hammerless

American

[ham-er-lis] / ˈhæm ər lɪs /

adjective

(of a firearm) having the hammer concealed within the receiver.

hammerless British

/ ˈhæməlɪs /

adjective

(of a firearm) having the hammer enclosed so that it is not visible

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hammerless

First recorded in 1870–75; hammer + -less

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.

It was small, but large enough for a tiny, hammerless handgun he owned and sometimes, to his wife's horror, threatened to license and carry.

From Time Magazine Archive

When opened, he found, much to his delight, it contained a double-barreled hammerless shotgun.

From Hidden Treasure by Simpson, John Thomas

From this date hammerless guns became really popular.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6 "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad" by Various

I bequeath to John Bolland the shorthorn cow he sold me, and to that lad of his—you must find out his proper name—my pair of hammerless guns and my sword.

From The Revellers by Tracy, Louis

In 1862 Daw, and in 1866 Green, introduced hammerless guns in which the cocking was effected by the under lever.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6 "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023