firelock

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From fire +‎ lock.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

firelock (plural firelocks)

  1. (historical) A form of gunlock, in which the priming is ignited by a spark. [from 16th c.]
  2. (by extension, historical) A firearm using such a gunlock. [from 17th c.]
    • 1819 June 23, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Rip Van Winkle”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., number I, New York, N.Y.: [] C. S. Van Winkle, [], →OCLC, pages 76–77:
      He looked round for his gun, but in place of the clean well-oiled fowing-piece, he found an old firelock lying by him, the barrel encrusted with rust, the lock falling off, and the stock worm-eaten.
    • 1824, Town and Country Tales, page 115:
      Alfred, surprised to meet his father, whom he thought absent from home, [] stood, holding his firelock in one hand, and his hat in the other []
    • 1999, Jakob Grimmelshausen, translated by Mike Mitchell, Simplicius Simplicissimus, Dedalus, published 2016, page 48:
      Before we were out of the forest, however, we saw about ten peasants, some armed with firelocks [translating Feuer-rohren], others busy burying something.

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