cutlass

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a short, heavy sword with a broad, curved, single-edged blade, formerly used especially by sailors

   The sailor drew his cutlass as the boarding party reached the deck.

2. 2
   noun

   a broad, machete-like tool used for cutting vegetation

   The farmer cleared a path through the cane with a cutlass.

3. 3
   verb

   to cut vegetation back with a cutlass

   Workers cutlassed the weeds along the field boundary.

Simplified etymology

Cutlass entered English in the late 16th century from French coutelas. The French word was based on Latin cultellus “small knife,” which also gave rise to words including cutlery and coulter.

Through French coutelas from Old French coutel, 'knife,' plus an augmentative suffix. The word originally emphasized a large knife before becoming the familiar name for a sailor's short curved sword.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary