beat one's swords into ploughshares
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.87 in modern English
45
Scrabble Score
30
Letters
6
Syllables
16
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To refrain from destructive military or paramilitary acts (war, terrorism, etc.) and put energy and resources to peaceful ends that would otherwise go to violence.
verb
To convert military technologies to peaceful civilian applications.
Example Sentences
- "There are two choices before us: We can beat our plowshares into swords and prepare for war, or we can beat our swords into plowshares and prepare for peace."
- "What do the 90s mean for those who wish to beat swords into plowshares? First, they call for gratitude to the courageous women and men who nonviolently toppled dictators and tumbled walls."
- "Since 1987, Mugabe has been the President of the country. Here is a man, who, at independence, made us believe that we had beaten our swords into ploughshares and our spears into pruning hooks only to torment Joshua Nkomo and his Zapu, as well as innocent civilians."
- "And as for “beating our swords into plowshares” in the case of peacetime utilization of actual war implements: The United States Forest Service is testing the Pyrogel (goop) incendiary mixture for burning slash in forest areas. The Chemical Warfare Service in Hawaii is reconverting Napalm incendiary filler into liquid soap for use by the local military. Incendiary bombs have been furnished for experimentation in removing stumps in areas where means other than burning is impossible."
- "Briefly stated, Mr. Truman pictured how the nations of the world could, through “real disarmament," turn swords into plowshares and transform our armaments "into foods, medicines, tools for use in undeveloped areas, and into other aids for human advancement. This is the goal," the President said, "we must keep before us, and the vision in which we must never lose faith.""
- "Planning to beat swords into plowshares (Defense Conversion) and providing new, better swords to the current force means more to OSD than maintaining a capability to make more swords in a hurry."