Home › Glossary › Letter C

cutlasses

Noun
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Short, broad, single-edged curved swords, especially associated with sailors, naval combat, and the popular image of pirates.

Detailed Definition
A cutlass is a heavy, short sword with a curved blade, especially associated with sailors, pirates, and naval fighting. The poem’s pirate image depends on this specialized weapon term.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth” gives pirates or sailors curved single-edged swords; “The cutlasses flashed above the deck” uses the weapon’s bright, violent visual force; Sea ballads often pair cutlasses with storms, mutiny, and boarding parties; The sibilants and hard t sounds can help a line feel quick and dangerous
Additional Notes
"Cutlasses" is a specific historical weapon term in the quoted line, not a general everyday word.; Found in the poem, The Reading Mother by Strickland Gillilan
Also Known As
swords sabers blades
Skip to main content