matchlock en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈmatʃlɒk/ (UK)
- (General-American) audio
- /ˈmæt͡ʃlɑk/ (US)
Etymology
From match + lock.
Meanings
-
(historical) Early type of firearm, using a smoldering piece of cord to fire the powder in the firing pan.
I crept silently up the hill-road, but the fuse of my matchlock was wetted with the rain, and I could not slay Daoud Shah from afar.
1888, Rudyard Kipling, ‘Dray Wara Yow Dee’, Black and White, volume 1, Folio Society, published 2004, page 372:
- The gunlock used in such a weapon, having a slow smouldering match.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| matchlocks | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Translations (5)
fr platine à mèche (gunlock) · fi lunttupyssy (firearm) · fi lunttulukko (gunlock) · io musketo (firearm) · io mechofusilo (firearm)