besague

From Middle English besague, besagu, besagew, from Old French besague, whence also English besagew (“rondel, armor protecting the armpit”), related to Latin bisacuta (Italian bisacuto (“double-edged”)) and besogium. Applied, in the Middle Ages, to a variety of medieval weapons or tools with two blades, edges, or faces, especially a double-bladed axe or war-hammer, but also to iron-headed cornuted staffs, clubs, or maces, spades, hoes, mattocks, and even knives.

cog

The points or laces for attaching the besagues are clearly shown. In brasses the attachment is generally shown as a diamond-headed nut, but the attachment by points or laces just as the elbow caps are seen attached in various effigies ...

1907, The Archaeological Journal, page 22:

... to escape the inference that it was evolved solely to avoid the inevitable and unpalatable conclusion that the pouldrons on the Metropolitan armour, and incidentally either the besague or the entire Riggs shaffron, were forgeries.

1932, The Connoisseur: An Illustrated Magazine for Collectors:

But none approaches in completeness the axe in the Liverpool Museum, which besides possessing the greater part of its original octagonal haft, still retains the besague for the protection of the advanced hand of its wielder, […]

1935, J. T. Herbert Baily, The Connoisseur:

The principal varieties are as follows : (1) With circular besagues at elbow and shoulder. This type is generally, though not invariably, very small in size. (2) With circular besagues at the shoulder and 90° fan-shaped elbow-pieces .

1948, Journal of the British Archaeological Association, page 88:

The most conspicuous visual and formal element of the armour is the pair of besagues or roundels protecting the underarm area; these circular plates have sharp spikes that point to the viewer's right and catch the light in a dramatic way.

2010, Carolyn Springer, Armour and Masculinity in the Italian Renaissance, University of Toronto Press, →ISBN, page 138:

A plate (as of armor) that protects an otherwise-exposed area, such as the armpit (alternative form of besagew), the elbow, or the hand


Bofors gun

From Bofors, the name of the Swedish manufacturer.

A type of anti-aircraft gun used widely by the Western allies in World War II.


Stalin's organ

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Stalin's organ.wav

Calque of German Stalinorgel, in reference to its resemblance to a pipe organ and its distinctive sound.

(military, World War II, slang) A Katyusha rocket launcher.


bomber gap

Coordinate term: missile gap

(US, military, historical) The perceived superiority during the Cold War of the USSR's ability to deploy jet-powered strategic bombers.


missile gap

Coordinate term: bomber gap

(US, military, historical) The perceived superiority during the Cold War of the number and power of the USSR's missiles in comparison with those of the United States.


fascine knife

From the common use of such knives to cut wood for fascines and gabions.

The men have a short rifle and bayonet, and carry also a fascine knife; 10 rounds of ammunition in the pouch.

1876, Captain W. S. Cooke, The Ottoman Empire and its Tributary States (excepting Egypt), with a Sketch of Greece, London: W. Clowes and Son, page 162:

The private should have a side arm of the following description: A short sword, about 20 inches long and 2½ inches wide at the grip; the blade to be ground sharp on one side and provided with saw teeth on the other; have a brass guard and buckhorn grip, and to be carried in a leather scabbard on a frog and common black belt. This is called in Europe a fascine knife, and a very useful implement it is in camp and on the field.

1888 September 29, “The Hospital Corps”, in Army and Navy Journal, volume 26, New York:

Verily the man must feel as though he were in a dream; only a short time before, at a shoemaker's ordinary work, the knocking of his hammer mingling with the sighs of a sick wife, and now, fascine knife on hip, helmet on closely cropped head, officers’ commands in ear, crowds of people, drums, music, and the shrill whistle of the locomotive!—to march far away to Bohemia […]

1889, Cornelia McFadden, transl., The Seamstress of Stettin, New York: Cranston & Stowe, pages 141–142:

(historical, military) A large, heavy knife or short sword used as a sidearm and tool by 17th to 19th century infantry and artillery.

coupe-chou

A large, heavy knife or short sword formerly used as a sidearm and tool by infantry and artillery


glass parking lot

A wide range of explosives can convert sand into glass upon detonation, as a temperate of only 1700 Celsius is required. The most recognized generation process was through nuclear testing with the discovery of (Trinitite), but other munition are capable of the same result, without implying the use of a nuclear attack.

[…]it is common for Americans to respond with the convictions that "they wouldn't dare" and "we'll turn them into a glass parking lot" (that is, we'll attack them with nuclear weapons until there is nothing left of them).

2015, Brad Roberts, The Case for U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century:

(US, informal) Total destruction in the aftermath of a nuclear attack.


heavy artillery

(military) Large and powerful artillery, often large-caliber and large-distance.


doomsday plane

(informal) An aircraft to be used as an airborne command post in the event of nuclear war or similar large-scale disaster.


sgian dubh

en-noun

sgian dubh (plural sgian dubhs or sgians dubh or (rare) sgianan dubha)

sgian dubhs (plural)
sgians dubh (plural)
sgianan dubha (plural rare)

Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic sgian-dubh: sgian (“knife”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sek- (“to cut; to cut off, sever”)) + dubh (“black; (figurative) hidden”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“deep”)).
The plural form sgianan dubha is also borrowed from Scottish Gaelic.

der

[Y]oung Durward sprung lightly as the ounce up into the tree, drew from his pouch that most necessary implement of a Highlander or woodsman, the trusty skene dhu, and, calling to those below to receive the body on their hands, cut the rope asunder in less than a minute after he had perceived the exigency.

1823, [Walter Scott], “The Bohemians”, in Quentin Durward. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 129:

Give me my skene-dhu, and let me go on my road. I should have been half way to Stirling brig by this time—Give me my dirk, and let me go.

1827, [Walter Scott], chapter XIII, in Chronicles of the Canongate; […], volume I (The Two Drovers), Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Co.] for Cadell and Co.; London: Simpkin and Marshall, →OCLC, page 302:

In another moment claymores and skene-dhus gleamed in the grasp of several uplifted hands; [...]

1831, Andrew Picken, “The Deer-stalkers of Glenskiach. A Highland Legend.”, in [Andrew Picken], editor, The Club-book: Being Original Tales, &c. […] (Harper’s Library of Select Novels; XIV), Harper’s stereotype edition, volume II, New York, N.Y.: […] J[ames] & J[ohn] Harper; […], →OCLC, chapter IX, page 133:

The hasps, which were evidently intended to be secured by padlocks, had lost their fastenings, which were supplied by two skean-dhus—the small dagger of the Highlander—which had been thrust through the iron loops, and kept the casket perfectly water-tight.

1839, [George Robert Gleig], “Legends of the Lochs and Glens. No. I.—The Linn of the Caldron.”, in Bentley’s Miscellany, volume V, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 411:

The word sgian now means any kind of knife, but formerly denoted the peculiar dirk which was one of the weapons of the Irish. It was frequently called sgian dubh, i.e. black knife, either from the usual colour of the haft, or from the fatal blow which it so often dealt.

[1857, Standish Hayes O’Grady, editor, Toruigheacht Dhiarmuda agus Ghrainne; or, The Pursuit after Diarmuid O’Duibhne, and Grainne the Daughter of Cormac mac Airt, King of Ireland in the Third Century (Transactions of the Ossianic Society for the Year 1855; III), Dublin: […] [F]or the Ossianic Society, by John O’Daly, […], →OCLC, footnote 3, pages 97–98:

In his hand was a long, sharp-pointed "sgian-dubh," the cherished gift of his father, the plaything of his early youth, and the trusty companion of his manhood and riper years.

1866, P. Dun, “The Earl’s Niece”, in Summer at the Lake of Monteith, Glasgow: […] James Hedderwick & Son […], →OCLC, page 41:

"Will you give me his name?" said Macgregor, "for we have skene dhus in this country." / "His name is John Van Eyck," said Van Dysart; "but as you are never likely to meet him, you can keep your skene dhu in your stocking."

1871, Henry Kingsley, chapter XVI, in Old Margaret. […], volume II, London: Tinsley Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 236:

It strikes me that quite three-fourths of the shops of Inverness are devoted to the sale of articles of Highland costume. Their fronts are hidden by hangings of tartan cloth; the windows are decked with sporrans, dirks, cairngorm plaid-brooches, ram's head snuff[-]boxes, bullocks' horns and skean dhus.

1874 March, Archibald Forbes, “The Inverness Character Fair”, in The Gentleman’s Magazine, volume XII (New Series), London: Grant & Co., […], →OCLC, page 325:

When I first saw engravings of these seals, I took Patrick's to bear the Skene coat, as always known since—three skenes, points upwards, bearing three wolves' heads. The blades show but little, but this could well be, even with skenes dhu, if they were pushed right up to the skull: the heads, however, are far too small.

1890 October, A. P. Skene, “Notes on the Origin of the Name, Family, and Arms of Skene”, in Scottish Notes and Queries, volume V, number 5, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire: D. Wyllie & Son, […], published 1891, →OCLC, section III (Origin of the Arms (continued)), page 86, column 1:

In the simplest form the Highland dress consists of brògs, hose (plain knitted), garters, feilebeg or little kilt, jacket, waistcoat, bonnet with sporran (animal or leather), and sgian du. [...] The sgian du is worn in the stocking, on the outer part of the right leg, in a hollow between two bones.

1908, Frank Adam, “The Highland Garb”, in The Clans, Septs & Regiments of the Scottish Highlands, Edinburgh, London: W. & A. K. Johnston, →OCLC, page 215:

It is to be noted that the Dagger does not become a regular feature of knightly accoutrement till the middle of the fourteenth century. [...] A very usual form, both in military and civilian circles, was the Ballok Knife (moderns term it a "kidney dagger"), a type that persisted till the sixteenth century, and whose modern analogue is the Highland dirk (skean-dhu).

