claymore

[kley-mawr, -mohr]

noun

1. a two-handed sword with a double-edged blade, used by Scottish Highlanders in the 16th century.

2. a Scottish broadsword with a basket hilt.

claymore

/ ˈkleɪˌmɔː, ˌkleˈmor /

noun

1. a large two-edged broadsword used formerly by Scottish Highlanders

2. a US type of antipersonnel mine

Word History and Origins

Origin of claymore¹

First recorded in 1765–75, claymore is from Scots Gaelic claidheamh mòr “great sword”

Word History and Origins

Origin of claymore¹

C18: from Gaelic claidheamh mōr great sword

Example Sentences

In this instance, it was a claymore mine — an explosive that sprays shrapnel toward its targets — that had a trip wire.

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White said companies made specialized claymores to end barricades and scrambled to equip body-worn cameras with facial recognition software, but departments didn’t want them.

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Then an American officer pointed out some of the defenses along the military demarcation line, including barbed-wire fences and claymore mines.

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U.S. troops litter the countryside with claymore mines.

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Mr. Hansen’s airplane was carrying a load of claymore mines and hand grenades.

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Related Words

• blade 
• dagger 
• saber