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Glite Dictionary
gunlock

gunlock

9.4
A part of a gun that makes the gunpowder burn to fire a shot
  • noun
  • /ˈɡʌnˌlɒk/
  • Archaic
translation icon : dispositivo de percusión
  • The antique musket's gunlock was carefully restored by the collector.

Examples

  • She studied the gunlock to understand how flintlock rifles were fired.

  • The collector demonstrated how the gunlock ignites the charge in his antique firearm.

  • An effective gunlock made the difference in early firearms technology.

  • The gunlock failed to engage properly.

  • He inspected the gunlock for any defects.

  • Before the competition, the marksman ensured that the gunlock was functioning correctly.

  • The innovative design of the gunlock improved the reliability of the weapon.

Synonyms

firing mechanism
vsgunlock
  • Specialized
2 6.8

Part of a gun that makes the bullet move out of the barrel

is the specific mechanism that performs the ignition to release the projectile

Surface Forms

gunlock singular
gunlocks plural

Morphology

gunlock = gun + lock (transparent) = gun + lock

A straightforward compound of 'gun' + 'lock' meaning the locking/ignition mechanism of a firearm; learners who know both words can infer this.

Etymology

Gunlock joins the familiar words gun 'a weapon that shoots' and lock 'a device that holds or releases', and it originally named the part on early guns that started the firing. The lock part was used for the small firing device in early firearms, as in flintlock, so a gunlock is the mechanism that makes a gun 'go off'.