matchlock
noun
match·lock
ˈmach-ˌläk 
1
: a slow-burning match lowered over a hole in the breech of a musket to ignite the charge
2
: a musket equipped with a matchlock
Examples of matchlock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
First-generation matchlock rifles, tanks, and aircraft had major limitations but improved over time.
—
Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2018
Guns are a part of American life, and have been since the very beginning, from the matchlock muskets arming the earliest colonies to the Colt revolvers and Winchester rifles of the Old West to the Glock handgun of today.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 7 Mar. 2018
Also known Hwaseong-Chong (a matchlock gun), the SA-16 is likely meant to offset the advantage South Korean and American forces have in tactical airpower.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 4 Apr. 2017
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Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2018
Guns are a part of American life, and have been since the very beginning, from the matchlock muskets arming the earliest colonies to the Colt revolvers and Winchester rifles of the Old West to the Glock handgun of today.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 7 Mar. 2018
Also known Hwaseong-Chong (a matchlock gun), the SA-16 is likely meant to offset the advantage South Korean and American forces have in tactical airpower.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 4 Apr. 2017
Dictionary Entries Near matchlock
Cite this Entry
“Matchlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matchlock. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
matchlock
noun
match·lock
ˈmach-ˌläk
: a firearm in which the charge is ignited by a slow match in a movable holder attached to the breech
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