besague

/ˈbɛs.ə.ɡju/

Etymology

From Middle English besague, besagu, besagew, from Old French besague, whence also English besagew (“rondel, armor protecting the armpit”), related to Latin bisacuta (Italian bisacuto (“double-edged”)) and besogium. Applied, in the Middle Ages, to a variety of medieval weapons or tools with two blades, edges, or faces, especially a double-bladed axe or war-hammer, but also to iron-headed cornuted staffs, clubs, or maces, spades, hoes, mattocks, and even knives.

besague means A kind of double-bladed axe. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.

besague is pronounced /ˈbɛs.ə.ɡju/.

noun

A kind of double-bladed axe.“These were clearly different from the besague (an axe with two edges) described in the Glossaries of Meyrick and Carpentier, in v. Besogium.”
A kind of martel or war-hammer, with its head(s) shaped like a pick, mattock, or beak.“Under Henry IV. appeared a large martel, or hammer, called the Besague, apparently intended more for throwing than combat. In the reign of Edward IV. are found garnished spears, having a head called a coronal, a vamplate, or ...”
A plate (as of armor) that protects an otherwise-exposed area, such as the armpit (alternative form of besagew), the elbow, or the hand“The points or laces for attaching the besagues are clearly shown. In brasses the attachment is generally shown as a diamond-headed nut, but the attachment by points or laces just as the elbow caps are seen attached in various effigies ...”