Weapons Glossary

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Name	Origin	Description
Abbasi		Straight-bladed steel sword with a padded hilt; back of the blade was strengthened by supports; often highly decorated with gold inlay and gilt
Aclys	Roman	Wooden Roman throwing stick with a spiked head; attached to user's arm with a strap which enabled it to be retrieved after it had been thrown
Adarga		Parrying weapon consisting of a small bladed shield attached to a short spear
Adze	General	The adze was a traditional carpenter’s tool with a long thin axe-like blade attached at a right angle to the handle; they were used for cutting grooves. The Maori of New Zealand used adzes (called a toki) as war weapons. Theirs were carved of bone or jade, usually very elaborately, and lashed to a wooden handle.
Ahlespiess	German	A polearm common to German-speaking areas, particularly used by the Swiss and Habsburgs: the wooden shaft is relatively short, and the weapon is equipped with a long square rod that is sharpened at the end for thrusting. It could be used either to stab, or, if caught out of a close formation, as an effective anti-armor club
Ailette	European	Flat plate of leather or parchment which tied to the point of the shoulder; worn between 1250-1350 to display the owner's coat of arms
AK-47	U.S.S.R	The most famous automatic weapon in the world today is the AK-47 Light machine gun. It is a 7.62mm that can punch holes in an blackhawk chopper, yet it is one of the most accurate and durable weapons in the world. The start of the AK was back in WWII, with the Germens STG-44, a rugged yet effective weapon. Back then the U.S.S.R had the PPSH-41, and the Mosin-Nahant. After the war the Russins quickly took the concepts and turned it into the AK-47. The AK is the most durable wepon in the world. It is said that the only way to stop an AK in the fild is to run it over it with a tank: it can withstand water, sand, mud, long drops, and it does not jam.
Aketon	European	Quilted garment worn under armour (see also "gambeson") to absorb shock and impact. The term originated with Crusaders and is said to derive from the word "cotton."
Akinakes	Persian	The Akinakes was a characteristic Persian sidearm. It was short in length but could be used for both cut and thrust. It is of Scythian origin, adopted by both the Medes and Persians from at least the seventh century until the second century B.C.
Alamani	Indian	Curved steel Indian sword with a gilt handle
Ama-goi-ken	Japanese	A Japanese temple sword which represents Amakurikara, or rain dragon; a straight-bladed, double-edged sword
Ancus	Indian	Indian elephant goad; vary greatly in size from about 40 to 120 centimeters in length; shorter ones were used by riders, while the longer versions were used by the trainers who were on foot
Anelace		A heavy, broad-bladed, sharp-pointed, double-edged knife
Angolan battle-axe	African	Weapon with blade attached to a wooden handle
Arbalest	General	An extremely heavy crossbow, usually with a metal bow. Arbalests were too heavy to draw by hand, and required a windlass or cranequin.
Arbir	Indonesia	Halberd weapon of pentjak-silat approximately five feet in length that features a shallow groove in the plane of the blade running the length of the shaft
Arit	Indonesian	Sickle with pronounced crescent-blade patterns and a short handle, used in pentjak-silat.
Armet	European	Close-fitted, visored helmet that appears to have originated in Italy sometime before 1450 and remained in use through 15th and 16th centuries. The armet was lighter and more protective than the bascinet it surplanted and made use of a new innovation of hinged cheek pieces. This way, the helmet could be closed around the head, and the weight taken up by the gorget and the shoulders. The armet was supplanted by the close-helmet, in turn.
Arming Cap	European	Quilted cap worn beneath the helmet.
Arming doublet		Quilted garment worn under armour from the early fifteenth century, equipped with points to attach mail gussets and pieces of armour
Arming Sword	European	After the 14th century, with the appearance of the longsword the simple, single-handed weapon became known as a short sword or arming sword, since it hung from the belt of the knight, while his longsword hung from the saddle.
Arnis	European	Italian for "harness", the historical term for being "in armour".
Arquebus	General	A short musket like early firearm usually used in conjunction with pikes. The weapons were loaded at the muzzle, with smoothbore barrels.
Aventail		1. a mail garment protecting the neck 2. a "curtain"of mail to protect the neck, suspended from the helmet and reaching to the shoulders
Axe	General	It is nearly impossible to define the axe as a weapon with a single description or picture. Axes are a category of weapons all by themselves, much as swords, clubs, and polearms are. They have been in use since the beginning of time, both for domestic/agricultural use and for combative use. Early axes were almost always wood hafted weapons, the heads of which were made of carved bone, metal, or stone chipped to an edge. As time and technology progressed, metal-hafted and metal-headed axes became more commonplace.
Ay-baita axe	Turkish	Turkish battle-axe; head is mounted with a pick opposite the blade and broad metal bands extend down from the head along the wooden shaft for reinforcement
Ba	Chinese	Knife handle; Sword hilt
Babanga	African	Sword consisting of a metal leaf-shaped blade fitted onto a wooden hilt
Backsword	European	The backsword was so named because it only had one cutting edge. The non-cutting edge (the back of the blade) was much thicker than the cutting edge thus creating a wedge type shape which was said to increase the weapons cutting capacity. The weapon is extremely similar to the messer, with the exception that the messer is usually made with a slight curve, whereas the backsword is almost always straight. Also known as a "Mortuary Sword", or the German "Reitschwert."
