mitrailleuse

[ mee-tra-yœz ]

noun

, French.

, plural mi·trail·leuses [mee-t, r, a, -, yœz].

1. a machine gun.

mitrailleuse

/ ˌmɪtraɪˈɜːz /

noun

1. an early form of breech-loading machine gun having several parallel barrels
2. any French machine gun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mitrailleuse¹

C19: from French, from mitraille small shot, from Old French mistraille pieces of money, from mite ²

Example Sentences

His anxiety is most apparent on La Mitrailleuse - a stark, foreboding composition where McCluskey intones the phrase "bend your body to the will of the machine" over a rhythm track constructed from machine gun fire.

From BBC

It was inspired by a trip to the Imperial War Museum, where the musician came across a painting - also called La Mitrailleuse - by Christopher Nevinson.

From BBC

In one, called La Mitrailleuse, or the machine gun, four soldiers - one dead, three living - are depicted at a machine gun post.

From BBC

The problem of the Connecticut man is how to do the most work in the shortest time, whether by means of a sewing-machine, a Colt, or a mitrailleuse.

From Project Gutenberg

This victory was very pluckily gained by Chief Bob Manuel and his people, who were greatly assisted in the defence of their position by having been supplied at an opportune moment with a mitrailleuse by one of the European traders in the New Calabar river.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• submachine gun