"double-edged sword" meaning in English

See double-edged sword in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: en-au-double-edged sword.ogg [Australia] Forms: double-edged swords [plural]
Etymology: From the notion that if two sides of the same blade are sharp, it cuts both ways. The metaphor may have originated from the Arabic expression سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ (sayfun ḏū ḥaddayni, “double-edged sword”) or from the Hebrew expression חרב פיפיות (“double-mouthed sword”). The metaphor is first attested to in English in the 15th century. Etymology templates: {{calque|en|ar|-|notext=1}} Arabic, {{m|ar|سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ||double-edged sword}} سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ (sayfun ḏū ḥaddayni, “double-edged sword”), {{calque|en|he|-|notext=1}} Hebrew, {{m|he|חרב פיפיות||double-mouthed sword}} חרב פיפיות (“double-mouthed sword”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} double-edged sword (plural double-edged swords)
  1. (figurative) A benefit that is also a liability, or (a benefit) that carries some significant but not-so-obvious cost or risk. Tags: figuratively
    Sense id: en-double-edged_sword-en-noun-en:benefit_with_costs
  2. (figurative) A neutral principle that has applications that may be either positive (beneficial) or negative (adverse) to one's own interests. Tags: figuratively
    Sense id: en-double-edged_sword-en-noun-en:neutral_principle_with_applications Categories (other): English links with manual fragments, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 58 35
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see double-edged, sword. Synonyms: dual-edged sword, two-edged sword Related terms: dual-use technology, Midas, Trojan horse, a blessing and a curse, blurse, be careful what you wish for Translations (idiomatic): سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ (sayfun ḏū ḥaddayni) [masculine] (Arabic), 雙刃劍 (Chinese Mandarin), 双刃剑 (shuāngrènjiàn) (english: a double-edged sword) (Chinese Mandarin), dvousečný meč (english: a double-edged sword) [masculine] (Czech), tveægget sværd [neuter] (Danish), tweesnijdend zwaard [neuter] (Dutch), ambaŭtranĉa glavo (Esperanto), kaksiteräinen miekka (Finnish), arme à double tranchant [feminine] (French), zweischneidiges Schwert [neuter] (German), δίκοπο μαχαίρι (díkopo machaíri) [neuter] (Greek), חֶרֶב פִּיפִיּוֹת (ẖérev pifiyót) [feminine] (Hebrew), tvíeggjað sverð [neuter] (Icelandic), pedang bermata dua (Indonesian), arma a doppio taglio [feminine] (Italian), 諸刃の剣 (moroha no tsurugi) (english: a double-edged sword) (alt: もろはのつるぎ) (Japanese), 양날의 검 (yangnar-ui geom) (english: a double-edged sword) (Korean), serampang dua mata (english: a two-sided spear/harpoon: spear fish with either end, with the other end being a safety hazard) (Malay), شمشیر دو لبه (šamšir-e do labe) (Persian), miecz obosieczny [masculine] (Polish), faca de dois gumes (english: a knife with two edges) [feminine] (Portuguese), sabie cu două tăișuri [feminine] (Romanian), па́лка о двух конца́х (pálka o dvux koncáx) (english: a stick with two ends) [feminine] (Russian), обоюдоо́стрый меч (obojudoóstryj meč) (english: a double-edged sword) [masculine] (Russian), мач са две оштрице [masculine] (Serbo-Croatian), mač sa dve oštrice (Serbo-Croatian), arma de doble filo (english: a double-edged weapon) [feminine] (Spanish), arma de dos filos (english: a two-edged weapon) [feminine] (Spanish), tveeggat svärd [neuter] (Swedish), iki ucu boklu değnek (english: a wand with both ends in shit) [vulgar] (Turkish), wurdna hektara tede mende (Zazaki)
    Sense id: en-double-edged_sword-en-noun-aZlOB-tz Disambiguation of 'idiomatic': 12 14 73

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for double-edged sword meaning in English (10.1kB)

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        "2": "سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ",
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  "etymology_text": "From the notion that if two sides of the same blade are sharp, it cuts both ways. The metaphor may have originated from the Arabic expression سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ (sayfun ḏū ḥaddayni, “double-edged sword”) or from the Hebrew expression חרב פיפיות (“double-mouthed sword”).\nThe metaphor is first attested to in English in the 15th century.",
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          "ref": "2021 February 9, Christina Newland, “Is Tom Hanks part of a dying breed of genuine movie stars?”, in BBC",
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          "type": "quotation"
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        {
          "ref": "2021 July 28, Ben Jones, “When BR got cracking after withdrawal of 'Blue Trains'”, in RAIL, number 936, page 32",
          "text": "Of course, social media is a double-edged sword, and the opportunity for passengers to communicate their feelings to media teams is not always a happy one.",
          "type": "quotation"
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        {
          "ref": "2023 July 21, Rachel Hall, quoting Sebastian Brixey-Williams, “Anti-nuclear groups welcome Oppenheimer film but say it fails to depict true horror”, in The Guardian, →ISSN",
          "text": "“Nuclear weapons are becoming part of the international conversation again and that’s a double-edged sword. I’m glad they are, but this is because nuclear risks are rising,” […]",
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          "_dis1": "3 4 92",
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        {
          "_dis1": "3 4 92",
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        {
          "_dis1": "3 4 92",
          "word": "a blessing and a curse"
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        {
          "_dis1": "3 4 92",
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          "_dis1": "3 4 92",
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          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "sayfun ḏū ḥaddayni",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ"
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        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "note": "нож с две остриета (nož s dve ostrieta, literally “a knife with two sharp ends”)",
          "sense": "idiomatic"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "雙刃劍"
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        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "cmn",
          "english": "a double-edged sword",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "shuāngrènjiàn",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "双刃剑"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "cs",
          "english": "a double-edged sword",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
