matchlock

[ mach-lok ]

noun

1. an old form of gunlock in which the priming was ignited by a slow match.
2. a hand gun, usually a musket, with such a lock.

matchlock

/ ˈmætʃˌlɒk /

noun

1. an obsolete type of gunlock igniting the powder by means of a slow match
2. a gun having such a lock

Word History and Origins

Origin of matchlock¹

First recorded in 1630–40; match ¹ + lock ¹

Example Sentences

“One of those women I had thrown under an elephant, the other shot with a matchlock.”

From New York Times

Would we still be living in the world of the horse and cart, the quill pen and the matchlock firearm?

From Nature

At that time, the word “arms” meant muskets and matchlock rifles, not weapons that enable an emotionally unbalanced person to commit mass murder in seconds.

From Washington Post

We are as much bygones as the old flint musket or the matchlock.

From Project Gutenberg

The musketeers carried matchlocks, useless in wet weather, and European-made double-barrelled guns, muskets, and pistols, generally of very inferior quality.

From Project Gutenberg