noun
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an obsolete gunlock in which the charge is ignited by a spark produced by a flint in the hammer
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a firearm having such a lock
Etymology
Origin of flintlock
Vocabulary lists containing flintlock
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The new technology had a relatively brief lifespan and, like the matchlock, was ultimately replaced by the more reliable flintlock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
We were also dealing with old flintlock pistols, though.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2024
The rules were geared more for semiautomatic pistols than flintlock weapons, but re-enactors who fear being arrested if they publicly re-stage battles from the colonial era to the Civil War are staying off the field.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 28, 2022
An Egyptian limestone statue, dating to 2400 BC, sold for £6 million; while a pair of Napoleonic flintlock pistols fetched £976,000.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2022
And in his left hand each carried a tall flintlock gun.
From "The Fighting Ground" by Avi
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.