Baculus	General	In terms of semantics, a baculus is defined as a staff, especially one that symbolizes authority. The term baculus, or baculum, is Latin for staff. Used in combat throughout Europe until well after the middle ages, the baculus was a heavy, hardwood club with a knotty head used for striking. While not as durable as a metal headed mace, the baculus could still inflict significant concussion damage to an armored or un-armored opponent. It was a popular weapon among conscripted soldiers because it was a relatively inexpensive weapon and easily obtained. It was common practice for soldiers using a baculus to carve and engrave the wood with pictures and marks recounting battles in which they had fought.
Badelaire	European	Sword with a heavy, curved blade and S-shaped quillions; used during the 16th century
Badge		An emblematic figure, placed on some prominent part of the clothing of servants and retainers, such as the breast, back, sleeve, etc., to show to what household they belonged; found also on flags, and buildings
Badik	Malay	Dagger shaped like a butterfly whose straight blade bears one sharp edge
Baggoro club	Australian	Flat club made of hardwood with a sharpened edge
Bagh nakh	Indian	(tiger claw, bich'hwa bagh nakh) bar with four or five curved blades attached; on each end of the bar a ring is attached so forefinger and pinky can be slipped through the rings with the bar in the palm; sometimes fitted with dagger blades
Balestarius axe		Large Battak axe/adze; head is fitted into the wooden handle and then lashed with reed
Baleyn		Medieval word for whalebone which was used for weapons and armour during the 14th century
Balisong	Phillipines	Knife, also known as a "butterfly knife."
Ball & chain	European	Type of flail; consists of a metal ball attached to a short wooden handle by a chain
Ballinger / balinger	European	1. English sailing barge usually with from forty to fifty oars 2. small oared vessel with single mast and sail.
Balta axe	Turkish	Turkish battle-axe; the axe head was normally engraved and often inlaid with silver or gold
Bang	Chinese	Club
Barbut		(also called barbute and barbuta) an open-faced shoulder-length helmet, made in one piece, with a T-shaped face opening
Barbute	Italian	Another Italian helmet design of the mid-15th century, the barbute or barbuta was a close-fitting helmet that came in a variety of open, and close-faced forms. It’s most famous design, had a “Y” or “T” shaped slot in the face to provide vision and ventilation, and was clearly modeled on ancient Classical Greek helmets.
Bard, or Barding	General	A term for horse armor, which could be made from a variety of materials, including mail and plate.
Bardiche, or Berdiche	General	A polearm with a long chopping blade, often with a slight curve. Numerous varieties of this basic weapon existed under a score of different names.
Bascinet	European	Basin-shaped helmet, that evolved out of the small steel skull-cap worn beneath the great helm. The bascinet was initially open-faced, but as it supplanted the helm as the primary defense, a variety of hinged visors were developed. Bascinets were in use from the mid-14th through the mid-15th centuries, and were still occasionally used by foot soldiers into the early 16th century.
Baselard	General	A dagger/short sword with an H-shaped hilt.
Basilard	European	A two-edged, long bladed dagger of the late Middle Ages, often worn with both civilian dress and armour.
Bastard Swords	European	Developed in the mid 1400's as a form of long-sword with specially shaped grips for one or two hands. These swords typically had longer handles which allowed use by one or both hands. The sword's hilt often had side-rings and finger rings to defend the hand, and a more slender, or tapered, narrowly pointed blade. Bastard swords continued to be used by knights and men-at-arms into the 1500's, and for a time, enjoyed the civilian side-arm role that would later be superceded by the sidesword and rapier.
Battering Ram	Unknown	A Battering Ram is a large chunk of wood used to knock down castle walls in the Medieval era. With the weight of at least four men behind it, this weapon proved to be effective.
Bayonet	General	At the end of the seventeenth century the French introduced the socket bayonet. This contained a sleeve fitting round the barrel and was locked into place with a slot and stud. This enabled the gun to be fired with the bayonet firmly secured in place. This type of bayonet was adopted by nearly all the Europeans armies. The bayonet was originally a defensive weapon. Infantry standing two or three deep, who adopted a square formation, could defend their position against a cavalry charge. Bayonet charges were rarely attempted until the enemy was retreating. The development of breech-loading rifles in the 19th century provided infantrymen with the firepower capable of beating off cavalry. After this, the bayonet turned from being primarily a defensive weapon to being a personal offensive weapon. The difficulties of fixing bayonets in battle led some armies to adopt permanently-attached bayonets which folded above or below the barrel of the rifle.
Bearded axe	European	Large two-handed war axe used primarily in Europe; socketed metal head fitted to wooden handle
Bearded war axe	European	Smaller, one-handed version of the bearded axe; for use as a missile or while mounted; socketed metal head fitted to wooden handle
Bec-de-corbin	European	Type of war-hammer used in Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries; pick-like head was fitted with a spear like point for thrusting; normally mounted on a wooden haft with metal reinforcing bands extending down from the head
Beladah		Steel sword with a sabre like blade and a knuckle guard
Beladau	Sumatra	Curved dagger with a convex cutting edge.