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        },
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          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
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          "word": "tveægget sværd"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
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          "word": "tweesnijdend zwaard"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "ambaŭtranĉa glavo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "kaksiteräinen miekka"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "arme à double tranchant"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "zweischneidiges Schwert"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "díkopo machaíri",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "δίκοπο μαχαίρι"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "roman": "ẖérev pifiyót",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "חֶרֶב פִּיפִיּוֹת"
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          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
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          "word": "tvíeggjað sverð"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "id",
          "lang": "Indonesian",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "pedang bermata dua"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "arma a doppio taglio"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "alt": "もろはのつるぎ",
          "code": "ja",
          "english": "a double-edged sword",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "moroha no tsurugi",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "諸刃の剣"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "ko",
          "english": "a double-edged sword",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "yangnar-ui geom",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "양날의 검"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "ms",
          "english": "a two-sided spear/harpoon: spear fish with either end, with the other end being a safety hazard",
          "lang": "Malay",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "serampang dua mata"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "fa",
          "lang": "Persian",
          "roman": "šamšir-e do labe",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "شمشیر دو لبه"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "miecz obosieczny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "pt",
          "english": "a knife with two edges",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "faca de dois gumes"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "sabie cu două tăișuri"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "ru",
          "english": "a stick with two ends",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "pálka o dvux koncáx",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "па́лка о двух конца́х"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "ru",
          "english": "a double-edged sword",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "obojudoóstryj meč",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "обоюдоо́стрый меч"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мач са две оштрице"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "mač sa dve oštrice"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "es",
          "english": "a double-edged weapon",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "arma de doble filo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "es",
          "english": "a two-edged weapon",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "arma de dos filos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "tveeggat svärd"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "tr",
          "english": "a wand with both ends in shit",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "iki ucu boklu değnek"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 14 73",
          "code": "zza",
          "lang": "Zazaki",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "wurdna hektara tede mende"
        }
      ]
    }
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      "audio": "en-au-double-edged sword.ogg",
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      "tags": [
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  "etymology_text": "From the notion that if two sides of the same blade are sharp, it cuts both ways. The metaphor may have originated from the Arabic expression سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ (sayfun ḏū ḥaddayni, “double-edged sword”) or from the Hebrew expression חרב פיפיות (“double-mouthed sword”).\nThe metaphor is first attested to in English in the 15th century.",
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  "lang_code": "en",
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    {
      "word": "dual-use technology"
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      "word": "Midas"
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    {
      "word": "Trojan horse"
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    {
      "word": "a blessing and a curse"
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    {
      "word": "blurse"
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      "word": "be careful what you wish for"
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          "ref": "2020 June 23, Tiffany Hsu, “Ad Boycott of Facebook Keeps Growing”, in New York Times",
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          "type": "quotation"
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        {
          "ref": "2021 February 9, Christina Newland, “Is Tom Hanks part of a dying breed of genuine movie stars?”, in BBC",
          "text": "The double-edged sword of movie stardom remains the same as it ever was: when a persona is so fixed in the public mind, it's what people love you for, and it becomes difficult to deviate from.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 July 28, Ben Jones, “When BR got cracking after withdrawal of 'Blue Trains'”, in RAIL, number 936, page 32",
          "text": "Of course, social media is a double-edged sword, and the opportunity for passengers to communicate their feelings to media teams is not always a happy one.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 July 21, Rachel Hall, quoting Sebastian Brixey-Williams, “Anti-nuclear groups welcome Oppenheimer film but say it fails to depict true horror”, in The Guardian, →ISSN",
          "text": "“Nuclear weapons are becoming part of the international conversation again and that’s a double-edged sword. I’m glad they are, but this is because nuclear risks are rising,” […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A benefit that is also a liability, or (a benefit) that carries some significant but not-so-obvious cost or risk."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "benefit",
