matchlock

noun

Definition of matchlocknext
as in musket

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of matchlock The Ottomans deployed field artillery and Janissary infantry armed with matchlocks in a defensive formation called tabur jangi, in which carts and wagons were used to build barricades on the battlefield. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026 The birth of ‘gunpowder warfare’ can be traced back to the 15th century and the invention of the matchlock gun, the first mechanical firing device. — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026 Guns are a part of American life, and have been since the very beginning, from the matchlock muskets arming the earliest colonies to the Colt revolvers and Winchester rifles of the Old West to the Glock handgun of today. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 7 Mar. 2018 First-generation matchlock rifles, tanks, and aircraft had major limitations but improved over time. — Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matchlock
  1. musket
  2. flintlock
  3. smoothbore
  4. harquebus
  5. shotgun
  6. culverin
  7. blunderbuss
  8. firearm
Noun
  • Most of the statue was melted down and reformed into musket balls, and several of these are on display in the opening section of the show across from four large intact pieces of the original.
    — Cat Dawson, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Those artifacts include musket balls found in the floorboards years ago during a renovation of Hollis Hall, a dormitory that soldiers used during fighting.
    — Ira Porter, Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2026
Definition of musket
Noun
  • Smoke billowed from his flintlock and Rhoades didn’t see where the buck ran after the shot.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Modern gun technologies are far, far more deadly than the one-shot flintlocks of the 18th century—shouldn’t that matter?
    — Robert J. Spitzer, Time, 6 June 2023
Definition of flintlock
Noun
  • Both tanks mount 120-125 mm smoothbore cannons capable of engaging armored vehicles at long range.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026
  • At least three states — Hawaii, Ohio and North Dakota — treat a smoothbore musket the same as an AK-47 or AR-15.
    — Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Definition of smoothbore
Noun
  • To put that in perspective, when Beretta started making arquebus barrels, Michelangelo was still working in Rome.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of harquebus
Noun
  • This random, explosive fragmentation resembles the firing of a shotgun.
    — Jenny Whilde, The Conversation, 7 July 2026
  • The pair of shotgun-style bedrooms right off the entry are decently sized and come with closets, in addition to being separated by the bathroom.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 6 July 2026
Definition of shotgun
Noun
  • Researchers recently found medieval cannonballs from culverins, an early form of cannon, that were most likely used by Vlad the Impaler, during his bloody battle in 1461 with the Ottoman Turks.
    — Fox News, Fox News, 5 Aug. 2019
Definition of culverin
Noun
  • Trump would also stop treating the Europeans as enemies with his blunderbuss tariffs.
    — Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Cost cutting ‘blunderbuss’ DOGE is part of a long line of presidential efforts to take an ax to the administrative state.
    — Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
Definition of blunderbuss
Noun
  • But a DeKalb County officer recently had his firearm in one hand and handcuffs in the other while trying to arrest a teenager who was on the ground with his hands behind his back.
    — Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 12 July 2026
  • The Show-Me State also ranked in the top 10 for firearm deaths last year.
    — Scott Cohn, CNBC, 11 July 2026
Definition of firearm

Browse Nearby Words

matchless
matchlock
matchlocks
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Cite this Entry

“Matchlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matchlock. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on matchlock

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about matchlock

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