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• stern chaser
  stern chaser

  noun

  a cannon mounted at or near the stern of a sailing ship, facing aft.
• stern-chaser
  stern-chaser

  noun

  a gun mounted at the stern of a vessel for firing aft at a pursuing vessel

stern chaser

American  

noun

1. a cannon mounted at or near the stern of a sailing ship, facing aft.

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stern-chaser British  

noun

1. a gun mounted at the stern of a vessel for firing aft at a pursuing vessel

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Etymology

Origin of stern chaser

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stern chaser stern-chaser

I want you to make ready our stern chaser.

From Ralph Granger's Fortunes by Brown, William Perry

At eight o'clock the "Wasp" had gained so rapidly upon the chase, that the latter began firing with her stern chaser, and soon after opened with one of her lee guns.

From The Naval History of the United States Volume 2 by Jackson, W. C.

"I see you were just getting out a stern chaser," and he pointed to the gun.

From With Wolfe in Canada The Winning of a Continent by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)

Let Tompion see what he can do with the stern-chaser, in the way of knocking away some of the fellow’s spars.

From Under the Meteor Flag Log of a Midshipman during the French Revolutionary War by Collingwood, Harry

Burrows, whose character was unknown to them, intended to avoid the enemy, and was rigging the long gun for a stern-chaser.

From The Naval History of the United States Volume 2 by Jackson, W. C.

Slight defects in the mounting of the stern-chaser quick-firer had appeared almost as soon as the destroyer left the Firth of Forth, and the armourer's crew were hard at work rectifying the damage.

From With Beatty off Jutland A Romance of the Great Sea Fight by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)

My father casting about, as the chase progressed, to put us on better terms of defence, suggested unlashing this gun and running her aft for a stern-chaser.

From Sir John Constantine Memoirs of His Adventures At Home and Abroad and Particularly in the Island of Corsica: Beginning with the Year 1756 by Quiller-Couch, Arthur Thomas, Sir

The vessel had swung round a little, so that her stern-chaser, a culverin twelve feet long, pointed full at the fort.

From With Drake on the Spanish Main by Strang, Herbert