X is for Xiphoid
A xiphoid? Ooo, Ooo, I want one!
What the hell is a xiphoid? Let me tell you. Even my spell check doesn’t recognize it as a word… but it is. I had to dig deep for this one. Because really, there are not a lot of X-words out there and how many could really have anything to do with fencing?
Xiphoid, (Urban Dictionary) also known as a Retractable Forearm Dagger, is a class of weapons with a blade that is retractable into a forearm worn wristband or bracer sheath.Designed for swift and quick surprise attacks. Xiphoid is used with other wrist-mounted weapons: claw xiphoid, gun xiphoid, spike xiphoid
Weapons known as Xiphoids include wrist-blades, forearm-swords, wrist-spikes, wrist-crossbow, wrist-flamethrower,hidden sleeve gun rigs, etc.
Can you imagine a fight between sword and xiphoids (rather than sword and dagger?)? The xiphoid acts as both defense and secondary attacking weapon. Or two xiphoids drawn silently in a large crowd. They appear as if by magic in combatants hands and the violence is swift (as knife fights tend to be), leaving a space in the crowd for one body to be seen amidst an expanding pool of blood.
Now tell me the idea of a xiphoid wrist-flamethrower didn’t get your morning off to a good start.
Lunievicz 
I have to assume that they’re named that in honor of the xiphoid process.
April 27, 2013 at 12:58 pm
Hah! How funny – that was my word too, except that the meaning of ‘xiphoid’ I used relates to a sword-shaped bone. In my case it was the xiphoid cartilage at the base of the sternum. Snap
April 27, 2013 at 2:42 pm