Berdan	Rifles	ex-colonel Hiram Berdan of Berdan's Sharpshooters (American Civil War) supplied rifles including to the Russian Army which used them in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877.
Besagew	European	A large, sliding roundel, protecting a joint, such as the inside of the elbow or the armpit.
Besagues	European	Circular plates laced to the outside of the elbow joint and front of the shoulder to protect the joints in an armour
Bevor	European	Also called a baviere or beavor. The bevor was a 15th century piece of armour that protected the lower part of the face when worn with a sallet. It could be afixed to the helmet of the breastplate, and was often hinged, so that it could be lowered when not in use.
Bi Shou	Chinese	Dagger
Bian	Chinese	Short iron stick
Big Bertha	Artillery	In 1900 Alfred Krupp's armaments factory at Essen, Germany, began building a 350-mm howitzer that could fire an 800 lb shell over 10,000 yards. In 1908 the German Army asked Gustav Krupp to build an improved version of this gun with the capability of destroying the heaviest fortification. By 1912 Krupp had produced a 420mm weapon that fired a 2,100 lb shell over 16,000 yards. As it weighed 175 tons, it was designed to be transported in five sections by rail and assembled at the firing site. This concerned the German Army and they asked for it to be adapted to be moved by road. By 1914 company had produced a mobile howitzer called Big Bertha (named after Gustav Krupp's wife). This 43 ton howitzer could fire a 2,200 lb shell over 9 miles. Transported by Daimler-Benz tractors, it took its 200-man crew, over six hours to re-assemble it on the site. On the outbreak of the First World War, two Big Berthas and several Skoda 30.5 howitzers were erected outside the fortress of Liege in Belgium. The first shells were fired on 12th August at the ring of 12 forts around the city. By the 15th August all the forts had either been destroyed or had surrendered. News of the success of this new weapon at Liege encouraged other countries involved in the conflict to produce large mobile guns.
Bilbo	European	Small thrusting sword with a rapierlike hilt
Biliong	Malayan	Malaysian axe/adze consisting of a square-tanged blade fitted into a wooden handle; blade can be placed in line with the handle for use as an axe or at right angles for use as an adze; handgrip is often quite large and the smaller portion of the handle is very flexible; socket into which the head is fitted is normally bound with cane
Bill	Genera	A pole weapon with a large chopping head, and often with a hook and backspike. Characteristically used by English infantry.
Binnol	European	Flail consisting of a spiked ball head connected to a wooden handle by a short chain
Bipennis	European	Double-bladed European war axe; mounted on a wooden haft
Bird's head club		Hardwood club with pick-like design as an attempt to improve the wounding capabilities of the weapon; often intricately carved
Birnie	European	(also called byrnie) a mail shirt
Bisacuta	European	Double-pointed pick used by European foot soldiers in the 14th century; metal head mounted on a wooden haft
Bisento	Chinese	A spear-like weapon with a blade resembling a scimitar affixed to its end. This weapon is extremely heavy, and was used to cut through armor and/or to cut down a horse in combat. The bisento was primarily used by the ninja of feudal Japan.
Bi-teran	Australian	Wooden club having a round handle and a flattened end
Bo	Japanese	Wooden staff approximately six feet long. It is one of the five weapons systematized by the early Okinawan developers of te (hand), and originated with the poles used by farm people to balance heavy loads across the shoulders.
Bokken	Japanese	Wooden sword used by the Japanese feudal warrior as a practice weapon. The bokken went on to become an effective battlefield weapon.
Bolas		Cord or leather thong with stones attached to each end; second cord with stone is attached to the center of the first to create a three-pronged weapon; weapon is spun around the head and then thrown at the target's legs
Bolt Action Rifle	Rifles and Pistols	This type of rifle had been invented by a Scottish immigrant to the United States, James Paris Lee. The bolt is the device that closes the breech of the barrel. The bolt-action rifle had a metal box, into which cartridges were placed on top of a spring. As the bolt was opened, the spring forced the cartridges up against a stop; the bolt pushed the top cartridge into the chamber as it closed. After firing, the opening of the bolt extracted the empty cartridge case, and the return stroke loaded a fresh round
Bolts		Shortened arrows used in crossbows & arbalests; small stocky missiles know for being capable of incredible penetration
Boomerang	Australian	Wooden throwing stick with an effective range of about 20 meters
Boss	General	The round or cone-shaped metal plate at the center of a shield, protecting the hand. Also called an umbo.
Bouzdykan	Polish	All metal mace used (17th century)
Bow	General	The bow has been used throughout history by virtually every culture. Simple bows, as pictured here, were generally constructed of a single type and piece of wood. The shape of the bow back itself varied from culture to culture and lent different elastic properties to the weapon. The materials used in construction of the bow string varied, but the most common ones were flax, hemp, silk, cotton, and sinew (a combination of two or more of these was common). By bending the bow and attaching the bowstring to either end of the bow, the archer placed tension on the back. Nocking an arrow and drawing the string back placed greater tension on the bow. Releasing the arrow also released the tension energy built up in the bow and propelled the arrow farther and with greater force than it could be thrown.
