basket hilt
- noun
- The basket hilt offers excellent protection for the wielder’s hand during combat.
Examples
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The Scottish broadsword is famous for its distinctive basket hilt.
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Many historical swords feature a basket hilt design.
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Collectors prize antique swords with ornate basket hilts for their craftsmanship.
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The knight's sword had a beautiful basket hilt.
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Collectors prize antique swords with ornate basket hilts for their craftsmanship.
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The basket hilt offers excellent protection for the wielder’s hand during combat.
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The Scottish broadsword is famous for its distinctive basket hilt.
Synonyms
The handle of a sword or dagger that you hold
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a hilt with a basket-shaped guard that protects the hand' is directly and transparently derivable from combining 'basket' (denoting a basket-like shape) with 'hilt' (the grip or handle of a weapon). This noun‑compound pattern (shape/modifier + head noun) is common and cross‑linguistically predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Basket hilt comes from the sword's hilt, the handle, which is built like a metal cage or basket that covers the hand. So the name shows it is a type of hilt that 'protects the hand' during fighting.