1931, Francis M. Kelly, Randolph Schwabe, “‘Mixed’ Armour (Late)”, in A Short History of Costume & Armour, Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, published 2002, →ISBN, part II (Armour), pages 67–68:

The smith can take a hunk of metal and hammer it out to the desired shape. He can see the result of every hammer stroke. He knows before the job is finished whether the skull cracker, the skean dhu or stingaree is going to serve its purpose in a private or public bickering, or merely is a piece of scrap to be hidden in the clinkers, cinders and junk pile back of the forge or under the bellows.

1941 September, Pat Dwyer, “The Adventures of Bill”, in Frank G. Steinebach, editor, The Foundry, volume 69, number 9, Cleveland, Oh.: The Penton Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 78, column 1:

In the stocking should be worn a sgian dubh, on the outer part of the right leg. The sgian dubh is a knife in a simple sheath.

1980, Geddes MacGregor, “Kilt, Clan, Tartan, and Bagpipe”, in Scotland: An Intimate Portrait, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company, published 1990, →ISBN, page 40:

For nearly half a century this gentle Scottish scholar [Alexander Carmichael] crisscrossed the meadows and moors, mountains and islands of northern Scotland, clad in full Highlands regalia, with kilt, sporran, and sgian dubh (dagger), a walking stick in his right hand and a notebook in his left, sleeping under the stars or in rude shepherds' huts, knocking at a cottage here and a manor house there, and courteously begging, when the door cracked open, for a chance to explain his quest. His mission was to seek out, collect, and preserve the vanishing Gaelic folklore—hymns and tales, incantations, and curses, and above all, prayers—of this remote Highlands region, where the corrosive culture of modernity had not yet won the day.

2005, Philip Zaleski, Carol Zaleski, “Prayer and Tradition”, in Prayer: A History, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 233:

The gift store sells everything to help accessorize your kilt, from sporrans (leather pouches) and sgians dubh (daggers) to special socks and shoes.

2011, John Elliston, Kent Priestley, updated and revised by Constance E. Richards, “The Mountains”, in North Carolina Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff, 4th edition, Guilford, Conn.: Morris Book Publishing, →ISBN, page 55:

If you do not care if your knife appears a bit weaponlike, go for a sgian dubh style blade, but be sure to pick out a good one as most eBay sgian dubhs are practically nonfunctional replicas.

2012 January 3, C. R. Jahn, “The Subtle Blade”, in FTW Self Defense, Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 133:

[H]e had a complete Black Watch uniform, which consisted of [...] a kilt of blue and green tartan, a black waistcoat, an embossed leather sporran which he wore around his waist, knee-high stockings, and the sgian dubh, or ceremonial knife tucked into the right kilt stocking, with only the pommel visible.

2012 March, William W[allace] Johnstone, with J. A. Johnstone, chapter 14, in The Killing (MacCallister: The Eagles Legacy), New York, N.Y.: Pinnacle Books, Kensington Publishing Corp., →ISBN, page 166:

The sgian dubhs tucked into the top of the men's socks caught my fancy. Could those tiny knives cut someone or were they only decorative? Had anyone ever pulled out a sgian dubh at a Burns Night celebration and used it on a guest?

2015, Charlena Miller, chapter 16, in What Lies Between, Portland, Or.: Red Bicycle Press, →ISBN:

The others in the patrol grunted, turning back to cooking their food, sharpening their sgianan dubha, or scratching their wee balls.

2016, Angela Quarles, chapter 3, in Must Love Kilts: A Time Travel Romance (Must Love Series; book 3), [U.S.A.]: Unsealed Room Press, →ISBN:

(Scotland) A small, single-edged knife worn tucked into the hose (stocking) as part of traditional Scottish Highland dress along with the kilt.

скин ду

small, single-edged knife worn as part of traditional Scottish Highland dress


Beretta

The officer fired his Beretta at the protesters.

The gun turned out to be an empty, dirty Beretta nine millimeter.

1993, Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower, HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP (2019), page 221:

(firearms) A firearm (especially a handgun) made by the Beretta company.


wire cartridge

When we arrived at the knoll, after having crossed the frozen bog, I took on account of the considerable distance at which the bird would have to be shot at, if he, as we supposed, would settle in the top of the fir tree the shot out of my gun, and loaded again with a wire cartridge.

1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 89:

(firearms) An early type of shotgun cartridge that had wire lining in the case to assist concentrating the shot.


highly-enriched uranium

(nuclear physics, military) Enriched uranium containing at least 20% uranium-235 (some applications, such as fission weapons and naval reactors, use uranium enriched to as high as 80-95% uranium-235), and therefore capable of sustaining a nuclear fission chain reaction without needing a moderator; used in nuclear weapons and in a few types of nuclear reactors requiring very high power density or high neutron flux.


downblend

en-verb

downblend (third-person singular simple present downblends, present participle downblending, simple past and past participle downblended)

downblends (present singular third-person)
downblending (participle present)
downblended (participle past)
downblended (past)

The facility has the capacity to downblend 5 tonnes of bomb-grade uranium per year.

highly-enriched uranium
highly-enriched uranium

slightly-enriched uranium
slightly-enriched uranium

low-enriched uranium
low-enriched uranium

(usually transitive, nuclear physics) To blend highly-enriched uranium, typically from decommissioned nuclear weapons, with uranium containing a low concentration of fissile uranium-235 (slightly-enriched uranium, natural uranium, or depleted uranium) in order to convert it to low-enriched uranium suitable for use as fuel in standard power reactors but not usable for a fission bomb.


tacnuke

Probably it would go as this: the Soviets attack with as little warning as possible in a holiday with a massive BC assault together with their mechanized wave. Maybe a tacnuke or two (or two dozens) are exchanged between WARPACT and NATO troops in Germany and Turkey (i'm thinking of the Thrace area). After 2-3 weeks either the Soviets reach the Rhine and ask for an armistice or the war stalemates and ask for an armistice.

2018 October 16, El_Presidente, “Reply to "WW3 in the late 80s: How long does the munition last?"”, in alternatehistory.com, archived from the original on 2021-02-21:

(military, slang) A tactical nuclear weapon.


nagaika

A short, thick braided whip with a round cross-section, used by the Cossacks.


prompt critical

The number of fissions in the two prompt critical excursions was estimated from (1) the doses received by the operator and shift supervisor and (2) the measured exposure rate from fission product gamma–rays (1.5 mR/s at 3 m from the vessel, 1 hour after the last excursion).

2000, Thomas P. McLaughlin with Shean P. Monahan, Norman L. Pruvost, Vladimir V. Frolov, Boris G. Ryazanov, and Victor I. Sviridov, “I. A. 17. Mayak Production Association, 10 December 1968”, in A Review of Criticality Accidents: 2000 Revision, Los Alamos National Laboratory, archived from the original on 2021-02-24, page 42:

(nuclear physics) Of the point where the prompt neutrons produced by a nuclear fission chain reaction are just sufficient to sustain the chain reaction on their own, past which changes in reaction power occur on a timeframe of milliseconds, too rapidly for a human operator to control.


prompt criticality

en-noun

prompt criticality (usually uncountable, plural prompt criticalities)

The system is thought to have approached prompt criticality, at which time the rate of power increase would have been determined by the neutron lifetime (on the order of milliseconds).

2000, Thomas P. McLaughlin with Shean P. Monahan, Norman L. Pruvost, Vladimir V. Frolov, Boris G. Ryazanov, and Victor I. Sviridov, “I. A. 19. Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, 17 October 1978”, in A Review of Criticality Accidents: 2000 Revision, Los Alamos National Laboratory, archived from the original on 2022-03-25, page 46:

(nuclear physics) The point at which the prompt neutrons produced by a nuclear fission chain reaction are just sufficient to sustain the chain reaction on their own (the state of being prompt critical); past this point, changes in reaction power are controlled by changes in the prompt neutron flux, and occur on a timeframe of milliseconds, too rapidly to be controlled by mechanical means.


mitsugake

A glove used in Japanese archery that covers three fingers.


yotsugake

A Japanese archery glove that covers four fingers.


morogake

A right-handed Japanese archery glove with five fingers.


enteki

From Japanese 遠的 (enteki, literally “far target”).


crew-served

A heavy machine gun, anti-materiel rifle, or rocket launcher might be crew-served.

(military, notably USMC) Of a weapon system: requiring a crew or more than one individual to function due to its high operational complexity.


small arm

[…] about break of day, we heard from the Town a small Arm discharged, and after that a Drum beating a travailler.

1685, Basil Ringrose, Bucaniers of America, London: William Crooke, Volume 2, Part 4, Chapter 3, p. 10:

If any Man shall offer to run away, or keep any Secret from the Company, he shall be marroon’d, with one Bottle of Powder, one Bottle of Water, one small Arm, and Shot.

1724, Daniel Defoe, chapter 17, in A General History of the Pyrates, London: T. Warner, page 398:

“Men are all well drilled, sir,” continued the captain, “and have regular small-arm practice […]”

1880, George Manville Fenn, chapter 6, in Jack at Sea, London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, page 77:

1904, Joseph Conrad, Nostromo, New York and London: Harper, Part 3, Chapter 10, p. 541,
[…] the first of Barrios’s transports, one of our own ships at that, steamed right in, and, ranging close alongside, opened a small-arm fire without as much preliminaries as a hail.

A firearm designed to be carried and fired by a single person, and often held in the hand.


NDB

non-directional beacon
nuclear depth bomb

(aviation) Initialism of non-directional beacon, a type of radiobeacon used in air navigation which transmits an omnidirectional radio signal containing no encoded information about the direction from an aircraft to the beacon.

non-directional beacon

(military, nautical) Initialism of nuclear depth bomb.


overpenetrate

en-verb

overpenetrate (third-person singular simple present overpenetrates, present participle overpenetrating, simple past and past participle overpenetrated)

overpenetrates (present singular third-person)
overpenetrating (participle present)
overpenetrated (participle past)
overpenetrated (past)

(intransitive, transitive, weaponry, of a bullet or other projectile) To pass completely through a target and out the other side, potentially striking another person or object located further downrange.


