Dudgeon-Haft
/ˈdʌdʒən hæft/noun
A haft or handle made of dudgeon, traditionally boxwood, especially for a dagger.
Did you know?The word is tied to old dagger culture: a dudgeon was a handle of hard boxwood, and in older English it could evoke the whole dagger by metonymy.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
dudgeon
“A hard boxwood used for dagger hilts or handles.”
16th Century
English
dudgeon-haft
“A dagger or knife with a handle made of dudgeon.”
16th–17th Century
English
dudgeon
“By extension, a dagger or short weapon, especially one with a boxwood hilt.”
Modern English
English
dudgeon-haft
“A historical term for a dagger with a dudgeon handle.”