scimitar

Everyday

A scimitar is a sword with a curved blade that gets wider towards the end, used in the past in the Middle East, Persia, North Africa and Central Asia. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons and stories about the Crusades, Ottoman Turks or tales like the Arabian Nights, scimitars are the curved swords of warriors. It tells the reader about a setting in the past. Curved blades were good for slashing from horseback.

Examples

• The warrior raised his shining scimitar. tree →
• A scimitar has a curved blade. tree →
• Pictures in the old book showed guards with scimitars. tree →
• The museum had a scimitar with a jewelled handle. tree →
• Riders on horseback used scimitars to slash. tree →
• In the story, the genie held a golden scimitar. tree →
• Swords and scimitars must never be played with; real blades are dangerous. tree →
• The executioner made Aladdin kneel down, bandaged his eyes, and raised his scimitar to strike. tree →

Note

Say "SIM-i-tar" — the c is silent. Countable: scimitars. Myth trap: stories often show scimitars as huge and wide, but real ones were usually slim and light.