Gunports

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Square openings cut into the hull of a warship through which its cannon could be fired
2. Holes in the side of a sailing vessel that let cannon fire out while being closed against water
3. Apertures along a ship's wall, fitted with hinged covers, for pointing guns outward during battle

Etymology: "Gunports" is the plural of "gunport," a compound of "gun" and "port." The "port" here is the older sense of an opening or aperture in a wall or ship's side, the same root that gives "portal" and "porthole." A gunport, then, is simply a hole cut through a fortification or a vessel's hull through which a cannon could be aimed and fired. The pairing matters because it describes a fixed function. On a warship, the rows of square openings along the side let heavy guns fire outward while keeping the sea out when the ports were closed, which is why the word stays tied to the physical hull and the battery rather than to any single weapon. Both parts of the compound are ordinary English words, and the combination is transparent: a port for a gun.

Synonyms: porthole