culverin

noun /ˈkʌlvəɹɪn/

1. Any of a range of early gunpowder-fired guns of various sizes, from firearm to artillery. — A kind of handgun.

   historical

2. Any of a range of early gunpowder-fired guns of various sizes, from firearm to artillery. — A large cannon.

   historical

   Let Sacars, Culuerings, and Cannons ſound / In honour of their bones, and rock the ground / With all your deafning terrors: for behold / The Balſum for your wounds, are rich mens gold, / Powder the world with wonder, and thus crie, / The Camel now may paſſe the needles eie.

Where it comes from

From Middle English culveryne, from Old French coulevrine, from couleuvre (“snake”) (or from Latin colubrīnus), ultimately from Latin colubra, coluber (“snake”). Doublet of colubrine.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry culverin (CC BY-SA 4.0).

← cultuscunette →

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