EXCOMM

(US, historical) The Executive Committee of the National Security Council: a body of United States government officials that convened to advise President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.


anti-ballistic missile

en-noun

anti-ballistic missile (plural anti-ballistic missiles)

(military, astronautics) A missile designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in flight.


balance of terror

Probably coined by Lester Pearson in June 1955 at the 10th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter: “The balance of terror has succeeded the balance of power.”

(historical) The tenuous peace that existed during the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.


gravity gun

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-gravity gun.wav

first-person shooter
first-person shooter

(video games) A device in video games, particularly first-person shooters, with which players can directly manipulate objects in the virtual world, often allowing them to be used as projectiles.


low explosive

An explosive compound whose rate of decomposition proceeds through the material at less than the speed of sound.


finite deterrence

(military) The strategy of making a nuclear victory so costly that it is preferable for the enemy not to fight.


silver fulminate

(chemistry, explosives) An extremely sensitive explosive with the chemical formula AgCNO; the silver salt of fulminic acid.


supercannon

The introduction of the submarine, the aeroplane, and the dirigible, made possible by the invention of the internal-combustion engine, the use of the wireless telegraph and telephone, and the employment of lethal gases, of supercannon and possibly of aerial torpedoes make obsolete many rules formerly observed but now ignored.

1919, Robert Lansing, Some Legal Questions of the Peace Conference, Government Print Off, page 10:

Six or seven battleships, even if in good fighting trim, are little in, themselves, but they may become much if they can ever be assured of striking in co-operation with the adequate and well-trained coastal flotillas and supercannon batteries, if when moving across the Western Mediterranean, at all times spanned by wireless and aerial transport communications, the admiral-in-chief can feel, at a safe distance across his van as well as abeam and in the rear, a double and imperviable screen of weatherly and reliable aerial and submarine satellites, guarding against all possibilities of surprise, and giving time for tactical maneuvers and for his heavy guns to pound with some effect on an incoming enemy.

1921, United States Naval Institute Proceedings 1921-11: Volume 47, Isssue11, United States Naval Institute, pages 1797–1798:

Teutonic autocratic Steel-City, built around a factory for supercannons by evil scientist boss, is foiled by our hero and vaguely balanced by the rosewater suburbanite colony of France-Ville.

1983, Darko Ronald Suvin, Victorian Science Fiction in the UK: The Discourses of Knowledge and Power, G.K. Hall, →ISBN, page 21:


entrance wound

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-entrance wound.wav

Most entrance wounds, no matter the range, are surrounded by a reddish, reddish-brown zone of abraded skin—the abrasion ring (Figure 4.16).

1998, Vincent J. M. Di Maio, Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques, 2nd edition, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 83:

(pathology, forensics) Synonym of entry wound


police special

(US, firearms, historical) A pistol manufactured for police use.


police positive

police positive (plural police positives)

(US, firearms, historical) Synonym of police special (“pistol manufactured for police use”)


supermissile

An interview with Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, Chief of Naval Operations in which he describes the Navy's role in an era of H-bombs and supermissiles.

1956, Army Library (U.S.), Special Bibliographies, United States Department of the Army, Army Library, page 91:

For example, the details of the new Soviet SS9 supermissile, which apparently was not thought to be a proper subject to include in a formal “posture statement” were abruptly declassified and trotted out as Exhibit A in the case for Soviet aggressiveness as it was presented live for all to see and hear.

1969, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations. Subcommittee on International Organization and Disarmament Affairs, Strategic and Foreign Policy Implications of ABM Systems, U.S. Government Printing Office, page 316:

“It’s a bomber! It’s a supermissile! No — it’s a dove.”

1981 November 20, Herbert Lawrence Block, “‘It’s a Dove”, in coldwar.unc.edu:

(military) An extremelypowerful, self-propelled projectile whose trajectory is adjustable after it is launched.


well-served

en-adj

well-served (comparative more well-served, superlative most well-served)

more well-served (comparative)
most well-served (superlative)

(military, weaponry) (of a gun, artillery, etc.) Operated well.


Dead Hand

The system may no longer be a central element of Russian strategy—US-based Russian arms expert Pavel Podvig calls it now "just another cog in the machine"—but Dead Hand is still armed.

2009 September 21, Nicholas Thompson, “Inside the Apocalyptic Soviet Doomsday Machine”, in Wired, →ISSN:

A system capable of closing a strategic nuclear strike control loop in the absence of normal command and control channels, analogous in concept to a deadman switch, in anticipation of a decapitation strike. Implemented by the Soviet Union and by the Russian Federation as the successor state thereof.


pumpy

Hold tight, Asznee (my brudda) / He's got the pumpy (big ting) / Hold tight, my man (my guy) / He's got the frisbee (shew)

2017 September 22, “Man's Not Hot”performed by Big Shaq [Michael Dapaah]:

(MLE, MTE, slang) A pump action shotgun.


muzzle sweep

en-verb

muzzle sweep (third-person singular simple present muzzle sweeps, present participle muzzle sweeping, simple past and past participle muzzle swept)

muzzle sweeps (present singular third-person)
muzzle sweeping (participle present)
muzzle swept (participle past)
muzzle swept (past)

To carelessly point a firearm at / across non-targets in a sweeping manner. It is a violation of muzzle discipline.


gun-howitzer

Sometimes the distinction between an artillery gun and a howitzer becomes blurred due to the development of gun-howitzers that can perform both roles. The best-known Allied gun-howitzer used during World War II was the British 25-Pounder Gun, which had a caliber of 87 mm.

2000, Michael and Gladys Green, “Artillery Weapons”, in Weapons of Patton's Armies:

The Pattern of 1857 12-pounder Napoleon gun-howitzer was one of the most versatile and popular field pieces used during the Civil War. […] Although technically a gun, the Napoleon was often referred to as a gun-howitzer for its ability to also fire explosive shell.

2007, Jeff Kinard, “Nineteenth-century U.S. Artillery, 1800–1865”, in Artillery: An Illustrated History of Its Impact:

(military) An artillery piece designed both for direct fire and indirect fire at a wide range of angles of elevation, thus capable of fulfilling the roles of a traditional field gun and howitzer.

armatohaubica

artillery piece capable of fulfilling the roles of a traditional field gun and howitzer


doomsday bomb

The doomsday bomb is terrifying. It puts the mightiest nukes to shame.

Synonym for doomsday device or doomsday weapon


hyperexplosion

Impacts versus Hyperexplosions as a cause of circular structures on Earth.

1982, Jennifer M. Groh, Tectonics & Structural Geology Newsletter, Volume 8, Specialist Group in Tectonics & Structural Geology. Geological Society of Australia, page 52:

His "inflation theory" posits that the universe began in a hyperexplosion that makes the big bang look like a whimper; it answers mysteries of cosmologyon which earlier theories had been mute."

1993 September 26, Sharon Begley, “The Puzzle Of Genius”, in www.newsweek.com, archived from the original on 2021-05-09:

His shadow-form would be immune to the resulting singularity hyperexplosion.

2009, John C. Wright, Null-A Continuum, Tom Doherty Associates, →ISBN, page 215:

(rare) An extremely severe explosion; a superexplosion.


para-archery

An adaptation of the sport of archery for athletes with a physical disability.


depriming

(firearms) The action of the verb to deprime; the removal of primer from cartridge


deprimed

(firearms) Pertaining to a cartridge missing is priming/primer


CQBW

(military, weaponry) Abbreviation of close quarters battle weapon.


dynamitish

en-adj

dynamitish (comparative more dynamitish, superlative most dynamitish)

more dynamitish (comparative)
most dynamitish (superlative)

Resembling or characteristic of dynamite; explosive.


breech face

(firearms) The area around the firing pin, which is against the head of the cartridge.


hyperbomb

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-hyperbomb.wav

The hyperbomb of that day will have lost meaning as a weapon and gained meaning as a complex substitute for Francoise Sagan's "sports" car, as this death device is so playfully called.

1957, Clifton Fadiman, Any Number Can Play, World Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 33:

"He went back inside," Igor grunted. "After examining the artefacts we'd packed for dispatch. Probably wants to make sure the computer records don't describe them as ultra-guns or hyperbombs or whatever the hell."

1974, John Brunner, Total Eclipse, Doubleday, →ISBN, page 33:

We entered an area where a hyperbomb had been detonated during the war.

2014, J. Michael Reeves, Terry Austin, Byron Preiss, I—Alien, J. Boylston, →ISBN:

(rare, military, science fiction, video games) An exceedingly powerful, destructive bomb; superbomb.


Derg

Borrowed from Amharic ደርግ (därg, “committee; council”).

bor+

(historical) The Provisional Military Administrative Council, the communist military junta that ruled Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987.


MCLOS

manual command to line of sight
w:manual command to line of sight

(military, weaponry) Initialism of manual command to line of sight, a method of missile guidance requiring that the operator manually steer the missile onto the target.


airbomb

A firework consisting of flash powder in a paper case, ejected into the air with a black powder lifting charge ignited by a fuse, and producing a loud bang and bright flash.


à rouet

The earliest pistols were made with wheels (à rouet), and the barrel did not measure more than a foot in length.

1875, P. L. Jacob ·, The Arts in the Middle Ages, and at the Period of the Renaissance, page 104:

Soon the petronel was replaced by the arquebuse à rouet, and a little later on by the wheel-lock pistol, which was first used by the German cavalry at the battle of St. Quentin, in 1557.

1937, Franklin Henry Hooper, The Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 5, page 69:

In 1639–42, the average value of an arquebus à rouet was 80 livres; flintlock muskets were valued at 6 livres.

