bat'leth

English

A bat'leth.

Etymology

From Klingon betleH, short for batlh'etlh (“sword of honor”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbæt.lɪθ/, /ˈbæt.lɛθ/

Noun

bat'leth (plural bat'leths)

1. (science fiction) A double-ended curved blade weapon with spiked protrusions, controlled by grips along its back, used by Klingons in Star Trek.
   • 1990 November 5, “Reunion”, in Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 4, episode 7, spoken by Worf (Michael Dorn):

     It is a bat'leth. It belonged to my father... It has been in our family for ten generations.

   • 2008 August 25, Jack Loftus, “U.K. Knife Amnesty Program Turns Up Klingon Bat’leth, No Sign of Worf”, in Gizmodo Australia‎^[1], archived from the original on 4 March 2016:

     The U.K. is looking to clean up its streets with a knife amnesty program, so you can imagine their surprise when a Klingon, er, excuse me, a Klingon fan, turned in a replica Bat’leth over the weekend.

   • 2009 February 4, Kieran Nicholson, “Klingon sword used in two Colorado Springs heists”, in Denver Post‎^[2]:

     Officers searched the area but didn't find the robber or the weapon, which was described as a "bat'leth."

   • 2011 March 31, “The Zarnecki Incursion” (15:59), in The Big Bang Theory, season 4, episode 19, spoken by Howard Wolowitz, Sheldon Cooper, and Leonard Hofstadter (Simon Helberg, Jim Parsons, and Johnny Galecki):

     Howard: Why did you bring that?
     Sheldon: No weapon strikes more fear into a man's heart than a Klingon bat'leth.
     Leonard: OK, let's get clear on something. We just gonna tell this guy to transfer all your stuff back into your account and then be on our way. No one's bat'lething anybody.