harquebus
- noun
- /ˈhɑrkəˌbəs/
- Archaic
Examples
-
The harquebus, the first portable firearm, came into use at the same time.
Academic text (1992) -
And still they took her, tying her hand and foot, and they rode off with Jannie, the harquebus, the box, and all.
Fiction book (1990) -
At the same time, around the sentry's other side came a man in underwear, trying to spark a flint on his harquebus.
Fiction book (1990) -
The harquebus was a revolutionary weapon in the 15th century, allowing infantry to engage enemies from a distance.
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During the siege, soldiers relied heavily on their harquebus to defend their position against attackers.
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Historians agree that the introduction of the harquebus changed the dynamics of warfare in Europe.
Synonyms
A long early gun carried and fired from the shoulder used in the 1500s and 1600s
A long-barrel gun used in war from the 1400s to the 1600s
An old gun with a long barrel used by soldiers to shoot from a distance
Surface Forms
Etymology
Harquebus comes from an old German word hakenbüchse, made of haken and büchse, meaning 'hook' and 'box' because the gun often had a hook to steady the heavy barrel and a box-like body. So a harquebus was an early long gun, and remembering the 'hook' helps you picture how soldiers held and rested it.