French word

épée

Pronunciation

IPA/epe/

Meaning

  • feminine nounsword

Example

Il a trouvé une épée dans le grenier.

He found a sword in the attic.

Illustration for épée (sword)

More examples

Le petit garçon brandit une épée en mousse.

The little boy brandishes a foam sword.

Core concept

A fencing sword with a substantial pointed blade, imagined thrusting forward to score on any part of the opponent's body.

Similar words

arme: A tool used for attack or defense.
sabre: A long, slightly curved sword designed mainly for cutting.
dague: A short sword used for stabbing at close range.

Definition in French

Désigne l'une des armes d'escrime, caractérisée par une lame pointue et relativement lourde, utilisée pour toucher l'adversaire par la pointe sur tout le corps.

Word origin

Épée comes through Old French espee from Latin spatha, a borrowing from Greek spathē meaning a broad blade.

Usage tips

  • Épée is feminine, so standard forms include une épée and cette épée.

Other meanings

  • epeenoun

Related words

  • épéistefencernoun

Word lists with this word