esgrima

fencing

noun es-GREE-mah Rare

Origin: From Old Spanish esgrimir, from Germanic *skirmjan, 'to protect'.

Usage Note

Esgrima is always feminine and refers to the sport of fencing. The practitioner is an esgrimista (m/f, common gender). A surprise for learners: despite ending in -a, this word is not a recent borrowing — its Germanic origin traces through the verb esgrimir (to wield or brandish a weapon), now archaic except in literary use.

Examples

"Practica esgrima desde los diez años."

Natural Translation

She has practiced fencing since age ten.

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