chu-ko-nu en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˌtʃuːkəʊˈnuː/
- jo͞o′-gŭ′-no͞o′
Etymology
From Mandarin 諸葛弩 /诸葛弩 (Zhūgě nǔ, literally “Zhuge crossbow”) Wade–Giles romanization: chu¹-ko³-nu³.
Meanings
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An early Chinese repeating crossbow.
While traditional bows were all about placing carefully selected shots, the chu-ko-nu could rattle off about one shot every two seconds, raining down a shitstorm of indiscriminate crossbow fire that would scare the Fu Manchu right off the enemy.
2013, John O'Bryan, A History of Weapons, Chronicle Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 84:The chu-ko-nu, equipped with a magazine to hold bolts or, as in this case, pellets, was used in China well into the twentieth century (Needham et al. 1994: 157-64; Selby 2003: 62-63).
2007, C. E. Grayson, M. French, M. J. O'Brien, Traditional Archery from Six Continents, University of Missouri Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 24:Ejecting and replacing the magazine from her chu–ko–nu, she grimly fastened the ribbon holding the gruesome trophy to her belt.
2016, Felix Long, To Conquer Heaven, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 364:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| chu-ko-nus | Number=Plur | lexicographic |