Excalibur

American  

[ek-skal-uh-ber] / ɛkˈskæl ə bər /

noun

1. Arthurian Legend. the magic sword of King Arthur.

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Excalibur British  

/ ɛkˈskælɪbə /

noun

1. (in Arthurian legend) the magic sword of King Arthur

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Excalibur Cultural  

1. The sword of King Arthur (see also Arthur). In one version of the legends of Arthur, he proved his right to rule by pulling Excalibur out of a stone. In another version, he received Excalibur from a maiden, the Lady of the Lake, to whom he returned it at the end of his life.

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Etymology

Origin of Excalibur

C14: from Old French Escalibor, from Medieval Latin Caliburnus, from Welsh Caledvwlch, perhaps related to Irish Caladbolg a legendary sword (literally: hard belly, hence, voracious)

Example Sentences

Sometimes he’s just out there for fun, but often he’s wielding his submersible Excalibur II metal detector to salvage someone’s destination wedding.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

It will be an in-demand piece of equipment, but it’s not quite as unique as King Arthur’s Excalibur.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 24, 2026

On the dock above us loomed the black hull of Excalibur, a 12-metre-long, 19-tonne unmanned submarine, first launched earlier this year.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

It was dubbed Operation Excalibur, in honor of the legendary sword of King Arthur that granted him divine right to rule, a point also included in court documents.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025

Like every gunter, I’d seen John Boorman’s film Excalibur many times, so it seemed obvious what I should do next.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline