matchlock

[ mach-lok ]

/ ˈmætʃˌlɒk /

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noun

an old form of gunlock in which the priming was ignited by a slow match.

a hand gun, usually a musket, with such a lock.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of matchlock

First recorded in 1630–40; match¹ + lock¹

Words nearby matchlock

matchet, match-fit, match-funding, matchless, matchlist, matchlock, match made in heaven, matchmaker, matchmark, match plate, match play

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use matchlock in a sentence

Formerly they had to be carried separately, but the new arrangement was a great convenience and made the matchlock.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
There are two women on ponies, one old one on foot, and three men armed with sword and matchlock.
Confessions of a Thug|Philip Meadows Taylor
I did n't want any one to tell me which he was, for I 'd know Matchlock at half a mile distance.
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. I (of II)|Charles James Lever
Some genius in the machine shop altered a matchlock musket to flintlock and showed the local gunsmiths how to do it.
Space Viking|Henry Beam Piper

As they left the camp, Mrs. Armine saw Hamza behind her tent, patrolling with a matchlock over his shoulder.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

British Dictionary definitions for matchlock

matchlock

/ (ˈmætʃˌlɒk) /

noun

an obsolete type of gunlock igniting the powder by means of a slow match

a gun having such a lock

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