Search the Dictionary

To make a hollow sound, as of waves or cannon. Alarm guns booming through the night air. W. Irving.

The internal cylindrical cavity of a gun, cannon, pistol, or other firearm, or of a pipe or tube. The bores of wind instruments. Bacon. Love's counselor should fill the bores of hearing. Shak.

The act or process of one who, or that which, bores; as, the boring of cannon; the boring of piles and ship timbers by certain marine mollusks. One of the most important applications of boring is in the formation of artesian wells. Tomlinson.

The hinder part of anything; esp., the part of a cannon, or other firearm, behind the chamber.

A strong rope rove through the cascabel of a cannon and secured to ringbolts in the ship's side, to limit the recoil of the gun when it is discharged.

ially zinc, are sometimes added. It is hard and sonorous, and is used for statues, bells, cannon, etc., the proportions of the ingredients being varied to suit the particular purposes. The varieties containing the higher proportions of tin are brittle, as in bell metal and speculum metal.

The force of a blow; shock; collision. "And heavy brunt of cannon ball." Hudibras. It is instantly and irrecoverably scattered by our first brunt with some real affair of common life. I. Taylor.

as, the South Sea bubble. Then a soldier . . . Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. Shak.

A cannon ball. [Obs.] A ship before Greenwich . . . shot off her ordnance, one piece being charged with a bullet of stone. Stow.

A mixture of shot, nails, stones, pieces of old iron, etc., fired from a cannon at short range, in an emergency. [R.]

charge or by strain or pressure, esp. from within; to force open suddenly; as, to burst a cannon; to burst a blood vessel; to burst open the doors. My breast I'll burst with straining of my courage. Shak.

result of calculation; as, the calculated place of a planet; the calculated velocity of a cannon ball.

The diameter of the bore, as a cannon or other firearm, or of any tube; or the weight or size of the projectile which a firearm will carry; as, an 8 inch gun, a 12-pounder, a 44 caliber. The caliber of empty tubes. Reid. A battery composed of three guns of small caliber. Prescott.

A kind of case shot for cannon, in which a number of lead or iron balls in layers are inclosed in a case fitting the gun; -- called also canister shot,

A large size of writing paper; as, flat cap; foolscap; legal cap. Cap of a cannon, a piece of lead laid over the vent to keep the priming dry; -- now called an apron. -- Cap in hand, obsequiously; submissively. -- Cap of liberty. See Liberty cap, under Liberty. -- Cap of maintenance, a cap of state carried before th…

A metal covering plate which passes over the trunnions of a cannon, and holds it in place.

the table; a hitting of two or more balls with the player's ball. In England it is called cannon.

A kind of short cannon, formerly in use, designed to throw a large projectile with small velocity, used for the purpose of breaking or smashing in, rather than piercing, the object aimed at, as the side of a ship. It has no trunnions, but is supported on its carriage by a bolt passing through a loop on its under side.…

A wooden case filled with balls, to be shot from a cannon.

im surrounding its base. -- Cartridge bag, a bag of woolen cloth, to hold a charge for a cannon. -- Cartridge belt, a belt having pocket for cartridges. -- Cartridge box, a case, usually of leather, attached to a belt or strap, for holding cartridges. -- Cartridge paper. (a) A thick stout paper for inclosing cartri…