A short, curved sword with one sharp edge, historically used by sailors and pirates.
From French 'coutelas' and ultimately from Latin 'cultellus' meaning 'small knife.' It evolved into the curved blade design favored by naval warriors in the 16th-18th centuries for fighting in tight shipboard spaces.
Pirates and sailors loved cutlasses because the curved blade was perfect for swinging in the cramped quarters of a ship's deck—you didn't need room to thrust like with a straight sword. The shape is identical to the machete that jungle explorers still use today!
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