blunderbuss

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blun·der·buss

(blŭn′dər-bŭs′)

1. A short musket of wide bore and flaring muzzle, formerly used to scatter shot at close range.

2. A person regarded as clumsy and stupid.

[Alteration of Dutch donderbus : donder, thunder (from Middle Dutch doner; see (s)tenə- in Indo-European roots) + bus, gun (from Middle Dutch busse, tube, from Latin buxis, box; see box¹).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

blunderbuss

(ˈblʌndəˌbʌs)

1. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) an obsolete short musket with large bore and flared muzzle, used to scatter shot at short range

2. informal a clumsy unsubtle person

[C17: changed (through the influence of blunder) from Dutch donderbus; from donder thunder + obsolete bus gun]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

blun•der•buss

(ˈblʌn dərˌbʌs)

n.

1. a short musket of wide bore with expanded muzzle to scatter shot, bullets, or slugs at close range.

2. an insensitive, blundering person.

[1645–55; < Dutch donderbus (=donder thunder + bus gun, box¹) with donder replaced by blunder]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

blunderbuss - a short musket of wide bore with a flared muzzle

bell - the flared opening of a tubular device

musket - a muzzle-loading shoulder gun with a long barrel; formerly used by infantrymen

Translations

espingole tromblon

blunderbuss

[ˈblʌndəbʌs] N → trabuco m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

blunderbuss

n → Donnerbüchse f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

These dropping shots from the blunderbusses of blunderheadedness might not have hit him in a vital place.

View in context

"My dear fellow," said Albert, turning to Franz, "here is an admirable adventure; we will fill our carriage with pistols, blunderbusses, and double-barrelled guns.

"And pray," asked Franz, "where are these pistols, blunderbusses, and other deadly weapons with which you intend filling the carriage?"

View in context

A: While some Islamic guns (rifles, muskets, pistols and blunderbusses) can be quite beautiful, exotic and nicely made, there is a whole sub-genre made specifically for the tourist trade.

OTTOMAN DUELING PISTOLS

Some instead of Carbines carry Blunderbusses, which are short Hand-guns of a great bore, wherein they may put several Pistol or Carabine-Balls, or small Slugs of Iron."

Love those blunderbusses! Perhaps the most iconic of firearms

Each chapter focuses on one type of weapon: the Model 1795 musket, swivel gun and blunderbusses, short rifles, personal weapons, pistols, air rifle, edged weapons, and ammunition.

Weapons of the Lewis and Clark expedition

AROUND 20 blunderbusses - an early version of the shotgun - were sold at a specialist arms sale late last year.

FOCUS ON BLUNDERBUSS GUNS; TREASURE HUNTERS

They chase the protesters down the streets and alleys, firing birdshot from blunderbusses, while other protests spring up not far away.

In Bahrain, A Candlelight Vigil can Land You in Jail

I just wish our AMs wouldn't keep providing them with the ammo they need for their blunderbusses.

AMs' second home scandal is ammo for their enemies

It will be joined in the auction by a full suit of 16th century European field armour worth between pounds 18,000 and pounds 24,000, as well as 35 lots ranging from rapiers and broadswords to early flintlock pistols and blunderbusses.

Suits of armour go under the hammer

The shotgun has been a part of the American experience since the earliest colonists brought their muzzleloading smoothbore muskets and blunderbusses ashore in the New World.

Shotguns in combat: lethality in the close fight

So I drifted upstairs, past cases full of truly primitive weapons, including muskets, maces, clubs, polearms, blunderbusses, and God knows what.