Crossguard

A sword's crossguard or cross-guard is a bar between the blade and hilt, essentially perpendicular to them, intended to protect the wielder's hand and fingers from opponents' weapons as well as from his or her own blade. Each of the individual bars on either side is known as a quillon or quillion.^[1]

^ A quillon is "either of the two arms forming the cross-guard" (OED). The term, adopted into English only in the 19th century, arose in Middle French in the late 16th century. The French word is a diminutive of quille "bowling pin", itself a loan of German kegel.

[1] A quillon is "either of the two arms forming the cross-guard" (OED). The term, adopted into English only in the 19th century, arose in Middle French in the late 16th century. The French word is a diminutive of quille "bowling pin", itself a loan of German kegel.

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