culverin

culverin
/kul"veuhr in/, n.
1. medieval form of musket.
2. a kind of heavy cannon used in the 16th and 17th centuries.
[1400-50; late ME < MF coulevrine < L colubrina, fem. of colubrinus COLUBRINE]

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cannon
      medieval cannon of relatively long barrel and light construction. It fired light (8–16-pound [3.6–7.3-kg]) projectiles at long ranges along a flat trajectory.

      The culverin was adapted to field use by the French in the mid-15th century and to naval use by the English in the late 16th century. During the 17th century, cannons were classified according to the weight of projectiles fired, and the name culverin became obsolete.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Culverin — Cul ver*in (k?l v?r ?n), n. [F. coulevrine, prop. fem. of couleuvrin like a serpent, fr. couleuvre adder, fr. L. coluber, colubra.] A long cannon of the 16th century, usually an 18 pounder with serpent shaped handles. [1913 Webster] Trump, and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • culverin — [kul′vər in] n. [Fr coulevrine < couleuvre, adder < VL * culobra, for L colubra, a serpent, snake < IE base * (s)kel , to bend: see COLON1] 1. a kind of medieval musket 2. a long, heavy cannon of the 15th 17th cent …   English World dictionary

  • Culverin — 15th century culveriners. A culverin was a relatively simple ancestor of the musket, and later a medieval cannon, adapted for use by the French in the 15th century, and later adapted for naval use by the English in the late 16th century. The… …   Wikipedia

  • Culverin — Early kind of hand held gun, though later the word was applied to a cannon with a particularly long barrel. In heraldry, culverin was always used of a cannon with a wide, out of scale, bore …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

  • culverin — noun Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French couleuvrine, from couleuvre snake, from Latin colubra Date: 15th century an early firearm: a. a rude musket b. a long cannon (as an 18 pounder) of the 16th and 17th centuries …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • culverin — noun /ˈkʌlvərɪn/ a) A kind of handgun. b) A large cannon …   Wiktionary

  • culverin — [ kʌlv(ə)rɪn] noun 1》 a 16th or 17th century cannon with a relatively long barrel for its bore. 2》 a kind of handgun of the 15th and 16th centuries. Origin C15: from OFr. coulevrine, from couleuvre snake …   English new terms dictionary

  • Culverin — 1) Light cannon firing lead or bronze bullets mounted on portable rest and the ancestor of the hand gun and the harquebus. (Seward, Desmond. Henry V: The Scourge of God, 222) 2) Long barrelled cannon of cast bronze with a small calibre. (Wise,… …   Medieval glossary

  • culverin — cul·ve·rin …   English syllables

  • culverin — cul•ver•in [[t]ˈkʌl vər ɪn[/t]] n. 1) mil a medieval form of musket 2) mil a kind of heavy cannon used in the 16th and 17th centuries • Etymology: 1400–50; late ME < MF coulevrine < L colubrīna, fem. of colubrīnus colubrine …   From formal English to slang

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