Claymore
The word
claymore has been used to describe two distinct types of
swords used by Scottish warriors and soldiers. The first was a large, two-handed sword used in the
medieval period. The second was a one-handed basket-hilted sword and was issued to Scottish troops in the
18th century. The latter form of
claymore can be seen in some forms of Scottish traditional dance.
A Claymore mine is, strictly speaking, a model of landmine used by United States armed forces beginning in the Vietnam War era. The term now encompasses all mines working on a similar principle. It consists of a curved sheet of high explosive with steel ball-bearings embedded on one side. When detonated the balls fly outward at high speed, spraying an area with shrapnel.