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Whitworth gun. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
Whitworth gun, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
Whitworth gun in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
Whitworth gun you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
Invented by Sir Joseph Whitworth of Manchester, England.
Noun
Whitworth gun (plural Whitworth guns)
- A form of rifled cannon and small arms. The bore has a polygonal section, and the twist is rapid. The ball, which is pointed in front, is made to fit the bore accurately, and is very much elongated, its length being about three-and-a-half times its diameter.
1863, Henry Lee Scott, Military Dictionary:THE WHITWORTH GUN. — Mr. Whitworth, of Manchester, has succeeded in constructing several rifled breech-loading cannon of various calibres: his 3-pounder gun, 208 lbs. in weight, with a calibre of 1½ inches, a charge of 8 oz. of powder, […]
References
“Whitworth gun”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.