slow match
- noun
- Archaic
:
mecha lenta
- The soldier lit the slow match before loading the cannon.
Examples
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When he was on target, the gun captain either applied a slow match to the touch hole or, as seen here, pulled a lanyard attached to a gun lock to fire the gun.
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During the demonstration, the instructor explained how to use a slow match to ignite the powder.
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In old military practices, a slow match was essential for firing cannons safely.
Synonyms
A slow-burning cord used to light explosives from a safe distance
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense is directly derivable from combining 'slow' (burning at low speed) with 'match' (an ignition implement): a slow-burning ignition device or fuse. This is a straightforward compositional meaning and follows expected adjective+noun logic, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Slow match is a long rope soaked so it burned slowly and steadily, and the parts slow and match show the literal idea. Soldiers used this slow-burning rope as a 'match' to light guns or cannons from a safe distance, so the term means 'a cord that burns slowly to light firearms'.