Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

scabbard

/ˈskæb.ɚd/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.46 in modern English

Syllables: scab-bard
IPA: /ˈskæb.ɚd/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The sheath of a sword.

verb

To put an object (especially a sword) into its scabbard.

Example Sentences

"I had had to discard my rifle before I commenced the rapid descent of the cliff, so that now I was armed only with a hunting knife, and this I whipped from its scabbard as Kho leaped toward me."
"Suddenly he scabbarded his sabre."

Etymology

From Middle English scabard, scauberde, scauberk, scauberke, from Anglo-Norman eschaubert, escalberc, of Germanic origin, perhaps from Frankish *skarberg (“sheath”, literally “blade-protection”), from Proto-Germanic *skēriz (“blade, scissors”) + *bergaz (“shelter, protection, refuge”). See also hauberk.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: scabard, eschaubert, *skarberg, *skēriz

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈskæb.ɚd/
British English: /ˈskæb.əd/

Inflected Forms

scabbards (plural) scabbards (present, singular) scabbarding (participle, present) scabbarded (participle, past) scabbarded (past)

Derived Forms

scabbardfish scabbardless unscabbard

Phrases

scabbard fish

Rhymes With

clapboard

Questions

How do you pronounce scabbard?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈskæb.ɚd/.
What does scabbard mean?: The sheath of a sword.
Where does scabbard come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce scabbard

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “scabbard”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈskæb.ɚd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “scabbard” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.