Bracers	European	Plate armour for the arms
Braquemar	European	Sword with a short, double-edged blade.
Breaths	General	Holes in the visor or faceplate of a helmet to provide ventilation.
Breeches		Trousers reaching to the knees
Breidox	Viking	"broad axe" had a triangle-shaped blade. They are dated around 1000 AD, and were used exclusively as weapons. They were made out of hardened iron welded onto the shaft. They were sometimes decorated with silver and gold.
Brigandine	European	A type of coat-of-plates (see below) with hundreds of small, overlapping plates, providing great mobility at a slight cost in protection. Popular in the 15th and 16th centuries, the brigandine was usually worn over padding, but not mail.
Broad axe	European	European war axe having a broad, straight edge; head was socketed and attached to a wooden haft
Broadsword	General	A term popularly misapplied as a generic synonym for medieval swords. The now popular misnomer "broadsword" as a term for medieval blades actually originated with Victorian collectors in the early 19th century.
Browning Machine-Gun	Machine-Guns	John Moses Browning was a highly successful gunsmith from Utah. Inspired by the work of Hiram Maxim Browning began work on an automatic machine-gun. Unlike Maxim used propelling gas as a motive force. He drilled a hole in the gun barrel to divert some of the gas behind the bullet into a cylinder to drive a piston, which performed the various tasks of extracting the cartridge case, reloading and firing. In 1895 the Browning machine-gun was purchased by the US Navy. In 1910 Browning produced a new 0.30-inch machine gun. However, the gun was not ordered by the United States Army until 1917. Over the next eighteen months 57,000 of these guns were produced for soldiers fighting on the Western Front.
Buckler	General	A small round shield (9 - 18" in diameter) gripped in the hand with either a single handle, or two enarmes. The name buckler is a corruption of the Old French word bocler meaning boss, which refers to the boss or umbo at the center of the shield. It has become a matter of convenience to classify the buckler as a small, agile hand-shield. The definition is a convenient one to use but the reader should be aware that the ancients were not so pedantic about such definitions and used the term indifferently. Used since medieval times, bucklers were round or even square, approx. 8-20" and made of metal, wood, or metal trimmed wood. It was usually held in a fist grip and used to deflect or punch at blows and thrusts. The edge could also be used to strike and block. Some had long metal spikes on the front to attack with, or bars and hooks placed on the front to trap the point of an opponent's rapier. Italian "rondash" or "bochiero."
Buff-coat	European	A heavy coat of buff-leather, used a pikeman and gunner’s armour in the Renaissance, alone or under a breastplate. Buff-coats were also often worn as light protection when dueling with rapiers or swords.
Bulawa	Russian	All metal Russian mace
Bullova		Two-handed war axe that varies greatly in size but basically consists of a wide-bladed head attached to a wooden handle; some are fitted with a spike above the head for thrusting
Bullwhip	General	Woven leather whip normally used as an animal herding tool
Burgonet	European	An open-faced helmet with a crest and cheek-guards, used in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Burnoose	European	(burnous, burnouse) A sort of upper garment, with a hood attached.
Burrong	Australian	Wooden club from Australia with an axelike shape
Buskin	European	Footed leggings with thick sole made from expensive soft leathers and embroidered and brocaded fabrics.
Byrnie	European	A mail shirt, mid-thigh length, with elbow-length sleeves. This was the principal body defense for wealthy warriors from late Antiquity until the early 11th century.
Cabacete	European	Type of war hat popular in fifteenth century Europe with a turned-down brim which was drawn up to a point in the front and rear with an almond-shaped skull
Camail	European	A curtain of mail, hanging from the bottom of the helmet, as a defense for the chin, neck, throat and shoulders.
Campilan	Malay	Malaysian sword with a forked wooden pommel decorated with tufts of dyed hair; blade is single-edged, a curved projection behind the point
Cap-a-pie	French	An Old French expression, meaning to be armed from head-to-foot.
Carroballista	Roman	Roman army's mobile artillery piece. It improved upon the static arrow-shooting device by mounting it on a type of cart.
Casque	European	(also called casquetal) a light open helmet, these were often similar in shape to the burgonet and popular in the 15th and 16th centuries
Cat-o'-nine tails	European	European whip used in flogging; leather thongs were usually knotted at their ends and were sometimes fitted with metal spikes to tear the flesh of the victim
Cervèllaire	European	Small skull cap worn under the great helmet (greathelm) during the last part of the 13th century and into the early 14th century
Cervelliere	European	Steel skull cap
Cestrosphendone	European	Sling dart consisting of a wooden pole with a leaf-shaped blade, attached behind were two or three fixed vanes of wood; sling was fitted at the tip and behind the vanes and the dart then spun above the head; effective range was about fifty meters
Cestus		Wide leather thongs, often weighted with lead; worn wound around the hands of Roman boxers
Cghchemarde	European	European fencing sword of the late 17th century; blade was triangular in section for about 20 centimeters from the hilt and then narrowed to a flat section for the remainder of its length, the design gave the blade great lightness and flexibility
Cha	Chinese	A metal folk with a long handle, used as weapon
Chainmail	General	Body armour made of interlinked rings of metal.
