longswordn.
/ˈlɒŋsɔːd/, U.S. /ˈlɔŋˌsɔrd/, /ˈlɑŋˌsɔrd/ 1. A sword with a long blade, esp. one designed to be used with two hands. Also figurative.
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society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > sharp weapon > side arms > sword > [noun] > long or large sword
longswordc1275
slaugh-sword1548
slaughter sword1569
katana1613
bum-bladea1640
swinger1673
whanger1826
espadon1846
two-hander1888
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 15021 Mid longe sweorden heo smitten.
c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1701 With long swerd and wt mace fighteth your fille.
1450–1 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Nov. 1450 §8. m. 2 Arraied in fourme of werre, with jakkes, salettez, longe swerdes, longdebeofs, boresperes, and all other unmerciable forbodon wepons.
1555 W. Waterman tr. J. Boemus Fardle of Facions ii. x. sig. D.v Thei [sc. Tartarians] cannot handle a target: nor but fewe of theim a launce or a long sweard.
1593 G. Harvey Pierces Supererogation 73 Shall I..tell thee, where thy slashing Long-sword commeth short?
1607 T. Middleton Phoenix sig. Fv A Writ of Delay, Long-sword. Scandala Magnatum, Backesword.
a1625 F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Coxcombe v. i, in Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Pp/1 Provide pen and inke to take their Confessions, and my long sword, I cannot tell what danger wee may meete with.
a1627 T. Middleton & W. Rowley Old Law (1656) iii. 42 Heeres long sword your last weapon.
1675 Woman turn'd Bully i. iii. 10 Some vain idle fellow with a white Perriwig and a long Sword.
1701 Flying Post 9 Aug. 2/2 The Play of the Short Sword, against the Long Sword.
1781 R. Twining Jrnl. 2 Oct. in Sel. Papers Twining Family (1887) 93 His wrath..was to be appeased, as soon as we landed at Bruges, by an appeal to the long sword.
1852 C. R. Smith Collectanea Antiqua II. 224 We find in the graves at Selzen..the long sword with double edge.
1898 Argosy Apr. 71 My long sword hung from a gold embroidered baldrick.
1936 Boys' Life Apr. 28/2 Guizot was armed with the long sword of an artillery sergeant.
1987 A. Giddens Contemp. Critique Hist. Materialism II. ii. 55 The Assyrians also pioneered..iron long swords, heavy bows and lances, [etc.].
2012 Maryland Gaz. (Nexis) 1 Feb. b1 ‘It's actually a much more elegant weapon than I thought,’ he said, longsword in hand.
2. Usually with capital initial. (An epithet of) William, third earl of Salisbury (a1167–1226), the illegitimate son of King Henry II of England and Ida de Tosny, and his son, also named William (c1209–50).The popular belief that the elder William was the son of Rosamund Clifford, as asserted in quot. 1612 and in N.E.D. (1903), is now known to be false.
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a1513 R. Fabyan New Cronycles Eng. & Fraunce (1516) I. ccxliv. f. clxvi Guyllyam longe Espe, or Wyllyam with the longe Swerde with a Crewe of Englysshe men aryued in Flaunders.]
1596 C. Fitzgeffry Sir Francis Drake sig. E4v Brave Long-sword in the coastes of Asia, Displai'd the ensigne of the English fame.
1599 R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (new ed.) II. 33 The voyage of William Longespee Earle of Sarisburie into Asia [margin] Or, Long-sword.
1612 M. Drayton Poly-olbion xviii. 287 With Long-sword the braue sonne of beautious Rosamond.
1762 T. Leland (title) Longsword, Earl of Salisbury. An historical romance.
1839 A. Ross Selma 290 The name of Longsword was given to Salisbury, from the size and weight of the sword which he usually wore.
1860 J. G. Edgar Crusades & Crusaders iii. vi. 252 Longsword fell in with a caravan on its way to Alexandria.
1901 Sc. Antiquary 15 119 When William Longsword..was about to receive extreme unction in 1226 he sprang almost naked from his bed [etc.].
1971 S. Howatch Penmarric (1972) v. i. 531 The only one of the greater barons with whom John was on terms of back-slapping intimacy was his half-brother, William Longsword.
2003 H. M. Thomas Eng. & Normans (2005) ix. 121 Ela was married to Henry II's illegitimate son, William Longsword.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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