matchlock
noun
- firearm mechanism
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈmatʃlɒk/ / /ˈmæt͡ʃlɑk/
noun
Etymology: From match + lock.
- Early type of firearm, using a smoldering piece of cord to fire the powder in the firing pan.
“I crept silently up the hill-road, but the fuse of my matchlock was wetted with the rain, and I could not slay Daoud Shah from afar.”
- The gunlock used in such a weapon, having a slow smouldering match.