spadassinicide

spadassinicide

English

WOTD – 9 November 2008

Etymology

From spadassin +‎ -icide, from Italian spadaccino (“swordsman”)

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌspɑd.əˈsɪ.nɪ.seɪd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

spadassinicide (plural spadassinicides)

1. (rare) The act of coaxing someone, usually through insult, into initiating a swordsman's duel, and subsequently killing that person with superior skill so as to commit legal murder.
2. (rare) One who performs such an act.
   • 1921, Rafael Sabatini, Scaramouche,

     Challenges are flying right and left between these bully-swordsmen, these spadassinicides, and poor devils of the robe who have never learnt to fence with anything but a quill.