Chakram		(shirikin) flat steel ring with a sharpened outer edge used as a thrown missile; several were often carried on a pointed turban; thrown like a frisbee
Chan	Chinese	Shovel
Chanfron	European	Armour for a horse's head
Chapel de fer	European	An iron cap that was a domed helmet, made in three or more pieces, with a wide brow around the outside. During the 14th century it was widely used by English and French men-at-arms and bachelier knights who could not afford a bascinet.
Chausses	European	Leggings. In the case of armour, mail leggings, tied to the belt by leather thongs, and usually worn over quilted chausses.
Chemeti		Whip normally made of buffalo leather or human hair and attached to a hardwood handle; a large knot is normally made in the end of the whip itself; overall length of the weapon can vary from 90 to 160 centimeters
Chereb		Straight bronze sword with a double-edged blade
Chiang	China	"Spear." One of the major Chinese weapons practiced in wushu.
Chien	Japanese	A double-edged sword used in many styles of kung fu. Also known as the "gim" or "jyan."
Chijiriki	Japanese	Double-edged spear with a weighted chain attached to the butt end; two-handed weapon
Chui	Chinese	A metal ball with a handle or chain used as weapon
Chundrick		A sword with an incurved steel blade and a straight hilt
Circlet		A circular band worn as an ornament on the finger, arm, neck or head
Claw hammer	General	Typical carpenter's tool; metal head fitted to a wooden handle
Claymore	Gaelic	Identified with the Scot's symbol of the warrior, the term "Claymore" is Gaelic for "claidheamh-more" (great sword). This two-handed broadsword was used by the Scottish Highlanders against the English in the 16th century and is often confused with a Basket-hilt "broadsword" (a relative of the Italian schiavona) whose hilt completely enclosed the hand in a cage- like guard. Both swords have come to be known by the same name since the late 1700's.
Cleaver	General	A cleaver, etymologically, dervives from the verb cleave: to cut, split, sever, disunite, or divide by a blow. A cleaver ... cleaves. While primarily a butcher's implement, a number of weapons throughout the world, particularly in northern Africa and the middle east, share a striking resemblance in form and function to the kitchen cleaver
Clipei	Roman	Roman Oval shield
Close-helmet	European	A form of close-fitting, full helmet, of the 16th and 17th centuries. The close helm clearly derived from the armet, which it supplanted.
Club	General	Clubs have been around as for as long as mankind has walked erect. Styles of clubs range from simple sticks to elaborately carved works of art. Bashing weapons used to inflict concussion blows rather than piercing ones, clubs are effective against all opponents, armored or not. The most recent forms of the mace weapon are simply derivations of the club concept. Generally, clubs were made from some type of wood, but among certain cultures other sturdy, lightweight materials such as bone and stone were used.
Coat-armour	European	An overgarment of the late Middle Ages, particularly popular in tournament, that showed the wearer’s heraldry, or that of his lord.
Coat-of-Plates	European	Steel, bone, or hardened leather plates riveted or sewn inside a leather or heavy fabric covering, to provide a flexible form of plate armour. In the late 13th and 14th centuries, the coat-of-plates would have been worn over a mail haubergeon.
Coif	European	A hood of fabric or mail, worn under the helmet.
Composite Bow	General	The name composite bow was descriptive of a bow constructed of three basic layers of different materials, usually wood, bone, and sinew. Composite bows were constructed in a fairly labor-intensive process. Basically, bone and sinew layers were applied to a wood core; each layer would enhance the elasticity of the others. The wood core generally consisted of three pieces: one for the upper part of the bow, one for the lower part, and the hand grip. Two strips of horn would be glued to the belly (side toward the archer) of the wood core, and a strip of sinew would be glued to the back (side toward the target) of the wood core. The elastic properties of these materials working together allowed a smaller bow to fire an arrow farther and with greater force. Turkish composite bows were considered to be the world’s best bows until synthetic materials were used in bow construction, just this century. The greatest distances for an arrow shot from a composite bow were recorded in the 19th century: 660 yards for special arrows, and 440 yards (1/4 mile) for war arrows.
Compound bow	General	Compound bows were invented in 1966 in the USA. This is by far the most popular bow type in use today. The bow has off-centered pulleys at each end. Steel or other material cables are fixed at the end of each limb. These pass around the pulley at the opposite end (directly or via another linked cable). The free ends of the cables leaving the pulleys are joined together with a bowstring. The pulleys provide a mechanical advantage that makes the bow easier to draw and to hold at full draw. A compound is more powerful and shorter than a recurve. It has a wide bow window enabling the arrow to be centre shot. Many compound archers use additional shooting aids such as a telescopic sight with a horizontal spirit level, a back sight fitted within the string (called a peep sight), a draw length limiter and a mechanical release aid for holding and releasing the string. Owing to the power of the bow and the shooting aids, the compound bow is the most accurate of the three types of bow described.
Compound-hilt	European	A term used for the various forms of swept, basket, and cage hilts found on Renaissance swords. The compound hilt is comprised of the quillon, side-rings, and a knuckle bar in a variety of configurations.
Corslet	European	(also called corselet) a light half-armour popular in the sixteenth century for general military use; consisted of a gorget, breast, back and tassets, full arms and guantlets
Cote armour	European	Quilted garment worn over a breastplate, cote of plates, or as the sole body defense during the 14th century.
