(a) A bladed weapon designed for cutting and thrusting, a sword; also fig. & in fig. context; pleien at the ~ and bokeler, to fence; (b) death by the sword; don to (the) ~, to put (sb.) to the sword, kill with a sword, execute; dreden the ~ and the spere, dread a violent death; shulen (wenden, yede) to the ~, ben taken in-to ~, be put to the sword, suffer death by the sword; (c) in cpds., combs., & phrases: ~ belt (girdel), a sword belt, baldric; ~ blade, sword(es egge, a sword blade; sword(es hilte, ~ hondel, a sword hilt; ~ honde, the hand that wields a sword; ~ lenge, sword(es lengthe, a distance equal to the length of a sword; ~ man, q.v.; swordes ord, the point of a sword; ~ pleiere, a sword fighter, gladiator; ~ (and bokeler) pleiinge, a sword fight, gladiatorial combat; sword(es shethe, the sheath of a sword; arming ~, a battle sword; bastard ~, ?an inferior or irregularly made sword; ?a sword of unusual size; bredling ~, a sword used with the flat side; brod ~, a broad-bladed sword [see also brod adj. 4.(f)]; long ~, a long-bladed sword [see also long adj.(1) 3.(a)]; short ~, a short-bladed sword [see also short adj. 1.(d)]; twein-bitinge (-egged) ~, two-bitinge (-egged) ~, ~ two-egged (-pointed), a sword with two cutting edges (points) [see also two num. 1c.(a)]; two-honde ~, a sword wielded with two hands [see two num. 1c.(d)]; (d) a sword used as a symbol of honor or authority, something upon which oaths are sworn, a prize for a wrestling match, etc.; also fig. [quot. 1340, 2nd]; also, a sword not intended or made for use as a weapon, a ceremonial sword; a sword or the blade of a sword used in divination or necromancy; ~ berere, a sword-bearer, esp. the bearer of a mayor's sword of office; ~ brother, a man bound to another by oaths sworn on a sword, a sworn brother; (e) a representation of a sword in a painting or on a seal; (f) cook. ?a broach, spit.

Fig. (a) Power of the sword, military might; battle; ord of spere and) swordes egge, force, combat, warfare; taken worldes ~, to engage in secular battle; (b) an agency of power, vengeance, destructiveness, etc.; also person. [quot. a1425(c1385)]; also, a spiritual weapon; ~ of hate (love, rightwisnesse, etc.); ~ of the (holi) gost, ~ of the spirit, ~ of godes word; two-bitinge ~; (c) an agency of piercing sorrow, penetrating coldness, etc.; ~ of cold (winter); ~ of sorwe.

(a) In conventional comparisons; sharp as a ~; two-honde ~; (b) in proverbs and prov. expressions.

(a) In surnames; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem.2.171].