Claymore

/ˈkleɪmɔːr/ noun

Definition

A large two-handed sword used by Scottish and Irish warriors in the Middle Ages; or in modern times, an anti-personnel landmine.

Etymology

From Scottish Gaelic 'claidheamh mòr,' literally 'big sword' (claidheamh = sword, mòr = big). The term entered English from Gaelic warriors in the 1500s, and was later applied to a modern military weapon.

Kelly Says

The claymore went from being one of history's most famous swords to becoming a landmine—the U.S. military literally named an anti-personnel mine after it! It's wild how a Gaelic warrior's weapon got new life as a 20th-century instrument of warfare.

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