scimitar
English
Etymology
First attested in 1548.
From Middle French cimeterre (15c.) or directly from Italian scimitarra, possibly from an unknown Ottoman Turkish word, from Persian شمشیر (šamšir, “sword”).
Pronunciation
Noun
scimitar (plural scimitars)
- A sword of Persian origin that features a curved blade.
- c. 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act II scene i:
- The Prince of Morocco:
- […] By this scimitar,
- That slew the Sophy and a Persian prince
- That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,
- I would outstare the sternest eyes that look,
- Outbrave the heart most daring on earth,
- Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she-bear,
- Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey,
- To win thee, lady. […]
- c. 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act II scene i:
- A long-handled billhook.
Derived terms
- scimitar-horned oryx
- scimitar pod
Translations
sword with curved blade
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See also
Verb
scimitar (third-person singular simple present scimitars, present participle scimitaring, simple past and past participle scimitared)
- (transitive) To strike or slice with, or as if with, a scimitar.
Anagrams
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