handgonne

noun

1. A handheld pre-matchlock black-powder gun.

   historical

   mere dry-as-dust knowledge of how Cæsar invaded Gaul, or Hannibal Italy, is about as useful as a knowledge of the "handgonne" would be for working a 12-pounder breech-loader.

Where it comes from

Learned borrowing from Middle English handgonne. Doublet of handgun.

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

← handgifthandlanger →

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