What is "matchlocks"

Usage examples of "matchlocks".

The upland valleys had become a favourite hunting ground for the shikarees who used nets, snares and ancient matchlocks to kill hares, wild pigs, deer, quail and partridge that they sold to the officers, and Sharpe assumed a party of the hunters was close to the track, but after a few seconds the firing intensified.

So far they had fetched in three ancient matchlocks that must have belonged to shikarees, a broken musket of local manufacture, and a fine pistol and sword that had been taken from an engineer officer.

Great Tourney had opened in the Valley of the Sepulcher upon the plains below the city of Nimmr, a band of swart men in soiled thobs and carrying long matchlocks topped the summit of the pass upon the north side of the valley and looked down upon the City of the Sepulcher and the castle of King Bohun.

Ibn Jad and four matchlocks belched forth flame and black powder and slugs of lead.

Guinalda and recognized her, but a volley from the matchlocks of the desert people sent the crudely armed soldiers of Bohun back in retreat, though the brave knight couched his lance and charged again until his hosse was brought down by a bullet and he lay pinned beneath it.

Their cutlasses were drawn and the smoke of their matchlocks blued the air, trailing out across the surface of the water.

Civilization on the Fourth Level ranges from pikes and matchlocks to thermonuclear weapons.

There were clumsy old hack buts, matchlocks and wheel locks, butt of much laughter.

The matchlocks of the Arabs roared, filling the canyon with thundering reverberations, adding to the bedlam.

The emissaries rode beneath a white flag, but some of the Arabs were aiming their long-barrelled matchlocks at the approaching horsemen and the kill adar quickly sent some aides to tell the mercenaries to hold their fire.