musket
Musket (noun) means an old type of long-barrelled firearm carried by infantry soldiers before the rifle became standard. Example: “The re-enactors fired their muskets in a smoky volley across the field.”
How to use musket
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old-fashioned, long gun used by soldiers before rifles took over.
Word forms
- Plural
- muskets
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The re-enactors fired their _____ in a smoky volley across the field.
Etymology
From Middle French mousquet, via Italian moschetto ("little fly"), originally the name for a small hawk before being applied to firearms named after birds of prey.