2008, David Hackett Fischer, Champlain's Dream, page 617:

(firearms, historical) Having a small wheel fixed to the pan of firelocks for discharging them.


bomb squad

They isolate; they evacuate the area; and they call the bomb squad. We then go in and do our examination.

1978, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Criminal Laws and Procedures, Tagging of Explosives: Hearings Before the Subcommittee..., page 181:

Sam and the informant were quickly arrested, and the bomb squad defused the bombs.

2015, Robert A Casper Sr., The FBI, a Vocation to Serve:

A division of a police force or the military responsible for safely defusing or detonating hazardous explosive devices.


dive-bomb

en-verb

dive-bomb (third-person singular simple present dive-bombs, present participle dive-bombing, simple past and past participle dive-bombed)

dive-bombs (present singular third-person)
dive-bombing (participle present)
dive-bombed (participle past)
dive-bombed (past)

On June 13, the cross-channel steamer St. Patrick was dive-bombed and sunk by enemy aircraft towards the end of its trip from Rosslare to Fishguard.

1941 August, “Notes and News: G.W.R. Steamer Sunk”, in Railway Magazine, page 380:


greataxe

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-greataxe.wav

From great + axe. Probably modeled on greatsword, greathelm, etc.

The Saint-Commander rested his famous greataxe against his chair. Gil recalled its name, Red Pilgrim.

1979, Brian Daley, The Starfollowers of Coramonde, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 48:

Dragon King Greataxe can be buffed by spells and consumables, while the Dragon Greatsword cannot.

2020 July 23, Corvo Attano, EdgeOfDreams, “Dragon king greataxe or Dragon greatsword?”, in reddit.com:

Last few days I played outpost rush or wars, the team with the most hammers + greataxes just wins.

2021 November 16, Leandermann, “PvP is only the highest number of greataxe + hammer wins”, in reddit.com:

(rare, video games, fantasy, weaponry) A giant axe; a broadaxe.


warhammer

Related to pollaxes were warhammers such as King Robert's. The difference between the two was that one has a head-smashing axe-blade, while the other had an armor-crushing hammerhead. Some weapons had both; ...

2017, Ken Mondschein, Game of Thrones and the Medieval Art of War, McFarland, →ISBN:


dagger-axe

(historical) An ancient Chinese pole weapon, in use until the Han dynasty, consisting of a dagger-shaped blade mounted by its tang perpendicular to the pole's shaft.


shortblade

Saberrak too, had his axe and bone shortblade drawn, ready to defend the wizard he had yet to even acknowledge. The men, like shadows erupting from every corner, were upon them in moments, swift, silent, and leading with curved blades ...

2010, Jason R. Jones, The Exodus: Of Spiders and Falcons, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 184:

The first was a shiny silver shortblade, it had a single edge. The handle was well balanced and had a white gold colouring to it, the end of the blade possessed a small red gem. The shortblade as a whole looked like a miniature katana, ...

2015, Greyson Aleksander, Diary of a Stanford, →ISBN:

The shortblade was a mere cubit of steel, but its edge was just as keen as its longer cousin. Saana screamed in horror as Daimon slashed it across the back of both of Ristjaan's thighs, slicing through even the thick sea leather armour ...

2021, Mike Brooks, The Black Coast, Rebellion Publishing Ltd, →ISBN:


goat's foot

From its resemblance to a goat's hind-foot.

A number of halberds, or battle-axes, also was carried. Other ordnance included two goat's feet (crossbow cocking mechanisms) and bombs, grenades, and combustible balls “for fireworks.”

1978, J. Barto Arnold, Robert S. Weddle, The Nautical Archeology of Padre Island: The Spanish Shipwrecks of 1554:

Besides being difficult, hand cocking some bows gets the string a little off center. This can reduce accuracy. From ancient times, crossbow cocking devices have helped solve both problems. A modern version of the goat's foot lever does ...

Two arms of the goat's foot were placed back of the pin, and hooks on the pivot were used to grasp the string.

2006, William Hovey Smith, Crossbow Hunting, Stackpole Books, →ISBN:

The “Frankish crossbow” used by the Crusaders was more powerful and greatly impressed Muslims who encountered it […] As crossbows became more powerful a “goat's foot lever” or rack-and-pinion device was used to draw them.

2006, Cathal J. Nolan, The Age of Wars of Religion, 1000-1650: An Encyclopedia of Global Warfare and Civilization, Greenwood Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 201:

The goat's foot lever is about the length of my forearm and as wide as the stock. This machine's design is simple. The lever's two tines hook onto the loose string. The string is tightened by pulling the lever towards me.

2011, G. E. M. Thomas, Strong Roads a Spanish Shipwreck Survivor in Ancient Hawaii, G E M Thomas, →ISBN, page 155:

A particular type of mechanism for cocking a crossbow.


frag grenade

fragmentation grenade
fragmentation grenade#English

Alternative form of fragmentation grenade


Uranium Club

(historical) A German project during World War II to research nuclear technology, including nuclear weapons and nuclear reactors.


gunfucker

Handjobber can launch personal attacks - and nothing else - but he can't handle personal attacks returned to him.
The prototypical ignorant gunfucker.

2000 June 5, Lee Harrison, “NRA Lies About 2nd Amendment”, in talk.politics.guns (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-12:

> And some dental work. Those merkin gunfuckers don't know too much about
> basic dental hygiene, do they now?

2002 March 4, Frank Zember, “Responsible Gun Owners And Their Offspring”, in alt.teens (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-12:

"Ubiquitous" means they are everywhere, ignorant gunfucker.

2002 July 2, The Area 51 Edition Lone Weasel, “Concealed Carry Debunked”, in talk.politics.guns (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-12:

It means the perceived threat is not real. Hard concept for a gunfucker like you to wrap his ass around, eh Sam?

2005 March 17, The Lone Weasel, “9-year-old fatally shot -- Armed Homes are Safe Homes -- LOL!”, in talk.politics.guns (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-12:

If you dumb gunfuckers hadn't been so obsessed with your own abundant gun rights you might have noticed your National Guard was under assault from Cheney/Bush.

2009 May 13, nraclaptrap, “THE NATIONAL GUARD IS THE WELL-REGULATED MILITIA OF THE SEVERAL STATES”, in tx.guns (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-12:

The NRA has been shoving money at other political causes besides the midterm elections. In August, it announced it would spend at least $1 million on ads urging senators to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, providing yet another reason to hope Kavanaugh isn’t confirmed: It would be extremely funny if these indebted gunfuckers ended up wasting $1 million of money they don’t have.

2018 September 20, Miloch, “The NRA Spent Itself Into Debt Supporting Donald Trump”, in alt.gossip.celebrities (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-12:

> If ...
you actually stopped infesting foreign newsgroups with your gunfucker phantasms....if only.

2021 June 20, Boob Milby Jr., “Re: Defenseless Gunless Farmers in Australia are burning their own crops.”, in us.politics (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-12:

(vulgar, colloquial, derogatory) A person obsessed with owning guns; a zealous supporter of the right to bear arms.


McNuke

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-McNuke.wav

From Mc- + nuke; a McDonaldsesque rendering of the word nuke to imply its ubiquitous and unconditional availability.

Everybody has nukes. It is so bad, reports now say that McDonald's is
developing the McNuke.

1999 October 15, no...@house.gov, “1999CRH10036B EVERYBODY HAS NUKES”, in gov.us.fed.congress.record.house (Usenet):

Well, even though I am an evil Amerikan retentionistae, I have to admit that
the thought of a McNuked McFoodstand is delightful indeed. One down, about
five thousand to go...

2000 April 19, Terry C. Shannon, “French Heros^([sic]) Strike Blow Against McDonalds^([sic])”, in alt.activism.death-penalty (Usenet):

Smooth thinking, Rich! Perhaps a few dozen Russian nuclear scientist can
go to work for Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, or Argentina if McDonalds^([sic])
stops taking applications. Just think, the McNuke! You want fries with
that?

2005 May 22, LarryG, “Sky & Telescope's News Bulletin - May 20”, in sci.astro (Usenet):

This is precisely the type of discussion we need to have. There is "gun control" and there is "gun control." A strong case - which I made repeatedly and successfully - can be made for the right of self-defense through gun ownership. Going from this to an absolute refusal to even discuss things like red flags, large capacity mags, bump stocks...not to mention automatic weapons, RPGs, McNukes...means an end of discussion for a huge number of people. This is what he means by "pragmatic."

2018 November 7, fundraisi...@lpcolorado.org, “Fwd: Angry Letter to Libertarian Party - Where the F*** are you?”, in LPCO-open-business (Usenet):

(humorous, informal) A hypothetical, commercially available nuclear bomb.


Katzbalger

Perhaps the most famous example of a Katzbalger is that of the military leader Ulrick von Schellenberg, dating from about 1515;

1986, Leonid Tarassuk, Claude Blair, The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms & Weapons: The Most Comprehensive Reference Work Ever Published on Arms and Armor, Random House Value Pub, page 294:

A Katzbalger, if I remembered my history correctly. The blade was made of a dull gray metal. Tiny lines of black text were etched along the edges.

2015, Jim C. Hines, Unbound, Penguin, →ISBN:

'I have a musket, a bow, a Katzbalger blade and a watchful hound as sentinel.' 'Be careful, Christian.' 'My luck has held so far.' He slipped into the woods, leaving the fishing scene and the chatter of his countrymen behind.

2017, James Jackson, Cradle, Bonnier Publishing Fiction Ltd., →ISBN:

A short Renaissance arming sword, of sturdy build, with a distinctive ess- or eight-shaped guard, the signature blade of the Landsknecht, used for close-quarters combat.


