flintlock

/ˈflɪntˌlɑk/
noun
  1. A type of gun used in the past that uses a piece of flint to create a spark and fire the gun.
    • Hunters in the 18th century relied on a flintlock for shooting game.
    • The museum displayed an old flintlock from the Revolutionary War.
    • He carefully cleaned his antique flintlock before the reenactment.
  2. The firing mechanism of such a gun, which uses flint to strike steel and create a spark.
    • The gunsmith repaired the broken flintlock on the musket.
    • She studied how the flintlock worked to understand early firearms.
    • The flintlock's design was a major improvement over earlier matchlocks.
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