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To form into small grains; to granulate; as, to corn gunpowder.

A war vessel, ranking next below a frigate, and having usually only one tier of guns; -- called in the United States navy a sloop of war.

oving upon ways or rollers, used to support, lift, or carry ships or other vessels, heavy guns, etc., as up an inclined plane, or across a strip of land, or in launching a ship.

ll. Crossbar shot, a projectile which folds into a sphere for loading, but on leaving the gun expands to a cross with a quarter ball at the end of each arm; -- used in naval actions for cutting the enemy's rigging.

or that which, crushes. Crusher gauge, an instrument for measuring the explosive force of gunpowder, etc., by its effect in compressing a piece of metal.

er, numbers, etc. The reptile race culminated in the secondary era. Dana. The house of Burgundy was rapidly culminating. Motley.

wledgments." Pope. (f) To seize and carry off (a vessel) from a harbor, or from under the guns of an enemy. -- To cut to pieces. (a) To cut into pieces; as, to cut cloth to pieces. (b) To slaughter; as, to cut an army to pieces. -- To cut a play (Drama), to shorten it by leaving out passages, to adapt it for the stag…

The bore of a gun; the turning chambered breech of a revolver.

, and hurt some. Foxe. A sort of pistol, called dag, was used about the same time as hand guns and harquebuts. Grose.

bars or wires of iron and steel elaborately twisted and welded together; used for making gun barrels, etc., of high quality, in which the surface, when polished and acted upon by acid, has a damasc appearance. -- Damascus steel. See Damask steel, under Damask, a.

An accidental blowing off of, or other serious damage to, the breechblock of a gun; also, a removal of the breechblock for the purpose of disabling the gun.

To press down; to cause to sink; to let fall; to lower; as, to depress the muzzle of a gun; to depress the eyes. "With lips depressed." Tennyson.

and a loud report. -- Detonating primer, a primer exploded by a fuse; -- used to explode gun cotton in blasting operations. -- Detonating tube, a strong tube of glass, usually graduated, closed at one end, and furnished with two wires passing through its sides at opposite points, and nearly meeting, for the purpose o…

e instantaneous decomposition or combustion of unstable substances' as, the detonation of gun cotton.

astating, or the state of being devastated; a laying waste. Even now the devastation is begun, And half the business of destruction done. Goldsmith.

To strip of furniture and equipments, guns, etc.; to unrig; to strip of walls or outworks; to break down; as, to dismantle a fort, a town, or a ship. A dismantled house, without windows or shutters to keep out the rain. Macaulay.

rt, the line of aim or line of metal, which is in a plane passing through the axis of the gun, always makes a small angle with the axis. Eng. Cys.

A permanent fender around a heavy boat just below the gunwale. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

Having two barrels; -- applied to a gun.

To load with a double charge, as of gunpowder.