In Enos 1:20 we find, in reference to the Lamanites, that "their skill was in . . . the cimeter." According to Hoskisson, Hamblin and Merrill, "cimeter" is an early variant spelling for the word that has become standardized in twentieth-century English as "scimitar," meaning a highly curved, single-edged saber, which was usually associated with the Middle East and was used for slicing or hacking. The word "cimeter" appears in the Book of Mormon eleven times, always in the context of weaponry. [Paul Hoskisson, "Scimitars, Cimeters! We Have Scimitars! Do We Need Another Cimeter?," in Warfare in the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., p. 352]
From the Mesoamerican perspective, the Book of Mormon cimeter might be identified with a curved, axlike weapon held by many of the figures in the Temple of the Warrior at Chichen Itza. It appears to be a curved piece of wood in the end of which was inserted obsidian or flint blades. [William Hamblin and Brent Merrill, "Notes on the Cimeter (Scimitar) in the Book of Mormon," in Warfare in the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., p. 361]
Enos 1:20 Their skill was in . . . the cimeter ([Illustration]): Sketch of a possible Mesoamerican scimitar. This figure clearly shows the structure of the weapon as being different from the standard ax. [William Hamblin and Brent Merrill, "Notes on the Cimeter (Scimitar) in the Book of Mormon," in Warfare in the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., p. 362]