Tsar Bomba

Borrowed from Russian Царь-бо́мба (Carʹ-bómba, “emperor of bombs”).

bor

A 50-megaton thermonuclear bomb, detonated by the Soviet Union in October 1961. It was the biggest nuke ever exploded.


veuglaire

/vəˈɡlɛə(ɹ)/

From Middle French veuglaire, from Middle Dutch Vogheler (literally “fowler”), the surname of a maker.

der

(historical) A wrought-iron cannon, part of the artillery of France in the Middle Ages.


JDAM

/ˈd͡ʒeɪˌdæm/

“The crater and surrounding damage is also not consistent with a JDAM aerial bomb. The hole on the ground occurred from kinetic energy.”

2023 October 18, Manisha Ganguly, Emma Graham-Harrison, Jason Burke, Elena Morresi, Ashley Kirk, quoting Marc Garlasco, “Al-Ahli Arab hospital: piecing together what happened as Israel insists militant rocket to blame”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Joint Direct Attack Munition
w:Joint Direct Attack Munition

(military) Acronym of Joint Direct Attack Munition.


guntard

It took place some time ago but it the documentary was shown last night about the two guntards who used body armor, automatic weapons and body armor piercing bullets to rob a bank in North Hollywood, California.

2005 December 2, Bill, “Guntards in action”, in talk.politics.guns (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-29:

Here we have Al Gore, winner of the popular vote in 2000 and LEGITIMATE winner of the 2000 election based on the final recount, vs. the guntard hero--crybaby who used his family influence to get the SCOTUS to certify him the winner.

2007 October 14, Molly Bolt, “Gore wins Nobel while guntard hero goes down the toilet”, in talk.politics.guns (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-29:

When bush was appointed Pres, guntards were overjoyed--for the first time in their existence, here was a figure w/national prominence who exemplified the central tenet of guntard ideology: that all conflicts can be solved with guns.

2008 April 20, Siva, “What will guntards do when their hero is gone?”, in talk.politics.guns (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-29:

My question concerns the significance to Midwestern guntards of their guns vs. their barns. It is a topic I've researched extensively, yet there seems to be a lack of definitive evidence to conclude which of the two is considered more important from the point of view of a guntard.

2008 August 23, Mike Shetfield, “Guntard anthropology question”, in talk.politics.guns (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-29:

You guntards NEVER think! LOL

2018 May 20, Klaus Schadenfreude, “Ban guntard offspring from public schools”, in talk.politics.guns (Usenet), retrieved 2022-01-29:

(slang, derogatory) A person obsessed with owning guns; a zealous supporter of the right to bear arms.


military fork

A polearm used in Europe between the 15th and 19th centuries, normally consisting of two tines (prongs), straight and parallel or slightly flared.


flaming onion

(military, slang, historical) A 37 mm Hotchkiss revolving-barrel anti-aircraft gun used by the German army at the beginning of World War I.

Allied pilots feared and loathed these, because a hit from a flaming onion instantly turned an aeroplane into an inferno.

1985, Robert Harrison, Aviation Lore in Faulkner, page 116:

(military, slang, historical) The flare or tracer ammunition fired by this weapon.


bulletfest

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-bulletfest.wav

An occasion in which there is much shooting; a shootout.


MLRS

During Operation Desert Storm, government records show that the U.S. Army fired more than 17,200 unguided MLRS rockets and 32 of the larger ATACMS guided missiles at Iraqi forces.

2022 June 2, John Ismay, “What Are ‘Artillery Rockets,’ and Why Is the U.S. Sending Them to Ukraine?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Multiple Launch Rocket System
w:M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System

(military) Initialism of Multiple Launch Rocket System.


Manhattan Project

A program by the United States during World War II, to develop an atomic bomb


implosion bomb

A nuclear bomb that uses implosion to compress the fissile material, so that it goes from subcritical to critical.


cobalt bomb

A nuclear bomb that includes cobalt, which will absorb neutrons and become radioactive cobalt-60.


Cuban Missile Crisis

A diplomatic crisis in 1962, between the United States and the Soviet Union, over Soviet nuclear missiles placed in Cuba. It almost led to nuclear war.


bomb material

Material that is good for making nuclear bombs: e.g., certain isotopes of uranium, neptunium, and plutonium.


nuclear fratricide

en-noun

nuclear fratricide (plural nuclear fratricides)

The damage or destruction of nuclear warheads from other nuclear warheads


gun-type bomb

gun-type bomb . (canonical)
gun-type bombs (plural)

A nuclear bomb that slams one piece of nuclear explosive into another, forming a critical mass.


World Freedom Day

I made my first visit to Taiwan in 1974 in order to take part in a World Freedom Day rally in Taipei. The rally was sponsored by the World League for Freedom and Democracy, an organization with 120 national chapters worldwide.

2005, Jesse Helms, Here's Where I Stand: A Memoir, New York: Random House, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page https://archive.org/details/hereswhereistand0000helm/page/n200/:

a memorial day celebrated on January 23 in Taiwan and South Korea


superwarhead

And he said the Russians would need a "superwarhead" on their own minuteman-type weapon in order to be successful.

1961, Associated Press Clippings File Europe Disorders 1961-09-01, Press Association Inc., page 2:

A thousand times more powerful than the A-bomb that destroyed Nagasaki, this superwarhead would be capable of imposing great blast or overpressure on a very large area.

1970, Ralph E. Lapp, Arms Beyond Doubt: The Tyranny of Weapons Technology, Cowles Book Company, →ISBN, page 59:

Approval for its development may have been facilitated by Khrushchev’s interest in large-yield "terror weapons," for whose delivery the SS-9 was ideally suited. (Khrushchev boasted publicly about the Soviet possession of such weapons and the atmospheric thermonuclear test series conducted in August-September 1961 included the explosion of a superwarhead with a yield of approximately 50 megatons.)

1977, The Military in Contemporary Soviet Politics: An Institutional Analysis, Praeger, →ISBN, page 190:

However, every smaller terrorist state has its own superwarheads, happily sold to them by the big powers' armament industries. The problem of the deterrent has merely been displaced to the irresponsible and the fanatical.

1990, Christine Brooke-Rose, Verbivore, Carcanet, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 47:

(rare, military) An extremely destructive and powerful warhead.


vacuum bomb

Fears have risen over the use of thermobaric weapons by Russia after the Ukrainian ambassador to the US said a vacuum bomb – another term for the weapon – had been used during the invasion.

2022 March 1, Virginia Harrison, “What are thermobaric weapons and how do they work?”, in The Guardian:

thermobaric weapon
thermobaric weapon#English

An aerosol bomb, a type of thermobaric weapon


thermobaric weapon

thermobaric weapon (plural thermobaric weapons)

From being a weapon which produces heat (“thermo-”) and pressure (“baric”).

(weaponry) A weapon of a class of bombs, which causes a large explosion, with effects similar to a nuclear blast, by having an explosion, flash of heat, shockwave, producing a vacuum, and vacuum collapse pressure wave. Typically produced by aerosolizing a fuel throughout the air, and setting it alight, producing a detonation, that consumes all the oxygen in the region.


chicken sickle

A Chinese melee weapon designed similarly to a scythe, made with materials similar to a chicken's claw.


Rocketman

Coined by Donald Trump in September 19, 2017 for a United Nations speech, in reference to Kim's launch of military rockets.

coined

Rocketman is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime.

Little Rocketman has totally misrepresented denuke plan we offered. Deals can't get made when there is no trust! Fat kid blew it and will be sorry. Sad!
[…]
Rocketman's sister IS NOT North Korea's IVANKA. Ivanka is 6 feet tall. She's got the best body. Rocketman's sister is flat as a board!

2018 August 7, Dr Jeffrey Lewis, The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against The United States, Random House, →ISBN, →OCLC:

It wouldn't surprise me. I thought Trump was using Bolton as the "bad cop" in
North Korea, and would use him to annoy Rocketman, then fire him and be the
"good cop".

2019 October 2, Rick Sabian, “THE WHISTLE BLOWER IS”, in alt.checkmate (Usenet):

Today in North Korea we see the lasting Karma of those events where the Japanese mutilated millions for the sheer lust of it. And North Korea's Rocketman wins the fearful adoration of his peoples in consequence.

2019 October 23, RANCE DEWITT, AMAZON COVENANT 2020 TRUMP and BOLSONARO, Lulu.com, →ISBN, →OCLC:

(slang, humorous, derogatory, neologism) North Korean politician Kim Jong-un.


hypermissile

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-hypermissile.wav

The sight of another hypermissile impacting the Shield mollified him only a little; the backup fire-control comp had taken over without a hiccup, but precious little good did that do him, isolated on the bridge with no way of knowing what was going on. The only comfort, and bare comfort at that, was that there was only one lance. And it was damaged, too.

1993, Sherwood Smith, Dave Trowbridge, The Phoenix in Flight, TOR, →ISBN, page 181:

Pavanaz tripped into hyperspace, burned the cruiser with his exhaust, threw all power to his screens and deflected the carrier's hypermissiles.

2006, Brian Lumley, Screaming Science Fiction: Horrors from Out of Space, Subterranean Press, →ISBN, page 124:

He did not need what it represented: a ship-size heat signature, something out in space beyond the asteroid, just a few kelvins. In the tactical display, blue diamonds shot toward the spot, hypermissiles tracking the tiny difference in temeprature. The ship did not fight back.

2017, Craig DeLancey, Evolution Commandos, 496\Perfect Number Press:

(science fiction, rare, video games) An extremely advanced and powerful missile or projectile; a supermissile.


greatbow

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-greatbow.wav

He hooked the tip of his own greatbow under the door’s hasp, muttered som thing under his breath and pulled, hard. Nothing happened. Again, and again nothing.

1981, Peter Morwood, The Warlord's Domain, DAW, →ISBN, page 84:

You can turtle with a crossbow but you're wide open after every shot. Greatbows have knockdown but you're superslow.

