cutlass

IPA/ˈkʌtləs/
KK[kˈʌtləs]IPA/ˈkʌtləs/

cutlass — noun

  • cutlasssingular
  • cutlassesplural

1. a heavy sword for fighting at sea, usually curved and sharpened on only one side

1.nounC1
Definition

a heavy sword for fighting at sea, usually curved and sharpened on only one side, once common on pirate ships and sailing vessels

Example

The pirate captain raised his cutlass and shouted for the crew to attack.

pirate setting: raise a cutlass before an attack

A rusted cutlass hung above the fireplace in Elena's seaside inn.

Common collocations
  • pirate cutlass
  • rusted cutlass
  • draw a cutlass
  • wield a cutlass
Synonyms
  • sword

    the general word for a bladed weapon of this kind

  • saber

    usually lighter and linked with cavalry or fencing rather than pirates

  • machete

    a broad chopping blade used mainly as a tool, not a shipboard sword

Grammar Patterns

a cutlass

draw/wield/swing a cutlass

Usage Note

Usually appears in historical, pirate, or costume contexts rather than modern everyday life. In singular form it normally takes a determiner such as a or the.

Common Mistakes

The sailor fought with cutlass.
The sailor fought with a cutlass.
singular countable nouns need an article.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Sword is the broad everyday category and can refer to many kinds of long fighting blades. Cutlass is narrower: it suggests a short, sturdy, curved sword used in close fighting at sea, especially in pirate or sailor imagery. Saber also has a curved blade, but it is more strongly linked with cavalry, military dress, or modern fencing. Machete looks similar in some pictures, yet English usually treats it as a heavy cutting tool for plants rather than as a shipboard weapon. Rapier points in the opposite direction: it is long, thin, and made for thrusting, not chopping. Example: 'The costume shop rented pirate hats and plastic cutlasses for the school play.'

sword ↗sabermachete ↗rapier

Common collocations

Nouns

  • cutlass blade
  • cutlass handle

Phrases

  • draw a cutlass
  • swing a cutlass
  • wield a cutlass

Prepositions

  • with a cutlass

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchFrenchEnglish

Cutlass entered English through French forms related to Old French coutelas, a word for a knife or short blade. That family goes back to Latin cultellus, meaning 'small knife'. The history matches the object itself: a shorter curved weapon made for close fighting rather than for elegant dueling.