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f a firearm or other weapon which throws a missile. He caused twenty shot of his greatest cannon to be made at the king's army. Clarendon.

rapnel shell; shrapnel shells, collectively. Shrapnel shell (Gunnery), a projectile for a cannon, consisting of a shell filled with bullets and a small bursting charge to scatter them at any given point while in flight. See the Note under Case shot.

round (another) by natural contraction in cooling, as a tire on a wheel, or a hoop upon a cannon, which is made slightly smaller than the part it is to fit, and expanded by heat till it can be slipped into place.

give the proper elevation and direction to by means of a sight; as, to sight a rifle or a cannon.

To cause to cease firing, as by a vigorous cannonade; as, to silence the batteries of an enemy.

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 coarser parts by screening. -- Small craft (Naut.), a v…

To stop the vent of (a gun or cannon) by driving a spike nail, or the like into it.

, one of the rudimentary, splintlike metacarpal or metatarsal bones on either side of the cannon bone in the limbs of the horse and allied animals. -- Splint coal. See Splent coal, under Splent.

A mop for cleaning the bore of a cannon after a discharge. It consists of a cylinder of wood, covered with sheepskin with the wool on, or cloth with a heavy looped nap, and having a handle, or staff.

rn chase. (Naut.) (a) See under Chase, n. (b) A stern chaser. -- Stern chaser (Naut.), a cannon placed in a ship's stern, pointing backward, and intended to annoy a ship that is in pursuit. -- Stern fast (Naut.), a rope used to confine the stern of a ship or other vessel, as to a wharf or buoy. -- Stern frame (Naut.…

Any alloy of copper, zinc, tin, and iron, of which cannon are sometimes made.

erburden; to overmatch; to overcharge; as, to surcharge a beast or a ship; to surcharge a cannon. Four charged two, and two surcharged one. Spenser. Your head reclined, as hiding grief from view, Droops like a rose surcharged with morning dew. Dryden.

le (Naut.), anchors, cables, etc. -- Gun tackle, the apparatus or appliances for hauling cannon in or out. -- Tackle fall, the rope, or rather the end of the rope, of a tackle, to which the power is applied. -- Tack tackle (Naut.), a small tackle to pull down the tacks of the principal sails. -- Tackle board, Tackl…

A wooden stopper, or plug, as for a cannon or other piece of ordnance, when not in use.

ches a surface in a point or line. -- Tangent scale (Gun.), a kind of breech sight for a cannon. -- Tangent screw (Mach.), an endless screw; a worm.

The top, platform, or horizontal surface, of a rampart, on which the cannon are placed. See Illust. of Casemate.

hand or from an engine; to propel; to send; as, to throw stones or dust with the hand; a cannon throws a ball; a fire engine throws a stream of water to extinguish flames.

atively soft substance; also, the stroke or blow producing such sound; as, the thrud of a cannon ball striking the earth. At every new thud of the blast, a sob arose. Jeffrey. At intervals there came some tremendous thud on the side of the steamer. C. Mackay.

ut, by frequent handling; also, to cover with the thumb; as, to thumb the touch-hole of a cannon. He gravely informed the enemy that all his cards had been thumbed to pieces, and begged them to let him have a few more packs. Macaulay.

Any loud noise; as, the thunder of cannon.