alabarda

halberd

noun ah-lah-BAR-dah Rare

Origin: From German Hellebarde, a pole-weapon combining an axe and a spike.

Usage Note

Alabarda is a medieval polearm with an axe blade topped by a spike. Today the word is almost exclusively historical or literary; it appears in museum descriptions and heraldry. Its German origin (Hellebarde) makes it one of the few Italian weapon names not derived from Latin.

Examples

"Il soldato impugnava un'alabarda arrugginita."

Natural Translation

The soldier was gripping a rusty halberd.

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