flintlock

noun

flint·​lock ˈflint-ˌläk 

1

: a lock for a gun or pistol having a flint in the hammer for striking a spark to ignite the charge

2

: a firearm fitted with a flintlock

Illustration of flintlock

• flintlock 2

Examples of flintlock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although a gunshot from a flintlock pistol lasts only an eye blink, the sound is composed of numerous elements: the squeeze of the trigger, the strike of the firing mechanism against the flint, the ignition of the powder, the slug’s passage through the barrel, the report, the impact. —Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025

My first rifle had been a flintlock that had been given to me by an old friend, Ed Wesson, the gunsmith. —Outdoor Life, 23 Nov. 2023

Modern gun technologies are far, far more deadly than the one-shot flintlocks of the 18th century—shouldn’t that matter? —Robert J. Spitzer, Time, 6 June 2023

According to the study, a colonial soldier with an 18th century flintlock musket could kill 43 people in an hour, while a soldier in the Civil War era using a rifle with the Minie ball (a conoidal bullet adopted by the US Army in 1855) could kill 102 people in an hour. —Jennifer Tucker, CNN, 20 Oct. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

flintlock

noun

flint·​lock ˈflint-ˌläk 

1

: a lock for a gun using a flint to ignite the charge

2

: a gun fitted with a flintlock