Cote of arms		A word that seems to have been interchangeable meaning a cote armour blazoned with a device, or a surcoat bearing the heraldic charge of a man's affiliation. Because it was the most visible expression of a knight's arms, the word has come to mean the heraldic device itself rather than the cote upon which it was sewn, painted, or embroidered.
Cote of plates		(pair of plates, plates) A cloth or leather covered armour for the body with several large plates riveted underneath for the defense of the body.
Coupe-coupe	African	weapon used by the Amazones in Dahomey against the French Foreign Legionaries
Couteau-Coutelace/Culter-Cultello	Genera	A knife or dagger. It is important to remember that in the middle ages, these weapons were commonly much larger than their modern counterparts.
Couter	European	Plate armour protecting the elbow. Often fitted with a besagew.
Craoseach	Irish	13-14th century Irish term for a long spear. Unlike the javelin, this weapon was not designed to be thrown.
Craquemarte	European	Heavy sword with a curved blade and a knuckle guard; generally used at sea
Crest		Heraldic device worn on helm
Crossbow	General	Also referred to as an arbalest, the crossbow was seen as early as 1066 but didn’t become popular for about another century. The first crossbows were constructed entirely of wood but later models incorporated animal cartilage in the yew wood frame for elasticity. The original crossbows were actually very poor weapons: very slow to load, prone to misfires, and overly complicated for the generally mechanically disinclined population of the period. As technology improved during the middle ages and mechanical devices were developed for loading and aiming crossbows, their use and popularity increased.
Cross-guard	European	The steel, cross-piece between the hand and blade of a Medieval sword.
Crowbill	General	The crowbill is the weapon collectors’ term for the fighting pick pictured here, named for its resemblance to the bill of a crow. The most elaborate and best crafted weapons of the crowbill type were from Persia and India. The crowbill and similar picks were designed specifically to pierce through chain mail armor and plate mail joints
Cudgel	General	The cudgel was basically a specialized club used as an instrument of punishment or as a weapon. Cudgels were generally shorter than Quarterstaffs with a weighted, rounded end (it wasn't uncommon to have the end of the cudgel bound with metal, wire, or spiked through with nails). Slave drivers, constabulary officials, and others in similar positions where quick "discipline" was a must carried cudgels.
Cuirass	European	A full, plate body-armour, comprised of a breastplate, backplate, and sometimes, tassets.
Cuirbouilli	European	Leather, hardened by boiling in water, used as a material for armour, particularly in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Cuisse	European	Armour for the thighs. Early cuises were simply quilted garments, like an aketon, but term also later applied to plate defenses.
Cuisses	EuropeanEuropean	Plate armour pieces protecting the thighs
Cumber-jung	Indian	Flail made by attaching two heavy quoits to a short handle of wood by chains
Cut-and-Thrust Sword	European	The spada filo or spada da lato of the Italian Renaissance masters. The sword was a thinner, more tapered sword than the earlier Medieval forms, but still shorter and wider than the nearly edgeless rapier. They were used for hacking, slashing, stabbing, and had compound hilts used to employ a "fingered" grip. Unlike the later rapier, which was wholly a civilian weapon, the cut & thrust sword was a military weapon that became popular for civilian use until superseded by the rapier. Various forms of later military cut & thrust swords include the: schiavona, spadroon, hanger, and Espadon.
Cutlass	General	The cutlass developed after the 16th century as a purely cutting/slashing weapon. By definition, the cutlass was a curved European blade with a plain, guarded hilt, similar in shape and use to the saber. The cutlass descended in design from the Turkish scimitar and Egyptian khopesh; in fact, the name cutlass derives from the term curtle-axe which is an Anglicization of the Turkish “curtus” and axe. Cutlasses were most popular among naval infantry soldiers
Da Dao	Chinese	Great saber
Daab	Thai	A Thai sword used in Krabi Krabong.
Dabus		Mace that consists of a piece of wood studded with nails
Dagger	General	A knife, usually in the form of a sword. Daggers came a variety of forms, with both single and double edged varieties. Like swords, were usually fitted with a pommel and guard, and throughout the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, also developed progressively more complex hilts.
Dagger mace	European	European mace/pick made entirely of steel; shaped to look like a hand holding a dagger
Daisho	Japanese	"Big and small." Two swords, one long and the other short, worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan
Daito	Japanese	A long sword, whose cutting edge, was over 24 inches in length, as contrasted with such shorter swords as the wakizashi (18 inches.)
Dalwel	Burmese	Burmese two-handed sword with a tanged steel blade; sword has a heavy, square-ended blade fitted into an unguarded hilt of wood or ivory; consists of a slightly curved, single-edged blade fitted into an unguarded wooden hilt
Dao	Chinese	Single-edged sword
Dao Bei	Chinese	Back of sword blade
Dart	Genera	See Javelin
Dha		Sword with a broad blade and a plain, unguarded handle
Dhara		Mace having six blades; made entirely of steel with a padded hilt
Dirk	General	Long, usually single-edged dagger
Dolabra	Roman	Axe-like tool/weapon used by legionnaires; socketed head attached to a wooden handle
Doloire	European	(wagoner's axe) battle axe used in the 15th century; socketed steel head is fitted to a wooden haft
Doublet	European	A man's close-fitting jacket with or without sleeves, worn chiefly from the 14th to 16th centuries
Dowak		Flat throwing stick
Drashel	Dorset	Drashel or Dreshel is Dorset slang for a flial: Two pieces of wood joined by a leather thong or short metal chain and used for threshing. One piece of wood is held and the other then swung.
