Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A one-handed fencing stick fitted with a hand guard.
- noun The art, sport, or exercise of fencing with such a stick.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A cudgel for use with one hand, as distinguished from the quarter-staff. It is usually fitted with a guard for the hand, somewhat like that of a saber. Compare
back-sword . - noun The play or practice with such cudgels; the art of attack and defense with them: as, to learn single-stick.
- noun A wooden sword used on board ship for teaching the use of the cutlas.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun In England and Scotland, a cudgel used in fencing or fighting; a backsword.
- noun The game played with singlesticks, in which he who first brings blood from his adversary's head is pronounced victor; backsword; cudgeling.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
cudgels (martial art) - noun The stick used in the sport of cudgels; a
backsword .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a stick used instead of a sword for fencing
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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In our very first introduction to Mr. Holmes, the story “A Study In Scarlet”, Watson describes Holmes as “an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman.”
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I used to be a fair hand with singlestick not long ago.
The Chrome Borne Lackey, Mercedes 1993
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I used to be a fair hand with singlestick not long ago.
Born To Run Lackey, Mercedes 1992
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We had constant sparring matches and some practice also with singlestick and foils; and Mr. Johnson would let me off sometimes of an afternoon to go a-fishing with the boy.
Humphrey Bold A Story of the Times of Benbow Herbert Strang
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England about the abolition of the Briton's old favourite sports, it was conceded by all but a few, that from the custom of boxing, singlestick and backsword playing, wrestling, &c. arose the good temper which distinguishes that people -- Englishmen being less subject to violent fits of anger than the people of any other nation in the world.
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_ A person who presides at backsword or singlestick, to regulate the game; an umpire: a person who settles disputes.
The Dialect of the West of England; Particularly Somersetshire James Jennings
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He had been taught fencing as a part of his education, and would use the singlestick, arquebus, and crossbow, while the fashion of every gentleman wearing a sword had rendered it necessary that this weapon should be handled skilfully.
Hayslope Grange A Tale of the Civil War Emma Leslie
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Captain Galsworthy was a frequent visitor, and though he was past eighty, insisted on giving our boys their first lessons with the singlestick.
Humphrey Bold A Story of the Times of Benbow Herbert Strang
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The play at singlestick at Salisbury races on Wednesday was very dull, there being no players of note to meet the Somersetshire men, who carried off the prize easily.
The Mirror of Taste, and Dramatic Censor, Vol. I, No. 5, May 1810
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In the compass of eighteen pages of a work now before us we have details of no less than two grand matches of singlestick, one Wiltshire against
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