Named "half-moon" for its crescent blade — one of the oldest kitchen tool designs still in daily use, unchanged for five centuries.
A crescent-shaped chopping knife with a handle at each end, rocked back and forth to mince herbs and vegetables.
From Italian mezzaluna, literally meaning half-moon, from mezza (half) and luna (moon) Key roots: media (Latin: "middle, half"), luna (Latin: "moon").
The mezzaluna design has barely changed since its invention in the 15th century. Italian kitchen tools in general are remarkably conservative — the mezzaluna, the moka pot, the pizza peel, and the pasta machine all reached their essential forms centuries ago and have resisted modern redesign.