SWORD

noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sweord; akin to Old High German swert ~ Date: before 12th century a weapon (as a cutlass or rapier) with a long blade for cutting or thrusting that is often used as a symbol of honor or authority, 2. an agency or instrument of destruction or combat, the use of force , coercive power, something that resembles a ~, ~like adjective