Sword/sɔːrd/ Definition 1 of 4Pro Tip 1/3Action Oriented Use 'sword' when describing actions in battles or personal combat. He unsheathed his sword in the duel. Pro Tip 2/3Not Generic 'Sword' often specifies certain types of blades, not any sharp instrument. She trained with a sword, not a knife. Pro Tip 3/3Metaphoric Use Metaphorically, 'sword' can imply decisiveness or cutting through problems. His words were a sword, slicing through the debate.