[ey-pey, ep-ey] 
| 1. | a rapier with a three-sided blade and a guard over the tip. |
| 2. | the art or sport of fencing with an épée, points being made by touching any part of the opponent's body with the tip of the weapon. |
[ey-pey] | Charles Michel, Abbé de l', 1712–89, French priest and teacher of the deaf: pioneer in the development of sign language. |
| é·pée also e·pee (ā-pā', ěp'ā) n.
[French, from Old French espee, from Latin spatha, broad double-edged sword; see spathe.] é·pée'ist n. |
epee
blunted sword developed in the 19th century for use in fencing practice and competition. The epee was patterned after the epee du combat, the standard dueling sword of its day. Sporting competitions were designed to simulate what would happen in a real sword fight, with no regard for the usual fencing conventions such as limited target areas on an opponent's body or a fencer having the right-of-way when attacking. Touches could be scored on any part of the body. In early contests, fencers tried for a single touch. In 1932 the number of touches required to win was increased to three, and, in 1955, to five
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