1. Plural of curtalax; a short, curved sword or cutlass used historically, especially by sailors and soldiers.
Usage: archaic; historical; also spelled curtilax or curtle-axe

Examples

• The pirates were armed with curtalaxes and pistols.
• Medieval soldiers sometimes carried curtalaxes as secondary weapons.
• The museum displayed several curtalaxes from the 17th century.
• Naval officers of that era favored curtalaxes for close combat.
• The blacksmith forged curtalaxes for the merchant fleet.