Nearby Words

bilboes

[bil-boh] Origin

bil·bo

2[bil-boh]
noun, plural -boes. Archaic.
a finely tempered sword.

Origin:
1585–95; short for Bilboa blade sword made in Bilboa (variant of Bilbao)
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Bilboes is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Collins
World English Dictionary
bilboes (ˈbɪlbəʊz)
 
pl n
a long iron bar with two sliding shackles, formerly used to confine the ankles of a prisoner
 
[C16: perhaps changed from Bilbao]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

bilbo
"kind of sword noted for temper and elasticity," 1590s, from Bilbao, town in northern Spain where swords were made, in English Bilboa. The town name is Roman Bellum Vadum "beautiful ford" (over the Nervion River).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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