See Also: musket(medicine)
musket(1)(dictionary)
musket(2)(dictionary)
musket(encyclopedia)
musket(dictionary)

musket(2) (iou)



musket noun2. Also musquet. L16.
[French mousquet, -ette from Italian moschetto, -etta (formerly) bolt from a crossbow, from mosca fly from Latin musca: see -ET1.]
Hist. A gun (orig. a matchlock) of the kind used by infantry soldiers, usu. smooth-bored and fired from shoulder-level.
Comb.: musket-arrow a short arrow discharged from an early type of musket; musket ball a ball used as ammunition for a musket; musket powder the kind of gunpowder used for small arms; musketproof adjective not readily penetrated by musket balls; musket shot (a) shot fired from a musket; a musket ball; (b) the range of a musket.
musketade noun a continued discharge of muskets; an attack with muskets: M17.