Adjacent Words

Rapier definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RA'PIER, n. A small sword used only in thrusting.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a straight sword with a narrow blade and two edges [syn: rapier, tuck]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle French (espee) rapiere Date: 1553 a straight 2-edged sword with a narrow pointed blade II. adjective Date: 1824 extremely sharp or keen <a rapier wit>

Britannica Concise

U.S. politician. Born in Florence, Ala., son of a slave and a wealthy planter, he was educated in Canada and Scotland. After the Civil War he returned to Alabama, where he became a successful cotton planter and a delegate to the state's first Republican convention. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1873, he worked for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 but was defeated for reelection. He returned to Alabama, where he was active as a labor organizer and publisher of the Montgomery Sentinel.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a light slender sword used for thrusting. Etymology: prob. f. Du. rapier or LG rappir, f. F rapière, of unkn. orig.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rapier Ra"pi*er, n. [F. rapi[`e]re, perhaps for raspi[`e]re, and ultimately of German origin, akin to E. rasp, v.] A straight sword, with a narrow and finely pointed blade, used only for thrusting. Rapier fish (Zo["o]l.), the swordfish. [Obs.] --Grew.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(rapiers) 1. A rapier is a very thin sword with a long sharp point. N-COUNT 2. If you say that someone has a rapier wit, you mean that they are very intelligent and quick at making clever comments or jokes in a conversation. Julie Burchill is famous for her precocity and rapier wit. ADJ: ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Small sword.