musket

American  

[muhs-kit] / ˈmʌs kɪt /

noun

1. a heavy, large-caliber smoothbore gun for infantry soldiers, introduced in the 16th century: the predecessor of the modern rifle.

2. the male sparrow hawk, Accipiter nisus.

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musket British  

/ ˈmʌskɪt /

noun

1. a long-barrelled muzzle-loading shoulder gun used between the 16th and 18th centuries by infantry soldiers

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Etymology

Origin of musket

1580–90; < Middle French mousquet < Italian moschetto crossbow arrow, later musket, originally kind of hawk, equivalent to mosch ( a ) fly (< Latin musca ) + -etto -et

Example Sentences

A family tree hangs in the boardroom and some of the company’s oldest weapons, including a musket from 1830, are displayed in an archive of more than 1,500 pieces.

From The Wall Street Journal

The couple are seen side by side in period costume, as Anna hands John a cartridge to reload his musket.

From The Wall Street Journal

One of Whitney’s next ventures was manufacturing muskets for the federal government.

From The Wall Street Journal

For the guard, being a guard, was armed with a musket.

From Literature

The Spaniard brought only 11 ships, some 450 men, 16 horses and a modest collection of cannons, crossbows and arquebuses, precursors to the musket.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• carbine
• rifle