scimitar

or scim·i·ter, sim·i·tar

[sim-i-ter]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR scimitar ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a curved, single-edged sword of Asian, especially Eastern origin.

Origin of scimitar

1540–50; < Italian scimitarra, ultimately < Persian

Related formsscim·i·tared, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for scimitar

bayonet, dagger, blade, sword, skewer, machete, sickle, cutter, scalpel, weapon, saber, lance, steel, shank, point, edge, cutlass, sabre, switchblade, scythe

Examples from the Web for scimitar

Contemporary Examples of scimitar

The scimitar mouth pulled back in a mad crow of triumph, the face sweating with guilty pleasure.
End the Damn Dickmanship!
Tina Brown
July 29, 2013

Historical Examples of scimitar

A scimitar between his teeth would be completely in character!
Cubs of the Wolf
Raymond F. Jones
Of civet and scimitar I believe it can only be asserted that they are Eastern.
English Past and Present
Richard Chevenix Trench
Down came the scimitar with a swish in the direction of his head.
Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks
Bracebridge Hemyng
Dropping his scimitar, he then had a struggle for the flute.
Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks
Bracebridge Hemyng
At last, he decided in favour of a Turkish robe, with a scimitar and a turban.
The Blue Bird for Children
Georgette Leblanc

British Dictionary definitions for scimitar

scimitar

rarely simitar

noun

an oriental sword with a curved blade broadening towards the point

Word Origin for scimitar

C16: from Old Italian scimitarra, probably from Persian shimshīr, of obscure origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for scimitar

1540s, cimiterie, from Middle French cimeterre (15c.) or Italian scimitarra, of uncertain origin. Turkish would be the expected source, but no such word has been found there. Perhaps from Persian shimshir (pronounced "shamsher," cf. Greek sampsera "a barbarian sword," from this source), but OED finds this "unsatisfactory as to form." Many early variations; the modern spelling is from influence of the Italian form of the word. Century Dictionary (1902) has simitar as preferred spelling.