scimitar

/ˈsɪmɪtə/

//ˈsɪmɪtə// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"scimitar" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scimitar” is uncommon English (frequency #55,085 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,085
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A sword of Persian origin that features a curved blade.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scimitar · scimitar · English

scimitar · rank #55,085 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #55,085
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sciatica

Nearest frequency peer: sciatica (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “scimitar”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “scimitar” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for scimitar
PropertyValue
Headwordscimitar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪmɪtə/
Letters8
Frequency rank#55,085
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “scimitar” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).scimitarfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “sciatica” (#55,084), “scrubber” (#55,086), “Sayre” (#55,083). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scimitar” is #55,085. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

scimitar is uncommon English at frequency #55,085 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsɪmɪtə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for scimitar in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1548. From Middle French cimeterre (15c.) or directly from Italian scimitarra, possibly from an unknown Ottoman Turkish word, ultimately from Persian شمشیر (šamšir, “sword”). Doublet of shamshir. The correct English form is scimitar, spelled S-C-I-M-I-T-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sword of Persian origin that features a curved blade.
  2. 2
    A long-handled billhook.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how scimitar appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The Prince of Morocco: […]By this Symitare, That ſlew the Sophie, and a Perſian Prince That won three fields of Sultan Solyman, I would ore-ſtare the ſterneſt eies that looke, Out-braue the heart moſt daring on the earth: Plucke the yong ſucking Cubs from the ſhe Beare, Yea, mocke the Lion when he rors for pray To win the Ladie. […]
  2. Next door is a room devoted to Albanian history (“what a lovely scimitar,” I find myself exclaiming, my reserves of small talk inadequate at the sight of the family’s sword collection),[…]

Etymology

First attested in 1548. From Middle French cimeterre (15c.) or directly from Italian scimitarra, possibly from an unknown Ottoman Turkish word, ultimately from Persian شمشیر (šamšir, “sword”). Doublet of shamshir.

This word in other languages

cimitarra(Español)cimeterre(Français)Krummsäbel(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "scimitar"?
"scimitar" is spelled S-C-I-M-I-T-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪmɪtə/.
What does "scimitar" mean?
As a noun, "scimitar" means: A sword of Persian origin that features a curved blade.
How do you pronounce "scimitar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scimitar" is /ˈsɪmɪtə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "scimitar"?
First attested in 1548. From Middle French cimeterre (15c.) or directly from Italian scimitarra, possibly from an unknown Ottoman Turkish word, ultimately from Persian شمشیر (šamšir, “sword”). Doublet of shamshir. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "scimitar", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sciatica#55,084scrubber#55,086Rousseff#55,071Rothwell#55,070

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list