cutlass
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of cutlass
1585–95; earlier coutelace < Middle French coutelas, equivalent to coutel knife ( French couteau ) (< Latin cultellus; see cultellus) + -as augmentative suffix; cognate with Italian coltellaccio big knife; cf. curtalax
Compare meaning
How does cutlass compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A cutlass is a type of saber, a slightly curved sword. Many sailors — and pirates — carried cutlasses on ships during the 17th century. The cutlass was considered a "naval sword" partly because it was extremely useful on board a ship. A sailor or pirate could use a cutlass to cut thick rope and wood, and its size made it safer in tight quarters than a longer sword might be. Although they weren't used much after the 18th century, the cutlass was still an official weapon of the U.S. Navy until 1949. The Latin root means "knife."
Vocabulary lists containing cutlass
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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.
The Pirates are using a cutlass — think sword — for their celebration.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 24, 2023
Dyson was a slight man, all sinew and veins, with a cutlass of a nose and deep-set, watchful eyes.
From Scientific American • Feb. 28, 2020
General John Nicholson towers over Market Square, cutlass in one hand, pistol in the other, the plinth declaring he fell mortally wounded “in the hour of victory” during the 1857 Indian mutiny.
From The Guardian • Oct. 20, 2019
There are naval chase scenes and booming cannons, and more visual effects than you can shake a cutlass at, including one scene that resembles the parting of the Red Sea in “The Ten Commandments.”
From Washington Post • May 25, 2017
A large evil-looking rat, covered in tattoos and carrying a rusty cutlass, had turned up at the gate.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
