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🇪🇸Spanish Source WordCode: ES

en guardia

Pronunciation / Transliteration: en ɡwaɾdja

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
En-garde/ˌɒ̃ ˈɡɑːrd/
interjectionnounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
Full Thesaurus
🇪🇸 Example Sentence in Spanish:

"Los tiradores se pusieron en guardia."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As interjection
  1. 1

    A warning cry given to opponents in fencing to assume the fighting stance before a bout begins.

    "The referee raised his hand and called 'En-garde!' before signaling the start of the match."
As noun
  1. 1

    The standard defensive stance taken by a fencer or combatant immediately prior to engagement.

    "She maintained a steady en-garde, watching her opponent's blade for any sudden movement."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Borrowed directly from French, meaning literally 'on guard'. Originally established as a standard fencing command in the late 17th to 18th century as the sport's formal terminology codified across Europe, eventually entering English as both a technical term and a figurative warning.

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