scimitar
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of scimitar
1540–50; < Italian scimitarra, ultimately < Persian
Compare meaning
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Explanation
A scimitar is a short, curved sword that comes from the Middle East. It was commonly used back in the days of horse warfare. A scimitar is distinctive-looking sword, with its short, curved blade. It shows up a lot as a symbol in various Arab cultures, including on the Saudi Arabian flag. The origin of the word scimitar isn't certain, though it may come from shafsher, "lion's claw" in Persian, which describes the scimitar's curved shape.
Vocabulary lists containing scimitar
Their Eyes Were Watching God
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The Alchemist
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"The Pit and the Pendulum," Vocabulary from the short story
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
During this time, he helped design the Reliant Scimitar car, the Reliant Bond Bug - a two-seater, three-wheeled sports car that was launched at Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire in 1970 - and Leyland lorry cabs.
From BBC • Jan. 3, 2023
“To me, it’s like art,” Hissink said of the Scimitar chair she commissioned using technical sketches from the original Danish designers.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2017
The Scimitar winglets, however, add two tips to each wing, one that turns up like a shark's dorsal fin and another that angles down like a pectoral fin.
From Chicago Tribune • Jul. 22, 2013
Papers would get a warning from the company, Scimitar Films, he ran with John Fraser: back at school, Winner had paid Fraser two shillings a week to clean his room and make his bed.
From The Guardian • Jan. 21, 2013
It read: Scimitar of Kampl, destroyed in the Battle of the Labyrinth.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
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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.