Fencing. Obs. Also 6–7 stramazone, 6, 9 -zoun, 7 -son, -zoon, stramison, 9 stramaçon. [ad. It. stramazzone (also stramazzo) a knock-down blow, f. stramazzare to knock (a person) down, f. stramazzo straw mattress, straw strewn on the floor, f. strame:—L. strāmen straw. Some of the forms are influenced by F. estramaçon: see ESTRAMAZONE.] ‘A vertical downward cut in rapier fence, which is delivered at the head with the part of the weapon close to the point’ (Hatton, Fixed Bayonets, 1890, Gloss. s.v. Stramazzone It.).
1595. Saviolo’s Practise, I. F 2. He may giue him a slicing or cutting blow, which we call Stramazone.
1599. B. Jonson, Ev. Man out of Hum., IV. iv. But I … made a kind of stramazoun, ran him vp to the hilts, through the doublet.
1603. Dekker, Wonderfull Yeare, D 4. He [Sickness] has his … Stramazones and Stoccataes at his fingers ends.
1637. Nabbes, Microcosm., II. i. C 2 b. Then have wee … our stramisons, passatas, carricadas, amazzas and incartatas.
1651. J. S., Prince of Priggs Revels, I. 2. Drink deep my brave boyes of the Bastinado Of Stramazons, Tinctures [etc.].
a. 1668. Davenant, Man’s the Master, V. i. (1669), 67. D. Lewis. I have lost blood…. D. Ferd. I’st by Stoccado, or Stramason?
1826. Scott, Woodstock, xix. But where is the rascal I killed?—I never made a fairer stramaçon in my life.
