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An épée is a modern version of the duelling sword. It is similar to a foil, but has a stiffer V shaped blade, has a larger bell guard, and is heavier. The blade is a concaved triangle in cross-section.
Épée is French for "sword".
While modern sport fencing has three weapons (foil, épée and saber), each a separate event, épée is the only one in which the entire body is considered a valid target area. And different from foil, in épée there are no right of way rules regarding attacking. In épée competitions double-hits are allowed. That is, if both people hit each other within 40 milliseconds of one another, then both get a point - this harkens back to the weapon's origins in dueling where opponents could wound each other simultaneously. It happens much more commonly than one may expect, particularly in épée. Only hits made with the tip of the weapon are scored. The modern épée typically has a blade which measures 90 centimeters, and weighs around 770 grams.
For additional information about the épée and fencing, see fencing.
Other meanings
You may have been looking for the founder of public deaf education, Charles-Michel de l'Épée.
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