broadsword
/ˈbɹɔːd.sɔːd/US/ˈbɹɔd.sɔɹd/
broadsword noun: a type of early modern sword that has a broad double-edged blade for cutting (as opposed to the more slender thrust-oriented rapier) and typically a basket hilt.
Noun
broadsword (plural broadswords)
- A type of early modern sword that has a broad double-edged blade for cutting (as opposed to the more slender thrust-oriented rapier) and typically a basket hilt.
- The principal distinction between the broadsword and the rapier is, that the latter is formed only for thrusting, while the former is adapted for cutting also. Indeed, those who use the broadsword are, in my opinion, too apt to neglect the use of the point, and to give their attention almost...1861, John George Wood, Athletic Sports and Recreations for Boys, page 93
- One version of the broadsword, the Highland broadsword, was adopted as the national sword of Scotland. Another, the schiavona, was Italy's version of the weapon.1995, Nick Evangelista, The Encyclopedia of the Sword, →ISBN, page 79
- A person armed with such a sword.
- Synonym of longsword.
- The Brythunian's arm drew back; the ancient broadsword with its strange, clawed quillons arcked spinning through the air.1990, Robert Jordan, “Conan the Magnificent”, in The Conan Chronicles II, published 1997
- Henry carried a heavy broadsword with a cruciform hilt, and a decorated dagger on his hip known as a misericord because its blade could release souls. The English knights and men-at-arms carried broadswords, maces for smashing skulls and the murderous pole-axe, combining a spear with an axehead...2013, Colin Brown, “1415 Azincourt”, in Glory and B*llocks: The Truth Behind Ten Defining Events in British History, →ISBN, page 46
- Synonyms:
- longsword
- A flat, rectangular bread made from corn (maize) and beans by the Cherokee, traditionally by boiling rather than baking it.
- Cherokee "broadswords" and "dog-heads," or Iroquois wedding breads (paired like dumbbells) might be eaten and described by visitors, but apparently were not adapted by colonial farmers other than a few intermarried pioneers.2007 May 1, Andrew F. Smith, The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, Oxford University Press, →ISBN
- These breads were noted by early English explorers of the East Coast and continue to be made as Cherokee broadswords, Navajo kneel-down bread, and other dishes. Tamale pie is one of a group of American foods invented outside the ethnic[…]2013 January 31, Andrew Smith, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, →ISBN, page 701
Verb
broadsword (third-person singular simple present broadswords, present participle broadswording, simple past and past participle broadsworded)
- To attack or kill with a broadsword.
- She’d met her first black knight—a pock-faced man in his sixties, wearing an ugly brown hat—and escaped from him without being broadsworded to death.1988, Jeffery Deaver, chapter 8, in Manhattan Is My Beat, London: Hodder, published 2016, →ISBN, page 79
- He broadsworded one of his dogs in exuberance and it lay there whimpering till it expired.1993, Edward Sanders, “[An East Village Hippie in King Arthur’s Court] Arthur Flips Out”, in Hymn to the Rebel Cafe, Santa Rosa, Calif.: Black Sparrow Press, →ISBN, page 190
broadsword meaning in Marathi
broadsword in Marathi
- longsword with a broad cutting blade
- ब्रॉडसॉर्ड brŏḍsŏrḍa
Examples of broadsword in a sentence
- The principal distinction between the broadsword and the rapier is, that the latter is formed only for thrusting, while the former is adapted for cutting also.1861, John George Wood, Athletic Sports and Recreations for Boys, page 93:
- Henry carried a heavy broadsword with a cruciform hilt, and a decorated dagger on his hip known as a misericord because its blade could release souls.2013, Colin Brown, “1415 Azincourt”, in Glory and B*llocks: The Truth Behind Ten Defining Events in British History, →ISBN, page 46:
- Then took two broadsword corn dumplings from the basket Mother left out on the porch last night.2014 January 7, Joseph Bruchac, On This Long Journey, the Journal of Jesse Smoke, a Cherokee Boy, the Trail of Tears, 1838, Scholastic...
- He took his steel-edged ruler, screamed and then broadsworded the snake into two equal lengths.1993, Greg Child, Mixed Emotions: Mountaineering Writings of Greg Child, Seattle, Wash.: The Mountaineers Books, published 2000, →ISBN...
Synonyms of broadsword
Forms of broadsword
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | broadswords |
| alternative form | broad sword |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | broadswords |
| present participle | broadswording |
| past participle | broadsworded |
| past | broadsworded |
Origin of broadsword
From broad + sword.
Words formed from broadsword
Questions about broadsword
- What does broadsword mean?
- Broadsword means a type of early modern sword that has a broad double-edged blade for cutting (as opposed to the more slender thrust-oriented rapier) and typically a basket hilt.
- What is broadsword in Marathi?
- Broadsword in Marathi is ब्रॉडसॉर्ड (brŏḍsŏrḍa). See Broadsword meaning in Marathi.
- How do you use broadsword in a sentence?
- The principal distinction between the broadsword and the rapier is, that the latter is formed only for thrusting, while the former is adapted for cutting also.
- What part of speech is broadsword?
- Broadsword can be a noun or a verb.
- How do you pronounce broadsword?
- Broadsword is pronounced /ˈbɹɔːd.sɔːd/ (UK).
- What is the plural of broadsword?
- The plural of broadsword is broadswords.
Words near broadsword in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: broadsword (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-broadsword.wav.
Cite this entry: “broadsword.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/broadsword. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.