blunderbuss
UK /ˈblʌn.dəˌbʌs/ · US /ˈblʌn.dɚˌbʌs/ noun, verb
Forms blunderbusses blunderbussing blunderbussed
- noun An old style of muzzleloading firearm and early form of shotgun with a distinctive short, large caliber barrel that is flared at the muzzle, therefore able to fire scattered quantities of nails, stones, shot, etc. at short range.
- verb (transitive) To shoot with a blunderbuss.
Etymology
From Dutch donderbus (“blunderbuss”, literally “thunder gun”), which was altered under the influence of blunder.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A short gun or firearm, with a large bore, capable of holding a number of balls, and intended to do execution without exact aim.
- noun A stupid, blundering fellow.
Etymology [Either fr. blunder + D. bus tube, box, akin to G. büchse box, gun, E. box; or corrupted fr. D. donderbus (literally) thunder box, gun, musket.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “blunderbuss”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details