2021 April 12, the_3rdist, “What is your all time favourite themed runs?”, in reddit.com:

Maybe samurai would give you a head start for a greatbow build.

2022 February 14, ytinifniozob, Zamoku, “Greatbows”, in reddit.com:

(rare, science fiction, video games, weaponry, fantasy) A giant bow; a longbow.


Whisker Biscuit

en-noun

Whisker Biscuit (plural Whisker Biscuits)

It might seem that a Whisker Biscuit's nylon bristles, which surround the shaft, would affect arrow flight.

2004 August, Scott Bestul, “The No-Nonsense Bow”, in Field & Stream, unnumbered page:

I pulled my quiver off my bow, ran an arrow through my Whisker Biscuit, and leaned back on my leg.

2006, Jimmy Sites, Jason Cruise, Into the High Country, unnumbered page:

I draw, sure that he can hear the sound of the arrow as it touches each fiber of my Whisker Biscuit rest.

2008, Bill Heavey, If You Didn't Bring Jerky, What Did I Just Eat?: Misadventures in Hunting, Fishing, and the Wilds of Suburbia, page 139:

(archery) A branded arrow rest with synthetic bristles with a hole in the middle to stabilize the arrow shaft while allowing the fletching to pass smoothly.


whisker biscuit

whisker biscuit (plural whisker biscuits)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-whisker biscuit.wav

The bad news was his whisker biscuit—the part that guided the arrow—as well as his sight and stabilizer had been snapped, shattered, and otherwise removed.

This is most easily seen on your arrow rest if you're using a recurve, but you can also see erosion on a containment rest and/or a whisker biscuit.

2019, Dawson Albert, Archery: The #1 Beginner's Guide for Everything an Archer Needs to Know About Recurve and Compound Bows, unnumbered page:

The whisker biscuit is the most typical rest, but it can slightly reduce the arrow's speed.

2021, Miguel Rocha, HowExpert Guide to Archery, page 6:

(archery) Alternative letter-case form of Whisker Biscuit.


space bridge

In a later Donahue/Pozner space bridge the question of editing was dramatically underscored on air in the Soviet Union.

1992, Ellen Mickiewicz, Split Signals: Television and Politics in the Soviet Union, page 48:

(historical) A series of experimental international telecasts between Soviet and United States viewers, arranged by enthusiasts during the late Cold War era.


superfiring

(military, nautical, of a gun turret on a warship) Mounted higher than one or more other turrets within its firing arc, allowing it to fire over the top of the lower-mounted turret(s).


procontrol

en-adj

procontrol (comparative more procontrol, superlative most procontrol)

more procontrol (comparative)
most procontrol (superlative)

authoritarianism
export control
gun control
gun rights

2013, NRA Institute for Legal Action, "Emily Gets Her Gun!"
Miller links together a mountain of facts to dismantle the pro-control arguments concocted by the president and his allies, and calculatingly fed to the American people by many of her peers in the Fourth Estate.

If procontrol opinion really is as genuine and as strong as survey responses indicate, why is it that procontrol groups cannot mobilize large numbers of voters to call or write to their elected representatives to urge them to vote in a procontrol direction, while the NRA routinely manages to do this?... The available evidence supports the following conclusions: (1) most people have no real opinion or only very weak or unstable opinions on specific narrow gun control proposals; (2) most people have only very general opinions on broad issues like gun control rather than specific, strongly held opinions on narrow issues, and (3) the few who do have strong, stable opinions in the gun control area are mostly anticontrol, because most of them are gun owners.

2017, Gary Kleck, Targeting Guns: Firearms and Their Control, page 442:

Supportive of greater or stricter control, especially

(politics) Synonym of antigun: supportive of greater gun control, typically inclusive of opposition to gun rights.


rocket artillery

en-noun

rocket artillery (usually uncountable, plural rocket artilleries)

(military) Artillery that uses rockets as projectiles, instead of shells or shot; artillery composed of rocket launchers instead of guns.

реактивная артиллерия (reaktivnaya artilleriya, literally “Rocket artillery”) (Literally)


loitering munition

loitering munition (plural loitering munitions)

Coordinate term: homing munition

Loitering munitions can circle overhead for extended periods of time, searching for potential targets over a wide area and, once they find one, destroy it. Unlike homing munitions, loitering munitions do not require precise intelligence on enemy targets before launch.

2018, Paul Scharre, chapter 3, in Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War, W. W. Norton & Company, →ISBN:

She noted that the report stated the Kargu-2 and “other loitering munitions” attacked convoys and retreating fighters. Loitering munitions, which are simpler autonomous weapons that are designed to hover on their own in an area before crashing into a target, have been used in several other conflicts, Ms. Franke said.

2021 June 3, Maria Cramer, quoting Ulrike Franke, “A.I. Drone May Have Acted on Its Own in Attacking Fighters, U.N. Says”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(military, weaponry) A munition, often a UAV, that waits passively around the target area and attacks only once a target is located.


scalping knife

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-scalping knife.wav

(dated, chiefly US) Any of a loosely defined class of ample-bellied knives that largely overlaps with other classes such as hunting knife, butcher knife, and bushcraft knife.


fighting stick

An elongate grip to move in a videogame.


GMLRS

But the range of the GMLRS is more than twice that of the 155-mm shells fired by howitzers.

2022 June 2, John Ismay, “What Are ‘Artillery Rockets,’ and Why Is the U.S. Sending Them to Ukraine?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Multiple Launch Rocket System
MLRS#English

(US military) Acronym of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System.


HIMARS

Using the HIMARS and GMLRS together can offer an amount of firepower that is similar to an airstrike — all from a mobile platform.

High Mobility Artillery Rocket System
w:High Mobility Artillery Rocket System

multiple rocket launcher
multiple rocket launcher

(military) Acronym of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, a light multiple rocket launcher.


ATACMS

During Operation Desert Storm, government records show that the U.S. Army fired more than 17,200 unguided MLRS rockets and 32 of the larger ATACMS guided missiles at Iraqi forces.

The Biden administration, which has sent billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, has been deliberating about whether to provide some of their limited inventory of Army Tactical Missile Systems — known as ATACMS. Mr. Zelensky said Ukraine needs more missile capability.

[2023 September 22, Helene Cooper, Julian E. Barnes, “Zelensky’s Visit Reveals Strategy Divide Between Ukraine and U.S.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Army Tactical Missile System
w:Army Tactical Missile System

surface-to-surface missile
surface-to-surface missile

(US military) Acronym of Army Tactical Missile System, a type of surface-to-surface missile.


Nordenfelt gun

Named after the Swedish steel producer and banker Thorsten Nordenfelt, who funded its development.

(firearms, historical) A kind of organ gun having a row of up to twelve barrels, and fired by pulling a lever back and forth, with ammunition fed by gravity through a chute for each barrel.


stand fast

(archery) a warning not to pass between the arrow and the target


EPW

earth-penetrating weapon
w:earth-penetrating weapon


TNW

tactical nuclear weapon
w:tactical nuclear weapon


dial-a-yield

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(military) Of a nuclear weapon, having a yield that is variable (i.e. selectable without reconstruction).


NSNW

non-strategic nuclear weapon
w:non-strategic nuclear weapon

Initialism of non-strategic nuclear weapon.


trench broom

From its ability to clear out military trenches.

Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun


en bloc clip

(military) A clip holding several rounds of ammunition for a firearm, which is inserted into the firearm's internal magazine to load the weapon, remains in the weapon while firing, and is removed or ejected when its supply of ammunition is exhausted.


predetonation

predetonation (countable and uncountable, plural predetonations)

When a nuclear bomb fails to produce full yield, due to the chain reaction starting prematurely, before the system is at optimum criticality.


insertion time

insertion time (countable and uncountable, plural insertion times)

(nuclear physics) The length of time which is required to rearrange a subcritical mass of fissile material into a prompt critical mass.


Hitler's buzzsaw

Hitler's buzzsaw (plural Hitler's buzzsaws)

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(military, World War II, slang) The MG 42 machine gun.


boyfriend loophole

(US, law) A gap in American gun legislation that allows access to guns by physically abusive ex-boyfriends and stalkers with previous convictions or restraining orders—while individuals who have been convicted of, or are under a restraining order for, domestic violence are prohibited from owning a firearm, the prohibition only applies if the victim was the perpetrator's spouse or cohabitant, or if the perpetrator had a child with the victim.


vent-piece

(firearms) In a breechloading firearm, a vertical sliding block with a conical plug on its front surface to seal the firing chamber and close the breech.


rifle grenade

(military) A grenade (small explosive device) designed to be launched from the muzzle of an infantry soldier's rifle, using a rifle cartridge (usually a specially-designed blank cartridge, but occasionally a normal ball round) for propulsion.


forward assist

(firearms) A button on certain rifles that pushes the bolt carrier forward, ensuring that the bolt is locked.


PHASR

From the fictional Star Trek weapon technology, the phaser.

Coordinate term: TASER

(weaponry) Acronym of personnel halting and stimulation response. (a non-lethal laser weapon technology that causes temporary blindness)


bolt thrower

(science fiction) A mechanical crossbow used by Alliance Special Forces infiltration units in Star Wars.


auto sear

Coordinate term: bump stock

(firearms) A device which allows for a closed-bolt self-loading firearm to reliably function in fully automatic fire by preventing the hammer or striker from falling until the bolt is fully in battery.


Glock switch

(firearms) A device which modifies the firing system of a Glock pattern pistol, by bypassing the semiautomatic catch, which enables fully automatic fire.


Gungnir

Learned borrowing from Old Norse Gungnir (“the swaying one”).

lbor

(Norse mythology and paganism) The spear of the Norse god Odin, which is believed to never miss its target.


handstaff

en-noun

handstaff (plural handstaffs or handstaves)

From Middle English hond staffe; equivalent to hand + staff.

