noun
- an early type of firearm in which gunpowder is ignited by a slow-burning match
Usage: historical
Examples
- The soldier loaded his matchlock musket before the battle.
- Matchlock firearms were widely used in the 16th and 17th centuries.
- The museum displayed several antique matchlock rifles.
- Before flintlock mechanisms, armies relied on matchlock weapons.
- The matchlock required the gunner to keep a lit match ready at all times.
- Japanese samurai adopted matchlock firearms from Portuguese traders.