Forms: 4–7 fach-. fauch-, fawch-, -on(e, -oun, (5 fauschune, fawchun, fouchon, fwalchon), 6–9 fauch-, faulch-, fawch-, -eon, -ion, (6 fachen, falcheon. 6–7 fau-, fawchin(e, 7 falchon, 8 faulchin), 7– falchion; also 5 fawken, 7 falcen, perh. by confusion with FALCON. ME. fauchoun, a. OF. fauchon = It. falcione:—vulg. Lat. *falciōn-em, f. L. falci-, falx sickle.]
1. A broad sword more or less curved with the edge on the convex side. In later use and in poetry: A sword of any kind.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 8645.
| Hys [the priest’s] tung shuld be hys fauchoun, | |
| Hys strokes shulde be hys orysun. |
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 2244. Lucafer þanne wax neȝ wod; & drow out a schort fachoun.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxxi. 246. Y trowe youre fauchone hym flaies.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, xlii. 141. He … toke a grete fawchon in his handes & departed al alone.
a. 1628. Sir J. Beaumont, Bosworth F., 501.
| He lifts his Fauchion with a threatning Grace, | |
| And hews the Bever off from Howard’s Face. |
1720. Gay, Poems (1745) I. 37, ‘The Fan.’
| In the bright air the dreadful fauchion shone, | |
| Or whistling slings dismiss’d th’ uncertain stone. |
1808. Scott, Marmion, VI. xxvi.
| Spears shook, and faulchions flashed amain; | |
| Fell England’s arrow-flight like rain. |
1852. Kingsley, Poems, Andromeda, 237.
| Curved on his thigh lay a falchion, and under the gleam of his helmet | |
| Eyes more blue than the main shone awful. |
† b. Single, double falchion, case of falchions: various species of sword-play. Obs.
1708. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. III. vii. (1743), 189. The Nobility and Gentry have their … Quarterstaff, Single Faulchion, Double Faulchion, etc.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 436, 21 July, ¶ 2. The several Weapons following, viz. … Single Falchion, Case of Falchions, Quarter Staff.
1712. Arbuthnot, John Bull, I. v. He dreaded not old Lewis either at back-sword, single falchion, or cudgel-play.
attrib. 1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., II. xxvi. 138. It iiij.C axes of werre facioned asswel after fawken wise as other.
1630. R. Johnson, Relations of the Most Famous Kingdoms, etc. (1603), 159. A falcen sword after the Turkish fashion.
1667. Pepys, Diary (1879), IV. 330. His Knife … was with a falchion blade.
† 2. = BILL sb.1 4 or BILL-HOOK. Obs.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 343/3. Other plowemen cryed and folowed the wulf and with their staues and fauchons delyuerd the child hoole and sound fro his teeth without hurte.
1596. Drayton, Legends, iii. 8.
| Goddess of arms and arts, Pallas divine, | |
| Let thy bright Fauchion lend Me Cypresse Boughes. |
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., 333. The Huntsman … with a wood-knife or faucheon at his side.
