WordNet
n. container for carrying gunpowder; made of the hollow horn of an animal [syn: powder horn]
Wikipedia
A powder flask is a small container for gunpowder, which was an essential part of shooting equipment with muzzleloading guns, before pre-made paper cartridges became standard in the 19th century. They range from very elaborately decorated works of art to early forms of consumer packaging, and are widely collected. Many were standardized military issue, but the most decorative were generally used for sporting shooting.
Although the term powder horn is sometimes used for any kind of powder flask, it is strictly a sub-category of flask made from a hollowed bovid horn. Powder flasks were made in a great variety of materials and shapes, though ferrous metals that were prone to give off sparks when hit were usually avoided. Stag antler, which could be carved or engraved, was an especially common material, but wood and copper were common, and in India, ivory. Apart from the horns, common shapes were the Y formed by the base of an antler (inverted), a usually flattened pear shape with a straight spout (poire-poudre or "powder pear" is a French term for these), a round flattened shape, and for larger flasks a triangle with concave rounded sides, which unlike the smaller flasks could be stood upright on a surface. Many designs (such as horn and antler types) have a wide sealed opening for filling, and a thin spout for dispensing. Various devices were used to load a precise amount of powder to dispense, as it was important not to load too much or too little powder, or the powder was dispensed into a powder measure or "charger" (these survive much less often). As early as c. 1600 a German flask had a silver spout with a "telescopic valve, adjustable for different sizes of powder charges".
Usage examples of "powder flask".
She groped for the powder flask at her belt and filled the pan, scarcely looking away from the birds.
When he had looped the straps of powder flask, priming flask, and bullet bag round his neck, he called for his horse, mounted, and began to trot Bruiser up and down the field, all the while loading and priming the pair of pistols.
Attached to the dagger belt were a powder flask and a lacquered-leather box fitted for and containing a wad of greased-cloth patches, a dozen bullets, a [missing] mold for casting them, and the spanner for winding the tools' mechanisms, as well as a small flask of fine priming powder.
Attached to the dagger belt were a powder flask and a lacquered-leather box fitted for and taining a wad of greased-cloth patches, a dozen bullets, a br mold for casting them, and the spanner for winding the tols' mechanisms, as well as a small flask of fine pr powder.
I cleaned his gun, filled his powder flask, and ran to do his every bidding.
Gunnar sniffed and looked toward the empty powder flask in Justen's hand.
He frowned and set aside the splinter as he reached for the powder flask.
Robyn sat down on the edge of the bunk, held the weapon muzzle-up between her knees while she unscrewed the silver powder flask and measured the fine powder into the cup.
He took the jug, called for a cup, and after filling the cup he hurriedly uncorked his powder flask and shook a couple of handfuls of gunpowder into the drink.
When I turned round again the surgeon was stopping to pick up a fallen powder flask, and Bryant was ramming home a wad in one of the barkers.
He drew out the ramrod and slid it down both barrels to check the pistols were loaded, then looked in the drawer for more ammunition, which he found in a tooled leather box that held a silver powder flask and a dozen spare bullets.
The spout of the powder flask had a measuring chamber to ensure that the pistols were charged with exactly the right amount of powder.