espadon means A long, heavy, two-handed and two-edged sword, formerly used by Spanish foot soldiers and by executioners. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
Why this word is great
ESPADON — [Noun] A long, heavy, two-handed and two-edged sword historically used by Spanish foot soldiers and executioners. From French *espadon*, ultimately from Latin *spatha* ("broad, flat blade") via Italian *spadone* ("large sword"). Unlike the *épée*, a nimble instrument of the duelist's punctilio, or the *spadroon*, a balanced tool for the battlefield cut-and-thrust, the espadon is an engine of sheer demolition: the headsman's swing that cleaves the air with a sound like tearing canvas, the weight borne on the infantryman's shoulder as he braces for the crash of pikes, the broad point driven into the earth to mark a perimeter that will not be crossed. It speaks not of skill, but of consequence—the awful, simple physics of a decision from which there is no appeal.
noun
- A long, heavy, two-handed and two-edged sword, formerly used by Spanish foot soldiers and by executioners.“royal guardsmen with their espadons”