matchlock

noun

match·​lock ˈmach-ˌläk 

1

: a slow-burning match lowered over a hole in the breech of a musket to ignite the charge

2

: a musket equipped with a matchlock

Examples of matchlock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

First-generation matchlock rifles, tanks, and aircraft had major limitations but improved over time. —Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2018

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

Also known Hwaseong-Chong (a matchlock gun), the SA-16 is likely meant to offset the advantage South Korean and American forces have in tactical airpower. —Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 4 Apr. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1637, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

matchlock

noun

match·​lock ˈmach-ˌläk 

: a firearm in which the charge is ignited by a slow match in a movable holder attached to the breech