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Debpriya De Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Die by the sword

What is the meaning of the expression "die by the sword" ?
Does it mean "to be killed with a sword" or does it mean "to die beside a sword" ?
  

Top answer

Debpriya De to be killed with a sword Yes, this is the correct one. "By" is referring to the means and not the location, in this case.

— Shawn79

  • Debpriya De to be killed with a sword Yes, this is the correct one.
  • "By" is referring to the means and not the location, in this case.
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5 Answers
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Debpriya Deto be killed with a sword
Yes, this is the correct one. "By" is referring to the means and not the location, in this case.
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The full idiom is live by the sword, die by the sword, meaning that if you hurt others, you can expect to eventually suffer the same fate. It is similar to the sayings what goes around comes around or you reap what you sow.

To die by a sword, on the other hand, means just what you suggested: to be killed by a sword.
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Forgive me Aspara Gus, you might be right that the OP had that idiom in mind, but beyond that I want to emphasize that in a literal sense he was correct. "To die by the sword" can be a reference to the means of execution, a literal sword, any sword:

The prisoner was put to the sword.
He died by the sword.

That it could reference a figurative idiom is a g
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Hi, Shawn79,

Yes, die by the sword can have that meaning. I just thought it was more likely that the OP was referring to the idiom. Thanks to both of our posts, he should now have all the info he was looking for and then some.

Spar
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No spar my language friend, I apologize. I really appreciate your point, thank you! Emotion: shake hands
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