“rapiers” is a form of
rapier
/ˈɹeɪpˌɪə(ɹ)/ noun, adjective, proper noun
Forms rapiers
- noun A slender, straight, sharply pointed sword (double-edged, single-edged or edgeless), designed predominantly for thrusting; used during the Renaissance period of Europe for civilian duelling
- adjective Extremely sharp.
- adjective Cutting; employing keen wit. “John is very quick on his feet during interviews by using his rapier responses.”
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A straight sword, with a narrow and finely pointed blade, used only for thrusting. Rapier fish (Zoöl.), the swordfish. [Obs.] Grew.
Etymology [F. rapière, perhaps for raspière, and ultimately of German origin, akin to E. rasp, v.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “rapier”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details