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blow to, either with the hand or with any instrument or missile. He at Philippi kept His sword e'en like a dancer; while I struck The lean and wrinkled Cassius. Shak.

ivest of clothing; to uncover. Before the folk herself strippeth she. Chaucer. Strip your sword stark naked. Shak.

To strike. [Obs.] Ye mote with the plat sword again Stroken him in the wound, and it will close. Chaucer.

spot; to tarnish; to stain; to darken; -- used literally and figuratively; as, to sully a sword; to sully a person's reputation. Statues sullied yet with sacrilegious smoke. Roscommon. No spots to sully the brightness of this solemnity. Atterbury.

Sword. [Obs.] Chaucer.

To go out of a straight line; to deflect. "The point [of the sword] swerved." Sir P. Sidney.

To give a circular movement to; to whirl; to brandish; as, to swing a sword; to swing a club; hence, colloquially, to manage; as, to swing a business.

with a lance, which fails of its intended effect. [Obs.] This taint he followed with his sword drawn from a silver sheath. Chapman.

The part of a sword blade to which the handle is fastened.

-- chiefly used in composition; as, a good-tempered or bad- tempered man; a well-tempered sword.

isels, and plane irons; yellow tinged with purple for table knives and shears; purple for swords and watch springs; blue for springs and saws; and very pale blue tinged with green, too soft for steel instruments.

complished by stealing; dishonest; as, a thievish practice. Or with a base and biosterous sword enforce A thievish living on the common road. Shak. -- Thiev"ish*ly, adv. -- Thiev"ish*ness, n.

rsemen tilting with lances. He tilts With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast. Shak. Swords out, and tilting one at other's breast. Shak. But in this tournament can no man tilt. Tennyson. The fleet, swift tilting, o'er the Pope.

A sword or sword blade made at Toledo in Spain, which city was famous in the 16th and 17th centuries for the excellence of its weapons.

le in the way of; to obstruct; to cause to fail. To trip the course of law, and blunt the sword. Shak.

By troops; in crowds. [Obs.] So, troopmeal, Troy pursued a while, laying on with swords and darts. Chapman.

Hence, not liable to fail; strong; firm. His trusty sword he called to his aid. Spenser.

A long, narrow sword; a rapier. [Obs.] Shak. He wore large hose, and a tuck, as it was then called, or rapier, of tremendous length. Sir W. Scot.

Having two edges, or edges on both sides; as, a two-edged sword.

Used with both hands; as, a two-nanded sword. That two-handed engine [the sword]. Milton.