reredemain

English

Etymology

From Middle English reremayne, reremayn, probably from Anglo-Norman reremein, variant of areremein, from arere (“back, backwards”) + main (“hand”).

Noun

reredemain (plural reredemains)

1. (archaic) A backward stroke of the hand.
   • 1512-1519, Sir Thomas More, “The tragicall historie of King Richard the Third”, in The historie of the pitifull life, and unfortunate death of Edward the Fifth, and the then Duke of Yorke, his brother with the troublesome and tyrannical government of usurping Richard the Third, and his miserable end, page 268:

     But all such plagues, calamities and troubles […] I shall with a reredemaine so make them rebound to our common enemie that calleth himselfe King.

   • 1607, Lodovico Ariosto, translated by Sir John Harington, Orlando furioso, book 16, verse 50:

     And such a blow he lent him as he past,
     Vpon his shoulders from the reredemaine,
     That horse and man vnto the ground were cast,
     Whence neither of them rose aliue againe:

   • 1965, Martín del Barco Centenera, translated by Walter Owen, The Argentine and the Conquest of the River Plate, page 168:

     […] he that day
     Did execution on the heathen foe,
     Worthy of fame, for with one dexterous slash
     He twains Carrillo, then a reredemain
     Lops off an arm of Roco, Indian fierce and brave.