noun
- a short, curved sword with a single cutting edge, especially one formerly used by sailors
Usage: nautical; historical
Examples
- The pirate brandished his cutlass menacingly.
- Naval officers once carried cutlasses as standard equipment.
- The museum displayed an 18th-century cutlass used by British sailors.
- He practiced sword fighting with a replica cutlass.
- The cutlass was designed for close combat on ship decks.
- Pirates in movies are often shown wielding cutlasses.