chassepot

American  

[shas-poh, shas-poh] / ˈʃæs poʊ, ʃasˈpoʊ /

noun

• chassepots
  plural

1. a breechloading rifle, closed with a sliding bolt, introduced into the French army after 1866.

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chassepot British  

/ ˈʃæspəʊ, ʃaspo /

noun

1. a breech-loading bolt-action rifle formerly used by the French Army

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• chassepots
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chassepot

1865–70; named after A. A. Chassepot (1833–1905), French mechanic, who invented it

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chassepot chassepots

Its only tenant was a sentinel, yellow with jaundice, who seized his chassepot with shaking hands and called a shrill "Qui Vive?"

From Lorraine A romance by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers

Sadowa and ’66 were child’s play to this here, with the fire of the chassepot and that infernal mitrailleuse!

From Fritz and Eric The Brother Crusoes by John C. (John Conroy) Hutcheson

Odious repetition of those words, "Order reigns in Warsaw," and "The chassepot has done wonders."

From History of the Commune of 1871 by P. Lissagary

And I tell ye that beyond a few instruction sergeants from the artillery, there was divil a man among them who could point a chassepot or lay a piece.

From A Tatter of Scarlet Adventurous Episodes of the Commune in the Midi 1871 by S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett

The chassepot, a new breech-loading rifle, immensely superior to the Prussian needle-gun, was issued; the artillery trains were thoroughly overhauled, and a new machine-gun, the mitrailleuse, from which much was expected, introduced.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 1 "Franciscans" to "French Language" by Various

Accordingly I advised Hugh to confide to the sergeant in private the name of his father, and promise that a similar rifle would be sent to him with the next consignment of chassepots.

From A Tatter of Scarlet Adventurous Episodes of the Commune in the Midi 1871 by S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett

But Beaudoin's company had seen them there once, and to their eyes they were there still; the chassepots seemed to go off of their own accord.

From The Downfall by E. P. Robins

The officer commanding the troops, here, has promised us the loan of a hundred and twenty old guns, which are in store; and also of twenty chassepots for rifle practice.

From The Young Franc Tireurs And Their Adventures in the Franco-Prussian War by F. T. Young

Two thousand chassepots fell into the hands of the people.

From History of the Commune of 1871 by P. Lissagary

He was collecting chassepots, and received five sous for every chassepot he brought in.

From The Downfall by E. P. Robins