cutlass
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of cutlass
1585–95; earlier coutelace < Middle French coutelas, equivalent to coutel knife ( French couteau ) (< Latin cultellus; cultellus ) + -as augmentative suffix; cognate with Italian coltellaccio big knife; curtalax
Compare meaning
How does cutlass compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
The Pirates are using a cutlass — think sword — for their celebration.
From Seattle Times
He'd swapped his old, flabby shape for that of a lion the size of a rhino, fangs the length of cutlasses, and claws that could tear through tanks as if they were tin.
From Literature
He hiked 2 kilometers early every morning to retrieve water from a river, wielded hoe and cutlass to tend crops, trekked to Lagos for school, then topped off the day hawking.
From Science Magazine
The occasional meat came from the wild animals Mr. Brunswijk and his brothers stalked with cutlasses.
From New York Times
He gestured modestly to the church with his cutlass.
From Literature
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.
