Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

flesh one's maiden sword

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.53 in modern English

Syllables: flesh one's -maid-en s-word
IPA

33

Scrabble Score

20

Letters

4

Syllables

13

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To experience or succeed in combat or struggle for the first time, as in the military or in politics.

Dated

Example Sentences

"Come brother Iohn, full brauely hast thou flesht / Thy mayden sword."
"Well, Lord Althorpe has last night fleshed his maiden sword as a finance minister—and the result, I am sorry to say, is a failure."
"Day after day, and year after year, we have heard the Native question discussed in an intelligible and statesmanlike manner, when the subject was brought forward in a practicable form, but not when presented in the style of a young member of a debating society endeavouring to “flesh his maiden sword.”"
"The Ragged Guardists, when they did flesh their maiden swords on the 12th, could do nothing more spectacular than kidnap three Czech soldiers from Csap railway station."

Etymology

Literally, to shed blood for the first time with a new sword; see flesh (“bury in flesh”), maiden (“virgin”), sword.

Usage

Dated

Inflected Forms

fleshes one's maiden sword (present, singular) fleshing one's maiden sword (participle, present) fleshed one's maiden sword (participle, past) fleshed one's maiden sword (past)

Phrases

first blood

Frequently Paired Words

first blood

Questions

What does flesh one's maiden sword mean?: To experience or succeed in combat or struggle for the first time, as in the military or in politics.
Where does flesh one's maiden sword come from?: Literally, to shed blood for the first time with a new sword; see flesh (“bury in flesh”), maiden (“virgin”), sword.

How to pronounce flesh one's maiden sword

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