two-hand sword

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English thwahandswerd, to hond swerd, twa hand swerde, twohande sworde.

Noun

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two-hand sword (plural two-hand swords)

  1. A sword with a handle or grip that is intended to be grasped with both hands.
    • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, []”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
      Come with thy two-hand sword.
    • 1625, Samuel Purchas, Purchas His Pilgrimes[1], London: Henrie Fetherstone, Volume 3, Chapter 2, Section 1, p. 257:
      Faria on the other side [] with a zealous feruour reached Coia Acem, such a blow with a two hand Sword on his Head-piece of Maile, that he sunke to the ground []
    • 1822, James Hogg, The Three Perils of Man, London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, Volume I, Chapter 6, p. 111,[2]
      [] Charlie, growing wroth, squeezed the Lady Jane so strait with the left arm, that she was forced to cry out; and putting his right over his shoulder, he drew out his tremendous two-hand sword []
    • 1963, H. Beam Piper, chapter 4, in Space Viking[3], New York: Ace Books, page 18:
      He stepped forward as he spoke, and his esquire gave him the two-hand Sword of State, heavy enough to behead a bisonoid.

Alternative forms

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Translations

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