Coordinate term: swipple

The part of a flail that is held in the hand.


tang button

56. Kõrā having very heavy single - edged blade . 57 . Sosun pattā , cylindrical hilt , recurved quillons . 58. Hilt consisting of a small tang button , a dome - shaped pommel and a cylindrical grip . 59. Hilt , comprising a small[…]

1989, Gayatri Nath Pant, Mughal Weapons in the Bābur-nāmā, South Asia Books:

At the top center of the pommel was a tang button , flush to the top , and with two holes to accommodate a spanner wrench . The tang button tightened on the blade tang , thus securing the entire assembled hilt .

1995, John R. Angolia, In the Service of the Reich: Diplomatic & Government Officials, German Red Cross, R James Bender Pub:

The tang button on top has no functionl A hilt B crossguard C grip D blade E tang F point G edges H fullers J tang button K washerfortang button L pommel M grip hafts with rosettes N grip strip O grip scale P rivets Cinquedea.

2010, Jan Piet Puype, Harm Stevens, Arms and Armour of Knights and Landsknechts in the Netherlands Army Museum, Eburon Uitgeverij B.V., →ISBN, page 143:

A distinctive feature is that the plates and sides are prolonged to the tip of the tang , thus imitating and at the same time dispensing with a tang button . But it is the cross which gives the sword its especial — and particularly[…]

1981, David H. Caldwell, Scottish Weapons and Fortifications, 1100-1800, John Donald:


surgical strike

surgical strike (plural surgical strikes)

Kennedy at the time was greatly concerned over reports that the Chinese Communists were secretly conducting nuclear explosions at Lop Nor in Northwest China—a sure indication they were working on atomic weapons. This was the period when Moscow and Peking were still close to each other, otherwise it might have been possible for the United States to devise a way to neutralize Peking's nuclear potential at an early stage. At their meeting Kennedy asked Chen many questions about Lop Nor. Could he have been thinking of a preventive surgical strike?

1983, James C. H. Shen, “Rejoining the Government”, in Robert Myers, editor, The U.S. & Free China: How the U.S. Sold Out Its Ally, Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books Ltd., →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 39:

Months later, Modi ordered a surgical strike on alleged insurgents inside Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, and vowed to isolate Islamabad diplomatically.

2017 August 10, Ashok Sharma, “AP Explains: 70 years of India-Pakistan tensions unresolved”, in AP News, archived from the original on 2022-10-02:

(military, weaponry) A military attack of closely-controlled scope on a highly specific target.


flash pan

(firearms) A small receptacle for priming powder, found next to the touch hole on muzzleloading guns.


choke tube

(firearms) An internally tapering metal cylinder attached to the muzzle of a shotgun, designed to constrict the spreading pattern of the shot pellets.


en-proverb

if you go far enough left, you get your guns back

(politics) Liberals or center-leftists widely support firearm restrictions, while those on the far left, such as Marxists, do not.


LLNL

w:Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

(US) Initialism of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.


uncockable

(rail transport, firearms, rare) Not able to be cocked.


cockable

(rail transport, firearms, rare) Able to be cocked.


terzetta

(firearms, historical) An old Italian flintlock pistol.


sandgun

The air lift, or sandgun, sucks up the sand and mud, expelling particles everywhere, unless a tide is running.

1967, U.S. Camera and Travel - Volume 30, page 33:

A pipe that is used to suck up objects from a river or sea bed.


HESH

(military) Initialism of high explosive squash head.; a munition which uses a plastic explosive warhead that squashes on impact before exploding, causing spalling on the interior of armor panels when exploding.


ammunitional

[…] the manufacturer's potential liability in this type of situation have emphasized the highly dangerous nature of the product involved, such as ammunitional or inflammable substances.

1960, Louis R. Frumer, Melvin I. Friedman, Products Liability:

To assist action one must give ammunitional specifics to those about to fight.

1972, Carolyn Clugston Leopold, Carolyn Leopold Michaels, School Libraries Worth Their Keep: A Philosophy Plus Tricks, Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press:

(firearms) Of or relating to ammunition.


cyclic rate

en-noun

cyclic rate (countable and uncountable, plural cyclic rates)

(firearms) The rate at which an automatic firearm will fire if its firing mechanism is held down, causing the delay between successive shots to be the time needed for the firearm's action to cycle.


Chinese fighting stick

Chinese fighting stick (plural Chinese fighting sticks)

When Toby's not stunting or working out in the gym, he conducts early morning and last afternoon classes in Chinese fighting sticks, conducted in Camperdown Park.

2010, Peter Corris, Torn Apart, Allen and Unwin, page 162:

One of a pair of traditional Chinese martial arts weapons consisting of a short, hard wooden stick.


cowboy load

cowboy action shooting
cowboy action shooting

(firearms) An underpowered load used in cowboy action shooting.


musket ball

Archaeologists excavating the site of Coleshill Manor in Warwickshire have uncovered the foundations of a medieval gatehouse, on which are around 200 marks and indentations from pistol and musket balls. A further 40 musket balls were removed from nearby soil, where the moat would have been located.

2023 February 8, “HS2 archaeologists uncover evidence of early Civil War skirmish”, in RAIL, number 976, page 24:

(firearms, historical) A spherical projectile suitable for firing from a musket.


gun-type

Of a nuclear bomb: using the gun method of assembly (see gun-type bomb)


dunnite

From Dunn + -ite, after U.S. Army major Beverly Dunn, who developed it.

(military, historical) Ammonium picrate, used as an explosive.


scope bite

(firearms) Injury during recoil as the scope hits one's face.


Pedersen device

Pedersen device (plural Pedersen devices)

Developed by John Pedersen (arms designer).

(firearms) An experimental weapon attachment for the M1903 Springfield bolt action rifle that allowed it to fire a .30 caliber (7.62 mm) pistol-type cartridge in semi-automatic mode.


nuclear explosion

nuclear explosion (plural nuclear explosions)


nuclear terrorism

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supergrade

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-supergrade.wav

Of plutonium: containing a very small portion of isotopes other than plutonium-239 (especially plutonium-240) (less than perhaps 3%), making the plutonium especially suitable for nuclear weapons


nuclear fallout

nuclear fallout (countable and uncountable, plural nuclear fallouts)

In reference to such material falling out of the sky.

(uncountable) Residual radioactive material in the upper atmosphere which settles down to Earth over a protracted period; typically ash which has been propelled upwards by a nuclear explosion or disaster, sometimes mixed with rain or snow.

تَهَاطُل نَوَوِيّ

radioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth


drum magazine

(firearms) A high-capacity cylindrical magazine for firearms, storing rounds of ammunition in a central spiral.


shell hunger

Prior to the war, for instance, Russia's total production of machinery of all kinds met less than 50 percent of the empire's internal demand. [...] The deleterious result was the great "shell hunger" of 1915, the German conquest of Poland, Livonia, and[…]

2000 January 1, J. M. Winter, Geoffrey Parker, Mary Ruth Habeck, Mary R. Habeck, Professor Jay Winter, The Great War and the Twentieth Century, Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 39:

The weapon plants of the German Empire succeed in overcoming the shell hunger faster than the others. The photo shows a Russian artillery battery[…]

2021 October 29, Rem Word, Revolutionary. Frame by frame, Litres, →ISBN:

It [the Ukrainian government] also said that Russian forces appeared to have plenty of munitions, deviating from a “shell hunger,” or lack of ammo supplies, preciously reported by the Russian private military group Wagner.

2023 April 18, Olga Voitovych, Ukrainian commander says Russians "unsuccessful" in most areas of frontline, CNN:

A shortage of ammunition, particularly artillery shells.


physics gun

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under and over

Synonym of over and under (“type of gun”)


papyroxylin

From papyro- (“papyrus, paper”) + xylo- (“wood, wood pulp”) + -in (“forming substances made from living things”), after the model of earlier pyroxylin.

af

Gun-paper, or papyroxyline, is paper which has been immersed for a few seconds in a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids, and then washed in an abundance of water.

1894, Selimo R. Bottone, Electrical Instrument Making for Amateurs, 6th edition, page 26:


PrSM

Precision Strike Missile
w:Precision Strike Missile

Acronym of Precision Strike Missile, a type of surface-to-surface missile scheduled to be produced by Lockheed Martin and fielded from the mid-2020s in replacement of ATACMS.


captive bolt pistol

en-noun

captive bolt pistol (plural captive bolt pistols)

a device that renders animals unconscious prior to slaughter by impelling a metal bolt into its head


SADM

Special Atomic Demolition Munition
w:Special Atomic Demolition Munition

Initialism of Special Atomic Demolition Munition.


suitcase nuke

Tactical nuclear weapons, known as “suitcase nukes”, are smaller than strategic ones and can be deployed at short range for battlefield use, though Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus's strongman leader, said this week that the warheads were three times more powerful than the bombs the US dropped on Japan during the second world war.

[2023 June 17, Max Seddon, “Nuclear arms sent to Belarus, says Putin”, in FT Weekend, page 2:


backpack nuke

The Pentagon may have the solution—the Backpack Nuke. Yes, campers, the largest hiking club in the western world—the U.S. Army—is now equipped with small, portable, lightweight nuclear devices that are guaranteed to clear any campground in microseconds.

1985 May, Eric Pearlman, “Things to Come”, in Backpacker, volume 13, number 68, →ISSN, page 104:


Chicago piano

(slang, weaponry) The Thompson submachine gun.

(slang, military, weaponry) A 1.1-inch anti-aircraft gun.

(slang, military, weaponry) A multiple 2-pounder gun pom pom anti-aircraft gun.


captive nation

Almost from the moment the Soviet empire swallowed the captive nations, the fight against it began.