          "benefit"
        ],
        [
          "liability",
          "liability"
        ],
        [
          "cost",
          "cost"
        ],
        [
          "risk",
          "risk"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) A benefit that is also a liability, or (a benefit) that carries some significant but not-so-obvious cost or risk."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:benefit with costs"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English links with manual fragments",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The unintended ambiguity of the phrase was a double-edged sword: it spurred litigation but it also ended up shielding good-faith actors.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A neutral principle that has applications that may be either positive (beneficial) or negative (adverse) to one's own interests."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "principle",
          "principle#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "applications",
          "application#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "positive",
          "positive#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "beneficial",
          "beneficial#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "negative",
          "negative#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "adverse",
          "adverse#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "interests",
          "interest#English:_any_stake_held_by_any_type_of_stakeholder"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) A neutral principle that has applications that may be either positive (beneficial) or negative (adverse) to one's own interests."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:neutral principle with applications"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see double-edged, sword."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "double-edged",
          "double-edged#English"
        ],
        [
          "sword",
          "sword#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-double-edged sword.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/6c/En-au-double-edged_sword.ogg/En-au-double-edged_sword.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/En-au-double-edged_sword.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "dual-edged sword"
    },
    {
      "word": "two-edged sword"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "sayfun ḏū ḥaddayni",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "note": "нож с две остриета (nož s dve ostrieta, literally “a knife with two sharp ends”)",
      "sense": "idiomatic"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "雙刃劍"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "english": "a double-edged sword",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "shuāngrènjiàn",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "双刃剑"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "english": "a double-edged sword",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "dvousečný meč"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "tveægget sværd"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "tweesnijdend zwaard"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "ambaŭtranĉa glavo"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "kaksiteräinen miekka"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "arme à double tranchant"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "zweischneidiges Schwert"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "díkopo machaíri",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "δίκοπο μαχαίρι"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "roman": "ẖérev pifiyót",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "חֶרֶב פִּיפִיּוֹת"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "tvíeggjað sverð"
    },
    {
      "code": "id",
      "lang": "Indonesian",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "pedang bermata dua"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "arma a doppio taglio"
    },
    {
      "alt": "もろはのつるぎ",
      "code": "ja",
      "english": "a double-edged sword",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "moroha no tsurugi",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "諸刃の剣"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "english": "a double-edged sword",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "yangnar-ui geom",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "양날의 검"
    },
    {
      "code": "ms",
      "english": "a two-sided spear/harpoon: spear fish with either end, with the other end being a safety hazard",
      "lang": "Malay",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "serampang dua mata"
    },
    {
      "code": "fa",
      "lang": "Persian",
      "roman": "šamšir-e do labe",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "شمشیر دو لبه"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "miecz obosieczny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "english": "a knife with two edges",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "faca de dois gumes"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "sabie cu două tăișuri"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "english": "a stick with two ends",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "pálka o dvux koncáx",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "па́лка о двух конца́х"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "english": "a double-edged sword",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "obojudoóstryj meč",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "обоюдоо́стрый меч"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мач са две оштрице"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "mač sa dve oštrice"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "english": "a double-edged weapon",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "arma de doble filo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "english": "a two-edged weapon",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "arma de dos filos"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "tveeggat svärd"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "english": "a wand with both ends in shit",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "tags": [
        "vulgar"
      ],
      "word": "iki ucu boklu değnek"
    },
    {
      "code": "zza",
      "lang": "Zazaki",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "wurdna hektara tede mende"
    }
  ],
  "word": "double-edged sword"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.