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wheel lock

noun

an old type of gunlock in which sparks are produced by the friction of a small steel wheel against a piece of iron pyrites.
a gun having such a gunlock.

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Origin of wheel lock

First recorded in 1660–70

Words nearby wheel lock

wheel horse, wheelhouse, wheelie, wheelie bin, wheeling, wheel lock, wheelman, Wheelock, wheel of fortune, wheel of life, wheels
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for wheel lock

British Dictionary definitions for wheel lock

wheel lock

noun

a gunlock formerly in use in which the firing mechanism was activated by sparks produced by friction between a small steel wheel and a flint
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