Duan Dao	Chinese	Short saber
Duan Jian	Chinese	Dirk
Dusack		Weapon made of a single piece of iron with a curved blade and guarded hilt
Eccat		Sword with a deer horn hilt and no guard
Elephant axe	African	Large two-handed axe used to ham-string elephants; iron head is fitted into the wooden handle by means of a tang
Enarmes	European	Leather straps used to grip a shield or buckler.
Epaule de mouton		Steel defense for the complete arm; developed during the 15th and 16th centuries; used exclusively in jousts
Epsilon axe	Middle East	(eye axe) early axe form used in the ancient Middle East; head of cast copper or bronze was fitted into a wooden handle by tangs; broad head made it suitable for use against unarmoured foes since its penetration capabilities were not great
Espada	Spanish	Spanish for sword.
Espadon	European	Two-handed sword of the 15th century
Espee/Epee	French	Old French and Modern French terms for sword, respectively.
Estoc	European	A form of long, rigid, pointed, triangular or square bladed and virtually edgeless longsword designed for thrusting into plate-armor was the estoc. Called a "stocco" in Italian and a "tuck" in English, they were used with two hands - similar to great-swords. They were used in two hands with the second hand often gripping the blade. Rapiers are sometimes mistakenly referred to as tucks, and may have been referred to as such by the English.
Fakir's horns	Indian	Weapon made of horns; some have spear points attached to the ends of the horns
Falcata	Roman	Forward-curving single-edged sword
Falchion	European	A single-edged, heavy-bladed sword, usually widening noticeably towards the tip. A form of sword that was little more than a meat cleaver, possibly even a simple kitchen and barnyard tool adopted for war. Indeed, it may come from a French word for a sickle, "fauchon". It can be seen in Medieval art being used by warriors of all stations, especially in close quarters fighting. The weapon is entirely European in origin, and is similar to the German "dusack," and has been linked to the Dark Age long knife or "seax." The falchion was used throughout the Middle Ages, predominantly by foot soldiers, but occasionally as a side-arm for mounted knights. More common in the Renaissance, it was considered a weapon to be proficient with in addition to the sword. The falchion appeared in several forms, but mostly all forms have a single edge and rounded point or "clipped" point. This wide, heavy blade was weighted more towards the point, and could deliver tremendous blows, making it ideal for combating heavy armours.
Falx	Dacian	The falx is a curved cutlass-like blade on the end of a long wooden (almost spear-like) handle. Unlike a cutlass, however, the falx is sharpened along the inner curve of the blade, so that the damage on the blow is done with a pulling motion.
Fang	Chinese	All iron weapon with two double-edged blades at the end
Fauld		Skirt of overlapping lames riveted to leather and protecting the wearer below the waist, usually attached to a breastplate
Firangi		Straight-bladed sword; the hilts were padded and fitted with spiked pommels
Fish Spine Sword	India	This is a difficult weapon to place firmly in a particular time or culture. India had a "fish spine" sword made of a metal ,comb-like blade which inflicted extremely devastating wounds to unprotected flesh. Most likely, though, the Indians developed their blade based on a weapon from New Guinea, pictured here. The New Guinea fish spine sword was made from the snout of the saw-fish, a shark common to waters throughout the Pacific. The barbs are teeth-like and very sharp. One end of the snout would be carved into a handle and then wrapped with leather or cloth. A full blow from this sturdy weapon could easily bisect or behead an opponent.
Fist mace	European	Iron or steel mace shaped like a clenched fist
Flagellum	Roman	Three-pronged whip but was ineffective against heavy armor
Flail	Genera	A mace that has the weight connected to the handle by a chain. Commonly called a "morning star" when the weight is spiked, though this may not be historically accurate. In Bohemia, this usually refers to a huge two-handed version that had a short, (~1.5 feet) wooden iron-wrapped weight connected to a 5-8 foot-long handle, which was capable of killing a plate-armored man in a single blow, but was very slow and heavy.
Flamberge	European	An unusual waved-bladed rapier popular with officers and upper classes during the 1600s. It was considered to look both fashionable and deadly as well as erroneously believed to inflict a more deadly wound. When parrying with the flamberge, the opponent's sword was slowed slightly as it passed along the length. It also created a disconcerting vibration in the other blade. The term flamberge was also used later to describe a dish-hilted rapier with a normal straight blade. Certain wave or flame-bladed two-handed swords have also come to be known by collectors as "flamberges", although this is inaccurate. Such swords are more appropriately known as "flammards" or "flambards".
Flanged Mace	General	By the middle ages, many European maces were all metal construction. Flanges, spikes, and similar pointed protrusions were added to combat plate and mail armor. The force of a blow, concentrated on the tip of a flange or spike, was very effective at denting and piercing armor.
