First recorded in 1550–60; earlier bilbow < ?
1585–95; short for Bilboa blade sword made in Bilboa (variant of Bilbao )
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I wear a bilbo by my side, as you can see.
From Micah Clarke His Statement as made to his three grandchildren Joseph, Gervas and Reuben During the Hard Winter of 1734 by Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir
Out with your bilbo and maintain your words.'
From Micah Clarke His Statement as made to his three grandchildren Joseph, Gervas and Reuben During the Hard Winter of 1734 by Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir
That is true enough," said Bothwell, as he slowly rose; "put up your bilbo, Tom.
From Old Mortality, Volume 1. by Scott, Walter, Sir
Sir Iohn, and Maister mine, I combat craue Of this same laten bilbo.
From The Merry Wives of Windsor The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.] by Glover, John, librarian of Trinity College, Cambridge
The French marine still use a kind of leg-iron of the bilbo type.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 3 "Fenton, Edward" to "Finistere" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
