaiuented sword, such as 
Is issued to troopers. 
If you bear not 
Yourselves both In, and upright, with n prooant word 
Will slash your scarlets and your plush a new way. 
Matringer, Maid of Honour, i. 1. 
Small sword, (a) A sword worn for ornament or on dress- 
occasions, (b) A light sword used for modern fencing 
with the point only, introduced about the middle of the 
seventeenth century and replacing, about 1700, all other 
blades except the heavy saber used in warfare. The small 
sword proper has a blade of triangular section, usually 
concave on each of the three sides, so as to be extremely 
light In proportion to its rigidity, and its hilt is usually 
without quillons, but has always a knuckle<bow and usu- 
ally two shells. Spanish swordt, the rapier: a name 
dating from the lime when the Spaniards In the train of 
Philip II. hn>nt!lit this weapon into England.- Swiss 
BWOrd, a basket-hiked swora used in the sixteenth n n- 
tury hy foot-s-nMIers, such as the Swiss mercenaries. 
Obverse. Reverse. 
Sword-nnd-scepter piece. British Museum. tSi/e of the original.) 
tfi Scotch or l(tt. English at the time of Issue : ao called 
from the sword and scepter on Its reverse. Sword of 
state, a sword used on state occasions, being borne be- 
fore a sovereign by a person of high rank : It Is eipres- 
sive of the military power, the right and duty of doing 
justice, etc.; also, a sword considered as the embodiment 
of national or corporate jurisdiction, sometimes a royal gift 
to a community or t-t-i p-ii-atimi. Sword wavy, in her., * 
bearing representing a sword with a waved blade ; a flam- 
berge. The Order of the Brothers of the Sword |Ci. 
Schit-ert-Bruder\ a military oitli n-s, 'milling the Tem- 
plars, founded about 1200, and very powerful In Livonia 
and adjacent regions. Its hut Master ceded the territory 
of the order to Poland about 1561. To be at swords' 
points, to ho in a hostile attitude; be avowed enemies. 
To cross swords. See crani. To measure swords. 
See measure. To put to the sword, to kill with the 
sword; slay. To sheathe the sword. See theatht. 
Trutch swordt, apparently, a sort of sword of fcremony 
displayed at funerals. 
Above my hearse. 
For a triiteh mrvrd, my naked knife stuck up ! 
Beau, and /'/., Woman-Hater, i. 3. 
SWOrd 1 (sord), r. t. (X aioorrf 1 , n.] To strike 
or slash with a sword. [Rare.] 
Nor heard the King for their own cries, but sprang 
Thro' open doors, and ncordinff right and left 
Men, women, on their sodden faces, hurl'd 
The tables over and the wines. 
Tennyson, Last Tournament. 
SWOrd 2 t (swdrd), n. Another spelling of sward. 
sword-and-buckler (sord'and-buk'ler), a. 1. 
Of or pertaining to a sword and buckler ; fought 
with the sword and buckler that is, not with 
small swords (said of a combat, especially a 
single combat). 
I see by this dearth of good swords that dearth of mcoord 
and buckler tight begins to grow ont : I am sorrie for It ; 
I shall neuer see good manhood againe, If it be once gone ; 
this puking light of rapier and dagger will come vp then ; 
then a man, a tall man, and agoodjtirorrf and frweHrrman, 
will be spitted like a cat or a conney. 
//. Porter, Two Angry Women of Ablngton (ed. Dyce), p. 61. 
2. Armed with sword and buckler (the arms 
of the common people). 
That same nrard-and-bucltler prince of Wales. 
Shot., 1 Hen. IV., 1. 3. 230. 
SWOrd-arm (sord'arm ), . The arm with which 
the sword is wielded ; hence, the right arm. 
sword-bayonet (sord'ba'o-net), w. See bayonet. 
sword-bean (sord'ben), H". 1. See horse-bean, 
under bean. 2. Same as simitar-pod. 
sword-bearer ( sord ' bar 'er), M. [< ME. stcerd- 
berare; < sword 1 + bearer."} A person who 
carries a sword. Especially (a) An attendant upon 
a military man of rank, or upon a prince or chief in some 
countries, to whom his master's sword is intrusted when 
not wont, or who carries it before him on certain state 
occasions. (6) An official who carries a sword of state as 
an emblem of justice or supremacy on ceremonial occa- 
sions. 
The Sword Bearer [at Norfolk] exercises much more Im- 
portant functions than merely carrying a sword before the 
mayor. He attends on the may- 
or and magistrates daily, and 
acts as their clerk. The whole 
of his emoluments In salary 
and fees is about 4801. a year. 
Hunicip. Corp. Keportt, p. 2465. 
(e) An American long-homed 
grasshopper, Conocephahu enri- 
oer: so called from the long, 
straight, sword-shaped oviposi- 
tor. Also called meardtait. T. 
W. Harrit. 
sword-belt (sord'belt), n. 
A military belt from 
which the sword is sus- 
pended. It varies In form 
and arrangement according to 
the weight and shape of the 
weapon, and the rest of the 
military dress, but from the 
middle ages to the present 
tinif it has tended toward the 
form of a simple girdle from 
which, on the left side, a longer 
strap and a shorter serve to 
suspend the scabbard of the 
sword, the shorter one secur- 
ing it near the top or opening, 
and the longer one about half-way toward the chape. 
The most Important variation of this type was that of the 
sword-dollar 
last years of tin-' thirteenth rei>tin\, h. 11 Iht l>m:id Ix-lt 
passed diagonally from tin- waist <!" imiinl UVT the left 
dip, uinl MUlHMiiu-d the Hc.-ihlwrtl t.f MIL- sword in ft'-M "I 
the left thiKN. with it roiniilii;uti-il an any >-inriit of narrow 
NtrapH hy whii-h th<- s<-ahh;u<l ;is hrM. In tin- hi-lt ol 
this form a \t-ry nallow strap t'iniiril fti-- u'lnih- |>iop<-r, 
and was bm-klfl an. uinl tin waisl, tht- liM.ail swnlil-hi-lt 
hi-iiiK attat ht-tl to it In lunrl Ilit i i_M hip. See also /.< 
Intiilri'-, tti/i girdle. 
swordbill (sonl'iiil), w. A tmmmlng-biid of 
the HIMIIIS Ihiriniitxli ... as l>. ftixifi rn*. having 
the bill about as lnnir a- tin- rest of tin- liii-il. 
SCC Cllt tlllllt'l 1 llni'illKlxll'X. 
BWOrd-blade (sonl'blad), w. The blade en- rut- 
tin^' part tit' n sword. 
SWOrd-breaker (sonl'bra'ker), H. 1. An im- 
plement formerly carried in the left hand, to 
break the blade of the adversary's sword, IIHU- 
ally a hook attached to the front of a small 
Iml-kler or to the guard of a stout dagger. 2. 
A ilagger fitted with such a device, or having 
the blade shaped with a notch or recess, or 
even several notches, in which the adversary's 
sword-blade could be sei/.ed; also, a buckler 
similarly provided. 
sword-brothert, [ME. sveord-brnlbcr (= 
Mllli. xiriTtliriniilir. (',. -,,/,"! i ti',-11,1,, t: WOTtf 
+ brother.'} A comrade in arms. Layamon. 
sword-cane (sord'kan), n. A walking-wtiek 
hollowed to form the sheath of a steel blade, 
of which the handle or grip i generally the 
upper or thicker end of the cane; also, a cane 
from which a short blade like that of a dagger 
may be drawn, or caused to shoot out on touch- 
ing a spring. 
sword-carriage (sord'kar'aj), n. Same as/iH</- 
er, 5 (rf). 
BWOrdcraft (sord'kraft), n. Knowledge of or 
skill in the use of the sword ; management bv 
the swoid or military power; military compul- 
sion. [Rare.] 
They leant to tremble as little at priestcraft as at nrord- 
crajl. Motley, Rise of Dutch Republic, I. 31 
sword-cut (sord'kut), . 1. A blow with the 
edge of a sword. In the language of fencing 
usually cut. 2. A wound or scar produced by 
a blow of the edge of a sword. 
Seam'd with an ancient ncordcut on the cheek, 
Tennynin, Lancelot and Elaine. 
sword-cutler (sord' kut'ler) , . One who makes 
sword-blades; hence, a maker of swords. 
sword-dance (sdrd'dans), n. A dance in which 
the display of naked swords, and in some cases 
movements made with them, form apart. Espe- 
cially (a) A dunce in which the movements of a sword- 
combat are imitated, (b) A dance in which the men, 
crossing their swords overhead, form a sort of archway 
under which the women pass at one point in the dance, 
(c) A dance in which naked swords are laid on the ground, 
or set with the points up, the performer showing his 
agility and skill by dancing among them without cutting 
himself. 
sword-dollar (sord'dol'iir), n. A Scottish sil- 
ver coin of the reign of James VI., weighing 
Sword-belt for mounted 
man-at-arms, nth century. 
(From Viollet le-I>uc - s" Diet, 
du Mobilier Iran^Us." ! 
Sword .I..II t. llrilisl, M 
