rapier

Borrowed from Middle French rapiere, from Middle French (espee) rapiere, from Old French rapiere, raspiere, from Spanish raspadera (“poker; raker; scraper”), from Spanish raspar (“to scrape”), of Germanic origin. More at rasp.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɹeɪpˌɪə(ɹ)/

rapier (plural rapiers)

1. A slender, straight, sharply pointed sword (double-edged, single-edged or edgeless).
   • c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals):

     , act IV scene 1

     […] In his lawless fit,

     Behind the arras hearing something stir,

     Whips out his rapier, cries ‘A rat, a rat!’

     And in this brainish apprehension kills

     The unseen good old man.

rapier (comparative more rapier, superlative most rapier)

1. Extremely sharp.
2. Cutting smarts or keen wit.

   John is very quick on his feet during interviews by using his rapier responses.

• pairer, repair

From Middle French (espee) rapiere.

• IPA^(key): /rɑpir/

• Audio

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• Hyphenation: ra‧pier

rapier n (plural rapieren, diminutive rapiertje n)

1. rapier