Search the Dictionary

To apply priming to, as a musket or a cannon; to apply a primer to, as a metallic cartridge.

One of a body of mounted troops, formerly armed with short muskets, who range over the country, and often fight on foot.

alis. -- Rat-tailed serpent (Zoöl.), the fer-de-lance. -- Rat-tailed shrew (Zoöl.), the musk shrew.

motion and insuring greater accuracy of fire. As a military firearm it has superseded the musket.

Having the form of a cylinder; cylindrical; as, the barrel of a musket is round.

s occupied on a voyage under working days. Simmonds. -- Running fire, a constant fire of musketry or cannon. -- Running gear, the wheels and axles of a vehicle, and their attachments, in distinction from the body; all the working parts of a locomotive or other machine, in distinction from the framework. -- Running h…

ry organs of animals; odor; smell; as, the scent of an orange, or of a rose; the scent of musk. With lavish hand diffuses scents ambrosial. prior.

s), native of the coast region of the Northwestern United States. It somewhat resembles a muskrat or marmot, but has only a rudimentary tail. Its head is broad, its eyes are small and its fur is brownish above, gray beneath. It constitutes the family Haplodontidæ. Called also boomer, showt'l, and mountain beaver.…

s; -- used especially of persons. "His quests, great and small." Chaucer. -- Small arms, muskets, rifles, pistols, etc., in distinction from cannon. -- Small beer. See under Beer. -- Small coal. (a) Little coals of wood formerly used to light fires. Gay. (b) Coal about the size of a hazelnut, separated from the coar…

y nerves; to have an odor or scent; -- often followed by of; as, to smell of smoke, or of musk.

The musk shrew. See under Musk.

ed to simulate a hardware stack, as, a push-down stack. Stack of arms (Mil.), a number of muskets or rifles set up together, with the bayonets crossing one another, forming a sort of conical self-supporting pile.

stink. See under Fire. -- Stink-fire lance. See under Lance. -- Stink rat (Zoöl.), the musk turtle. [Local, U.S.] -- Stink shad (Zoöl.), the gizzard shad. [Local, U.S.] Stink trap, a stench trap. See under Stench.

The musk turtle, or musk tortoise. See under Musk.

The wood to which the barrel, lock, etc., of a musket or like firearm are secured; also, a long, rectangular piece of wood, which is an important part of several forms of gun carriage.

nded away to their supper, the parlor or stove being nearly emptied, in came a company of musketeers. Earl of Strafford. How tedious is it to them that live in stoves and caves half a year together, as in Iceland, Muscovy, or under the pole! Burton.

The musky root of an Asiatic umbelliferous plant, Ferula Sumbul. It is used in medicine as a stimulant. [Written also sumbal.] -- Sum*bul"ic, a.

The projecting part of the breech of a musket barrel, by which the barrel is secured to the stock.

gum resin flows from the involucre. -- Scotch thistle, either the cotton thistle, or the musk thistle, or the spear thistle; -- all used national emblems of Scotland. -- Sow thistle, Sonchus oleraceus. -- Spear thistle. Same as Bull thistle. -- Star thistle, a species of Centaurea. See Centaurea. -- Torch thistle,…

of her hair. Pope. And now he thrids the bramble bush. J. R. Drake. I began To thrid the musky-circled mazes. Tennyson.