Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Cutlass

Cut′lass

(kŭt′las)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Cutlasses
(-ĕz)
.
[F.
coutelas
(cf. It.
coltellaccio
), augm. fr. L.
cuttellus
a small knife, dim. of
culter
knife. See
Colter
, and cf.
Curtal ax
.]
A short, heavy, curving sword, used in the navy. See
Curtal ax
.

Definition 2024


cutlass

cutlass

English

Noun

cutlass (plural cutlasses)

  1. (nautical) A short sword with a curved blade, and a convex edge; once used by sailors when boarding an enemy ship.
    • 2015 September 1, Sarah J. Maas, Queen of Shadows, ISBN 9781619636040:
      She could feel Tern’s stare fixed right between her shoulder blades, and knew he was aching to plunge his cutlass there.
  2. A similarly shaped tool; a machete.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

cutlass (third-person singular simple present cutlasses, present participle cutlassing, simple past and past participle cutlassed)

  1. (transitive) To cut back (vegetation) with a cutlass.