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scimitar

UK/ˈsɪmɪtə/US/ˈsɪmɪtəɹ/
nounC1Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #12,739 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: scimitars

A scimitar is a curved single-edged sword from the East. Broad towards the tip, and made for a cutting stroke from horseback.

The curve is functional rather than decorative, since a curved blade draws as it cuts and does far more damage than a straight one at speed. Persian, Turkish and Arab swords all took the form. European writing has used it as shorthand for the exotic for centuries, which is worth noticing. The word reached English through French and Italian, and its ultimate origin is disputed.

Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain

Definitions of scimitar

  1. 1nounscimitarA curved single-edged sword of Eastern origin.C1

    “A scimitar hung above the fireplace.”

Where it comes from

  1. fa-cls

    شمشیر — sword

  2. Italian

    scimitarra

  3. Middle French

    cimeterre

  4. English, today

    scimitar

First attested in 1548. From Middle French cimeterre (15c.) or directly from Italian scimitarra, possibly from an unknown ota - word, ultimately from fa-cls شمشیر (“sword”). a doublet of shamshir.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in A Man Called Ove

First appears in chapter 19 of A Man Called Ove.

Practise this word

scimitar in the wild

  • The long, curved yellow, scimitar-shaped bills give them their name.

    Indian scimitar babbler

  • The decline of the scimitar oryx population began as a result of climate change during the Neolithic period, and later it was hunted extensively for its horns.

    Scimitar oryx

  • The scimitar oryx was the emblem of the ancient Egyptian Oryx nome and today is the animal symbol of the Sahara Conservation Fund.

    Scimitar oryx

  • A scimitar propeller is a type of propeller that has curved blades with increasing sweep along the leading edge.

    Scimitar propeller

  • Modern usage of scimitar propellers centers around turboprop and propfan engines.

    Scimitar propeller

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.