Hackbutt

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A heavy early firearm resembling a musket, used in the 15th and 16th centuries; a type of arquebus designed for infantry use; a historical muzzle-loaded gun with a matchlock firing mechanism
2. An archaic long gun from the Renaissance period, serving as a precursor to muskets; a black powder firearm carried by foot soldiers; a matchlock weapon notable for its weight and length
3. A 16th-century infantry gun fired by a slow-burning match; an early hand-held firearm comparable to a musket; a large matchlock weapon employed in military warfare during its era

Etymology: The name is a literal description of the weapon. It comes from Middle Dutch "hakebusse," built from "haec," a hook, and "busse," a gun barrel. The hook was a practical feature. Gunners fixed it to the front of the barrel so they could catch it on a city wall, a rampart, or a wooden support. The recoil then pushed against the fixed object rather than driving the heavy gun back into the shooter's shoulder. English also has a close relative, "arquebus," which reached the language through French. Both words descend from the same Dutch compound, so they are doublets: the same origin, shaped differently by the routes they took into English.

Synonyms: arquebus, harquebus