blunderbuss

blunderbuss
/blun"deuhr bus'/, n.
1. a short musket of wide bore with expanded muzzle to scatter shot, bullets, or slugs at close range.
2. an insensitive, blundering person.
[1645-55; < D donderbus (equiv. to donder THUNDER + bus gun, BOX1) with donder replaced by BLUNDER. See HARQUEBUS]

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▪ weapon
 short, muzzle-loading shoulder weapon, usually a flintlock, with a wide smooth bore flared at the muzzle to a maximum width of about 4 inches (10 centimetres). The flaring was intended to scatter the shot at very close range, an effect that later scientific experiments showed did not occur. The blunderbuss, forerunner of the shotgun, was common in the 18th century, though in use somewhat earlier and later.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Synonyms:
(with a large bore) / , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Blunderbuss — Blunderbuss …   Википедия

  • Blunderbuss — Blun der*buss, n. [Either fr. blunder + D. bus tube, box, akin to G. b[ u]chse box, gun, E. box; or corrupted fr. D. donderbus (literally) thunder box, gun, musket.] 1. A short gun or firearm, with a large bore, capable of holding a number of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • blunderbuss — 1650s, from Du. donderbus, from donder thunder (M.Du. doner, donder, from P.Gmc. *thunaraz) + bus gun (originally box, tube ), altered by resemblance to blunder …   Etymology dictionary

  • blunderbuss — ► NOUN 1) historical a short large bored gun. 2) an unsubtle and imprecise action or method. ORIGIN Dutch donderbus thunder gun …   English terms dictionary

  • blunderbuss — [blun′dərbus΄] n. [Du donderbus < donder, THUNDER + bus, gun (orig., box or tube): altered by assoc. with BLUNDER] 1. [Historical] a kind of musket with a short barrel, large bore, and a broad, flaring muzzle, accurate only at close range 2. a …   English World dictionary

  • Blunderbuss — An English flintlock blunderbuss. For the EP, see Blunderbuss (EP). For the Cornish giant, see Blunderbore. The blunderbuss is a muzzle loading firearm with a short, large caliber barrel, which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout… …   Wikipedia

  • blunderbuss — UK [ˈblʌndə(r)ˌbʌs] / US [ˈblʌndərˌbʌs] noun [countable] Word forms blunderbuss : singular blunderbuss plural blunderbusses an old fashioned gun with a long barrel that is very wide at the end …   English dictionary

  • Blunderbuss (Teddy Thompson EP) — Infobox Album | Name = Blunderbuss Type = EP Artist = Teddy Thompson Released = 2004 Recorded = Genre = Folk rock Label = Producer = Reviews = | Last album = Teddy Thompson (2000) This album = L.A. (EP) Next album = Separate Ways (2005)… …   Wikipedia

  • blunderbuss — noun Etymology: by folk etymology from obsolete Dutch donderbus, from Dutch donder thunder + obsolete Dutch bus gun Date: 1654 1. a muzzle loading firearm with a short barrel and flaring muzzle to facilitate loading 2. a blundering person …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Blunderbuss — Das Handrohr (auch Hand , Stangen oder Donnerbüchse; kurze Version Faustrohr, Faustbüchse; Spezialversionen Feuer oder Kugellanze, Orgelbüchse, Standrohr) war die erste Handfeuerwaffe, die von einem Mann allein transportiert und abgefeuert werden …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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