quillion

English

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkwɪ.lɪ.ən/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkwɪ.li.ən/
Hyphenation: quill‧i‧on

Noun

quillion (plural quillions)

Alternative form of quillon
- 1895, W. Kerr Smith, “Armour. A Paper Communicated to the Thoresby Society”, in The Publications of the Thoresby Society, volume IV (Miscellanea […]), Leeds, West Yorkshire: [Thoresby Society], →OCLC, page 123:
  [T]he simpler form of sword, with plain quillions, gives way to the more graceful rapier, or the English broadsword, with circular hand-guard.
- 1921, George Younghusband, “The Regalia—continued”, in The Jewel House: An Account of the Many Romances Connected with the Royal Regalia […], London: Herbert Jenkins […], →OCLC, page 53:
  The Sword of State which is carried before the King at the opening of Parliament is quite a different weapon. It is a long, two-handed sword, with a gold hilt and quillion, and is encased in a crimson velvet scabbard. […] The quillion of the sword is formed of an elongated lion on one side, and a similarly maltreated unicorn on the other.
- 1981, Rosemary Sutcliff, “The Sword in the Stone”, in The Sword and the Circle: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: E[dward] P[ayson] Dutton, →ISBN, page 27:
  Then Arthur took the sword two-handed by its quillions. There was golden writing on the stone, but he did not stop to read it. The sword seemed to thrill under his touch as a harp thrills in response to its master's hand.
- 2005, Julian Stockwin, chapter 2, in Tenacious, London: Hodder and Stoughton, →ISBN, page 30:
  'You will remark the short quillion on this piece,' he added, touching the sword crosspiece. 'More to your sea tastes, I believe. And the grips—for a fighting sword we have ivory, filigree—'