Flat club	Samoan	Hardwood club, often elaborately carved; sharp edges on the head to improve effectiveness
Fletching	General	Feathers fastened onto the back of an arrow to help it fly straight
Fleuret	European	Fencing sword with a cup hilt
Flyssa		Sword with a straight-backed blade with a long point; often the blades are inlaid with bronze
Footman's Lance	General	The footman's lance was essentially a spear used solely for thrusting. Generally, lances were considered to be a cavalry weapon but foot soldiers used a smaller version of them during the iron age throughout the known world. The main difference between a spear-proper and a footman's lance is that spears were often designed such that the spear tip broke off upon impact with the target. Lances, conversely, were designed such that the tip would not break off in the hands of the wielder. Other than that, though, a footman's lance is a spear
Fou Tou Ou	China	A sword used in kung fu, known as the "hook and crescent" sword.
Francisca		(axe/missle) from 6th-8th centuries it was normally used as a missile; standard tactic was to hurl it at an enemy and then charge in with sword or spear; consists of a socketed, iron head attached to a wooden haft; effective range was about 15 meters when thrown
Fu	China	Battle axe.
Fuchi	Japanese	The metal sleeve located at the base of the handle next to the guard of a samurai sword.
Fukidake		A blowpipe not normally used in combat but rather to poison opponents; about two meters in length, darts were fitted with paper cones on the ends to ensure an airtight fit; mouthpiece was fitted off to the side of the main tube, a feature which prevented the accidental inhaling of the dart; effective range was approximately ten meters
Fukiya	Japanese	Pins and poison darts shot through a blowgun.
Full moon		Parrying weapon consisting of a steel ring attached to a handle with two curved blades fitted to either end; outer edges of the ring and the blades are sharpened
Fuller		Broad groove running down the center of each side of some sword blades (usually to make the sword lighter in weight, not to allow a "channel"for blood to drip off the sword as commonly thought)
Gada		Mace of wood with a stone head; normally the head is bound to the handle
Gaff	General	A gaff was and still is a hand-held metal hook with a sharp tip used to latch onto an object, usually for the purposes of moving it. Most commonly, a gaff was a meathook used in pairs by butchers to move large slabs of meat. Farmers have also used gaffs in pairs to move bales of hay. Fishermen used a gaff attached to a long pole to help lift heavy catches from the water.
Gala		Sword with a carved wooden handle and no guard
Galraki		Axe with socketed iron head, attached to a wooden handle
Gambeson	European	Sometimes used to refer to the aketon, the gambeson more commonly in the period referred to a quilted and decorated coat-armour of the late 14th century, worn over the breastplate, or alone.
Gamboised		A padded defense made of linen, flax or other fabric, sometimes reinforced and studded. Gamboised cuisses were often worn as an early addition to mail chausses during the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
Ganeugaodusha	Indian	Deer-horn club
Ganjing		All iron club
Gardebras	European	A full arm-harness, comprised of the couter, vambrace and rerebrace.
Gardner Machine Gun	Machine-Guns	In 1879 the Gardner Machine Gun was demonstrated for the first time. A two-barrelled weapon operated by crank which loaded and fired each barrel in turn. The feed system was a grooved strip into which the rims of a box of cartridges could be slid, after which the box was removed. In public trials the gun fired 10,000 rounds in 27 minutes
Gargaz	Indian	Mace with six to ten blades on the head made of steel, had padded hand guards, and sometimes were richly engraved
Garz	Indian	All steel mace with no hilt; head is rather small and has many flanges
Gatling Gun	Machine-Guns	In 1861 Richard Jordan Gatling, a trained dentist from North Carolina, produced an effective mechanical gun. The Gatling Gun consisted of six barrels mounted in a revolving frame. The United States Army purchased these guns in 1865 and over the next few years most major armies in Europe purchased the gun. The British Army tested it at Woolwich in 1870, and found that the 0.42 Gatling Gun fired 616 shots in two minutes. Of these, 369 hit their intended targets.
Gatlings		Small joint defense on a finger gauntlet, usually attached to a leather or canvas base by sewing or by rivets
Gauntlet	General	An armoured glove, often formed of a single plate for the back of the hand, and smaller overlapping plates for the fingers, enabling them to move easily.
Ge	Chinese	Dagger-axe
Genuillieres	Europe	Plate pieces to protect the knee.
Gladius	Roman	The Legions patterned their short swords after those of the Spanish Celts. The historian, Polybius, says they were introduced into the army during the second Punic War. The Gladius of Caesar's time until Tiberius had a slight curve in the edge of the blade. The Fulham type and the Pompeii type had edges which were completely parallel. This sword was intended as a thrusting weapon. This was the best way to use a sword in tight formation. Using the sword in a slashing motion would cause the soldier to open his side to attack. The Gladius was replaced by the traditional long swords of the barbarians in the late empire
Glaive/gisarme/sudlice	General	(cz.,pol,Lith.) A pole weapon with a spear-like cutting blade, usually single-edged and relatively light. Commonly used on horseback by Lithuanian and late Byzantine cavalry.
Goddara	Turkish&nbs