couteau

American  

[koo-toh] / kuˈtoʊ /

noun

couteaux plural

1. a knife, especially a large double-edged one formerly carried as a weapon.

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couteau British  

/ kuːˈtəʊ /

noun

1. a large two-edged knife used formerly as a weapon

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• couteaux
  plural

Etymology

Origin of couteau

1670–80; < French; Old French coutel < Latin cultellus; see cultellus

Example Sentences

Un seul homme avoit un couteau pendu à sa ceinture, qui parut fort singulier à nos gens par sa figure.

From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16 by Kerr, Robert

Among these was a couteau de chasse, with a double-barrelled pistol in a handle of jade. 

From Pickle the Spy; Or, the Incognito of Prince Charles by Lang, Andrew

The word is derived from the Fr. coutelas, or coutelace, a form of coutel, modern couteau, a knife, from Lat. cultellus, diminutive of culter, a ploughshare, or cutting instrument.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 8 "Cube" to "Daguerre, Louis" by Various

With the couteau croche, the crooked knife of the North, Dick laboured slowly, fashioning with care the long tamarack strips.

From The Silent Places by White, Stewart Edward

For the matter of that, Louis, we could cut them with your couteau de chaise.

From Lost in the Backwoods by Traill, Catharine Parr Strickland