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Glite Dictionary
quillon

quillon

1 9.9
A piece on a sword handle that stops your hand sliding onto the blade
  • noun
  • /ˈkwɪlən/
  • Archaic
: quillon
  • During the demonstration, the instructor pointed out the quillon as a crucial feature for hand safety on the dagger.

Examples

  • His Quillon motoryacht, below, is inspired by a scabbard, the protective guard of a saber sword.

    Blog text (26)

  • He gathered up a sword from one of the dead, a frightening thing with backward spines for one of its quillons, the use of which might be to disarm... the god knew, else.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The ornate quillon on the sword not only added beauty but also protected the hand during combat.

  • The knight's sword had a unique quillon that curved elegantly, providing both style and protection.

Surface Forms

quillon singular
quillons plural

Etymology

Quillon comes from an old French word meaning 'small fork' or 'prong', so picture a little fork coming out from the sword hilt. So a quillon is the small crosspiece that protects the hand by stopping it from sliding onto the blade.