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Glite Dictionary
matchlock

matchlock

1 9.9
An early gun that used a slow burning cord to light the gunpowder
  • noun
  • /ˈmæʧlɒk/
  • Archaic
: mecha
  • So when the first alien ship lands on Earth, they attempt to overawe the natives with the might of their matchlock muskets.
  • matchlock muskets
  • matchlock gun

Examples

  • The cloth is made of imported Chinese silk, and the matchlocks carried by the royal guard are of Indian make, thus illustrating the long-standing trade and cultural exchange between Eastern Africa and the Orient.

    Academic text (2001)

  • So yeah, we have the range on our side, not only in terms of matchlocks, but I think, yeah, my boat Cav is still alive.

  • Keep your matchlock lit.

    The New World (2005)

  • The first guns in the American colonies were smoothbore matchlocks brought from Europe.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The first guns in the American colonies were smoothbore matchlocks brought from Europe.

  • Each pause in the fighting gave the Europeans a chance to reload their unwieldy matchlocks.

  • Men were standing on the port rail, matchlocks in hand.

Surface Forms

matchlock singular
matchlocks plural

Morphology

matchlock = match + lock (semi-transparent) = match + lock

The compound literally combines 'match' + 'lock' (a mechanism using a match), but the specific historical sense 'a type of firearm' is specialized and may not be obvious to learners.

Etymology

The word matchlock comes from two parts: match ('a slow-burning cord used to light fire') and lock ('a mechanism like a door lock'). A matchlock was a gun where the burning match was brought to the powder by the lock, so the name directly describes how the weapon worked.