Culveryne

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A long, slender cannon or handgun used in early modern warfare, firing relatively small shot over considerable distances
2. An obsolete type of long-barrelled artillery piece from the 16th and 17th centuries, prized for its accuracy at range
3. A historical form of heavy gun with a long barrel, used in sieges and naval battles before later artillery replaced it

Etymology: A long, slender cannon takes its name from a snake. The word comes from Old French "coulevrine," itself from Italian "colubrina," a derivative of Latin "colubra," meaning "serpent" or "snake." Early gunners apparently saw the long barrel as serpent-like, and the gun was named accordingly. English had a similar pattern. "Serpentine," another old name for a gun, comes from Latin "serpens," also meaning "serpent," so the two cannon names share the same serpent image through different Latin roots. Both ultimately reflect a habit of naming weapons after creatures known for their length and menace.

Synonyms: cannon, gun, bombard