firelock

1 9.9

An old gun loaded from the front and fired by a piece of flint

noun
/ˈfaɪərˌlɒk/

Archaic

: pistola de chispa

He displayed his antique firelock at the museum.

Examples

The firelock was a popular weapon in the 18th century.
During the Revolutionary War, soldiers were required to carry a firelock as part of their standard equipment.
Collectors often seek out rare examples of the 17th-century firelock for their historical value.
During the demonstration, the old firelock was fired, astonishing the crowd with its loud report.
The soldier carefully loaded his firelock before marching into battle.
He carefully cleaned his firelock to ensure it would fire accurately when needed.
To display their historical firearms, the museum featured a collection of firelocks from the 18th century.

Synonyms

flintlock

vsfirelock

Archaic

3 9.9

A gun that uses a piece of flint to make a spark and fire

refers specifically to the muzzle loading firearm fitted with that mechanism

Surface Forms

firelock singular

firelocks plural

Morphology

firelock = fire + lock (transparent) = fire + lock

A straightforward compound whose meaning ('a gun with a firing lock') is directly derived from 'fire' + 'lock'.

Etymology

The word firelock comes from the two simple parts fire and lock. The lock was the metal mechanism that made the 'fire' or spark to shoot the shot, so a firelock is an old gun that used that firing mechanism.