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Glite Dictionary
singlestick

singlestick

1 9.9
A wooden stick used to practice sword fighting
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : bastón de esgrima
  • He became skilled in various forms of combat, including the singlestick used for sparring practice.

Examples

  • From an early age, he was an expert fencer, having been renowned for his mastery of the broadsword, cudgel, singlestick, and quarterstaff.

    Blog text (6)

  • The famous detective, scholar, chemist, virtuoso violinist, expert marksman, swordsman, singlestick fighter, pugilist, and brilliant deductive thinker.

    Enola Holmes (2020)

  • In the fencing class, each student practiced their technique using a singlestick instead of a sword.

  • During the demonstration, the instructor showed how to perform a defensive move with a singlestick.

Synonyms

stick
vssinglestick
686 1.0

A long thin object often made of wood used as a simple tool or support

is a specific wooden sword substitute used for fencing practice
fencing stick
vssinglestick
6.6

A stick that people use instead of a sword for practice

is specifically a wooden training weapon rather than unspecified material
backsword
vssinglestick
  • Archaic
9.9

A wooden stick used instead of a sword for practice

is used generally for training rather than only in historical settings

Surface Forms

singlestick singular
singlesticks plural

Morphology

singlestick = single + stick (semi-transparent) = single + stick

The parts 'single' + 'stick' are literal, but the specialized fencing meaning (a particular practice weapon) is a domain-specific extension not fully predictable by learners.

Etymology

Singlestick comes from single ('one') and stick ('wooden pole'), so picture one wooden sword. A singlestick was the wooden weapon used in fencing practice instead of a real blade, which is why the word now means a wooden stick for sword training.