scabbard means the sheath of a sword. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 83 out of 100.
scabbard is pronounced /ˈskæb.əd/.
Why “scabbard” is a great word
SCABBARD — [Noun] A sheath, typically of leather or metal, for holding the blade of a sword or similar long weapon. Its name descends from Middle English scabard, from Anglo-Norman eschaubert, escalberc, of Germanic origin, perhaps from Frankish *skarberg (literally "blade-protection"), from Proto-Germanic *skēriz ("blade, scissors") + *bergaz ("shelter, protection"). Unlike a "sheath"—a general term for any close-fitting cover—or a "holster"—a case tailored for a firearm—a scabbard is defined by its martial gravity and length, built for a weapon that is both tool and symbol. It is the frictionless whisper of steel on wood, the worn leather grooved by a cavalryman's thigh, and the dull, hollow thump against a saddle in rhythm with a horse's gait—the silent companion to violence, a peace maintained only by the readiness to end it.
Etymology
From Middle English scabard, scauberde, scauberk, scauberke, from Anglo-Norman eschaubert, escalberc, of Germanic origin, perhaps from Frankish *skarberg (“sheath”, literally “blade-protection”), from Proto-Germanic *skēriz (“blade, scissors”) + *bergaz (“shelter, protection, refuge”). See also hauberk.
noun
- The sheath of a sword.“I had had to discard my rifle before I commenced the rapid descent of the cliff, so that now I was armed only with a hunting knife, and this I whipped from its scabbard as Kho leaped toward me.”
verb
- To put an object (especially a sword) into its scabbard.“Suddenly he scabbarded his sabre.”