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Glite Dictionary
gunflint

gunflint

9.9
A small piece of flint that makes a spark to light the powder in a flintlock gun
  • noun
  • /ˈɡʌnflɪnt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : piedra de chispa
  • The soldier replaced the gunflint in his flintlock pistol to ensure it would fire properly.

Examples

  • Menk is also a fan of the food and the craft beer at the Gunflint Tavern (111 W. Wisconsin St.), a welcoming watering hole, restaurant, and live music venue on the main drag.

    Blog text (18)

  • He rummaged through the old box and found a gunflint from a Revolutionary War musket.

  • During the demonstration, the historian explained how to create a spark using a gunflint and black powder.

Synonyms

flintstone
vsgunflint
37 7.2

A hard rock used to make tools, build walls, or start fires

is shaped for striking in a weapon rather than general construction or firelighting
flint
vsgunflint
30 6.1

A hard gray or brown stone that makes sparks when you hit it and helps start a fire

is chosen for weapon use to ignite gunpowder rather than general tool use
firestone
vsgunflint
  • Archaic
9.9

A small piece of flint used to make sparks to light a fire

is used to ignite gunpowder in a weapon's firing mechanism

Surface Forms

gunflint singular
gunflints plural

Morphology

gunflint = gun + flint (transparent) = gun + flint

The compound denotes a piece of flint used with a gun; the meaning is a direct combination of 'gun' + 'flint' and is readily inferable.

Etymology

Gunflint is made from gun and flint, where flint is a hard stone used to make a 'spark' in early guns called flintlocks, so a gunflint is the small piece that made the gunpowder light and let the gun fire.