touchhole
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈtʌtʃhoʊl/
- Archaic
- There was a goof as the fine powder ignited, shooting flame through the touchhole to the main charge.
Examples
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A spark ignited the black powder through the touchhole, setting off the shot.
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Also, make a touchhole to light it.
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...stick in the potato, light the touchhole.
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Still don't have a touchhole.
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I've had failures a few times with both my muskets, both percussion, and my solution is FFFF powder in the touchhole and a new cap; it has worked every time so far.
Blog text (11) -
In the cannon's touchhole is an iron spike—a replica of the one Ethan Allen drove in.
Fiction book (1992) -
The rain soaked the powder in his pan, wilted the blackbird's quill in his touchhole until it drooped limp as a rag.
Fiction book (1994) -
The gunsmith carefully drilled a small touchhole to ensure the charge ignited properly.
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To fire the old musket, you must place a flame at the touchhole.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word touchhole comes from the parts touch and hole, literally a 'hole you touch' to light a gun. So a touchhole is the small hole in an old firearm where a flame or a burning match 'touches' the powder to make it fire.