1989 November 21, A[braham] M[ichael] Rosenthal, “ON MY MIND; Helping the Revolution”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2017-12-19:

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump claimed that "socialism is dying" and described Cuba as a "captive nation." But Cuban officials framed voting yes to the constitution as a matter of patriotism.

2019 February 25, Euan McKirdy, “Cubans overwhelmingly vote in favor of new constitution”, in CNN, archived from the original on 2022-10-12:

When the moment struck in the late 1980s as the Soviet Union started to collapse, nonviolent resistance to Communist rule forced the Soviets out, freeing the captive nations without a shot fired.

2021 June 24, Henry Olsen, “Opinion: The U.S. can’t save Hong Kong. But it must keep the spirit of freedom alive.”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2021-07-18:

(US, politics, chiefly historical) A country under the control of a Communist regime (especially the Soviet Union).


Barbenheimer

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Though unions with workers in digital media or with companies that offer online shopping have invoked the idea of a digital picket line, the actors’ and writers’ unions have not called on consumers to stop watching television and movies on streaming services or to cancel their “Barbenheimer” tickets.

2023 July 19, Claire Moses, “Can I Watch ‘Barbenheimer’ Despite the Hollywood Strikes?”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-07-24:

(humorous, neologism) The simultaneous theatrical release on July 21, 2023 of two blockbuster films of contrasting genres: Barbie, a fantasy comedy about the eponymous fashion doll, and Oppenheimer, a biographical thriller about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project.


hoplophilia

From hoplo- (“weapon, arms”) + -philia (“love”).

confix

People with hoplophilia, known as hoplophiliacs or hoplophiles, may seek sexual gratification in a number of ways. Many may feel aroused by viewing images of firearms or being in close contact with guns. Some may enjoy having their own guns or seek or sexual relationships with gun owners, especially those who use guns professionally like police officers and security guards.

2019 October 28, Kinkly.com, “Hoplophilia”, in Kinkly:

The love of or attraction to firearms or other weapons.


hoplophile

From hoplo- (“weapon, arms”) + -phile (“love”).

These hoplophile members of the Pro-Firearms with No More Regulations Movement may actually believe this strategy holds promise in silencing us, and help them to counter the psychological discourse connected to their obsessive attachments to firearms, but it will fail.

2016 June 19, Dr. Warren J. Blumenfeld, “Remember: Freud said men who obsess over guns have small genitals”, in LGBTQ Nation:

One who loves or is attracted to firearms or other weapons.


Tannerite

From Tannerite, a brand of binary explosive targets.

A material that is used to make binary explosive targets.


fo'-fo'

From the non-rhotic accents of African-American Vernacular English.

Look, I gotcha caught up with the drunk flow / Fuck tae kwon do, I tote da fo'-fo' / For niggas gettin' mad cause they bitch chose me / A big black motherfucker with G ya see

2007, The Notorious B.I.G. (lyrics and music), “Want That Old Thing Back”, in Greatest Hits, performed by w:The Notorious B.I.G., w:Ja Rule, and w:Ralph Tresvant, w:Bad Boy Records; w:Atlantic Records:

I jus' thought I'd let you kno' / When I'm rollin with a black fo' fo' / I ain't that nigga

2007, Twista (lyrics and music), “I Ain't That Nigga”, in Adrenaline Rush 2007, Atlantic Records:

Checking gas with a loaded fo'-fo' when he rollin', po-po / On his shoulder, so he's slow, but he's goin', wouldn't you?

2014, clipping. (lyrics and music), “Intro”, in CLPPNG, performed by Daveed Diggs, Sub Pop Records:

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

(hip-hop slang, African-American Vernacular) Pronunciation spelling of forty-four: a .44 caliber gun, especially the .44 Magnum.


snubnosed revolver

en-noun

snubnosed revolver (plural snubnosed revolvers)

(firearms) A small, medium, or large frame revolver with a short barrel, generally less than four inches in length.


mortuary sword

In popular belief, so named because the hilts sometimes depict a face, which is commonly believed to be that of King Charles I, executed in 1649; in fact, swords of this type with that face were used by both sides of the conflict even before Charles was killed. An alternative explanation for the name is that many such swords were donated to churches when their wielders died, and used in funerary displays.

A (typically two-edged) sword with a straight blade and a half-basket hilt, used in Britain especially during the English Civil War.


warblade

With naked swords we slashed through the waves / ready with warblades for wandering whales / dark sea-monsters.

1991, Frederick Rebsamen, transl., Beowulf: A Verse Translation, New York, N.Y.: IconEditions, HarperCollins Publishers, →ISBN, page 18, lines 539–541:

That is one of the single greatest warblades ever forged.

1997, Patrick Thomas, Exile and Entrance, Farmingdale, N.Y.: Padwolf Publishing, →ISBN, page 245:

Warblade +4 / This large sword is an enchanted version of the barbaric swords of the Northern tribes. Forged during battle and dipped in the blood of the brave fallen, the enchantment granted to the blade by the barbarian gods is incredible.

2000, BioWare, Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn:

These mighty warriors carry hefty warblades into combat and rely greatly upon the cunning and ferocity of their faithful dire-wolf mounts to defeat their enemies.

2002, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual, Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, page 87:

“To seek out your other game,” Durnan replied, taking down a baldric heavy with warblades from a peg on the wall, slinging it over his shoulder, and reaching for its cross-buckles.

2004, Ed Greenwood, “The Keeper of Secrets”, in Philip Athans, editor, Realms of the Dragons (The Year of Rogue Dragons), Renton, Wash.: Wizards of the Coast, →ISBN, page 86:

SEPHIROTH […] EQUIPMENT / WEAPON / Warblade

2009, Joe Epstein, Casey Loe, Dissidia Final Fantasy (official strategy guide), BradyGames, →ISBN, page 233:

Raptor drew one of his khura, the long, curved warblades he wore at his hips, and neatly chopped off a dried finger.

2012, JP Ishaq, In Spite of All, Havoc Factory Publishing, →ISBN, page 303:

Hammers thudded into its flesh, and warblades bit at its flanks, but it refused to fall.

2016, Josh Reynolds, “The Prisoner of the Black Sun”, in Hammerhal & Other Stories: Great Fiction from the Mortal Realms (Warhammer Age of Sigmar), Nottingham, Notts: Black Library, published 2017, →ISBN, page 217:

They had been patient and obedient, and kept their faces easy, though the lack of sidearms and warblades made Stost feel exposed and naked, despite the fine new uniform.

2017, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller, The Gathering Edge (Liaden universe), Riverdale, N.Y.: Baen Books, →ISBN, page 120:

A large bladed weapon designed for use in battle, such as a sword or battle axe.


in battery

(firearms) Of a firearm, in the firing position after recovery from the recoil of a previous discharge.


robogun

A robotic gun; a gun not directly controlled by a human.


Qassam

Unadapted borrowing from Arabic قَسَّام (qassām); named after Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

ubor

(strictly) The Qassam rocket, a type of homemade rocket used by Hamas militants in Gaza.


pumpgun

(firearms, informal) A pump-action firearm.


dirty war

(historical) A conflict (particularly one in South America) between a dictatorship against leftist revolutionaries or activists, typically characterized by extrajudicial repression like kidnapping, torture and enforced disappearance.

guerre sale

conflict characterized by extrajudicial repression


Doomsday Clock

A symbol in the form of a clock, representing the likelihood of a human-made global catastrophe, in the opinion of the members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Its hands are moved backward or forward in response to world events, with midnight representing the onset of catastrophe.


glide bomb

The destruction wrought by glide bombs is visible in towns and villages near the front line.

2024 January 8, Carlotta Gall, Vladyslav Golovin, Mauricio Lima, “Exhausted, on the Defensive and at ‘Hell’s Gate’ in Ukraine”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

A standoff weapon with flight control surfaces to give it a flatter, gliding flight path than that of a conventional bomb without such surfaces.


glide bomb

en-verb

glide bomb (third-person singular simple present glide bombs, present participle glide bombing, simple past and past participle glide bombed)

glide bombs (present singular third-person)
glide bombing (participle present)
glide bombed (participle past)
glide bombed (past)


nailkeg

(World War I military slang) A shrapnel shell.


magazine gun

(firearms) A type of portable firearm consisting of a chamber holding cartridges which are set into position for firing automatically.


junk wad

en-noun

junk wad (countable and uncountable, plural junk wads)

(firearms) A plug made of oakum bound with spun yarn and designed to keep the powder and shot in place when loading a gun or cartridge.


flash-to-bang time

flash-to-bang time (countable and uncountable, plural flash-to-bang times)

(military, weaponry) The period of time between when light is first observed and when the sound of the (nuclear or other) detonation is heard.


power wheel

The Power Wheel pike and power wheel knee-up exercises started and ended with the subject in the push-up position (trunk, hips, knees, and elbows in full extension, shoulders flexed 90°, and hands on the floor approximately a shoulder width apart), the feet above the floor and attached to Power Wheel straps, and the wheel in a vertical position on the floor (Figs. 3A and 3B).

2006, Rafael F Escamilla, Eric Babb, Ryan DeWitt, Patrick Jew, Patrick Kelleher, Toni Burnham, Juliann Busch, Kristen D'Anna, Ryan Mowbray, Rodney T Imamura, “Electromyographic analysis of traditional and nontraditional abdominal exercises: implications for rehabilitation and training”, in Physical Therapy, volume 86, number 5, →DOI, archived from the original on 2024-02-24, page 659b:

(rare) An ab wheel (trademark by Lifeline Fitness).


blammer

Always on my toes, always gotta keep the blammer
The day aghast – how they send me to the slammers

2022 March 12, “Real Hooligans” (0:56 from the start), BadboydelasFlores (lyrics):

(African-American Vernacular, slang) gun, firearm


blammy

You know when I wiggle through I got that blammy on my hip
Grammies on my neck, you tryna touch them and get chipped

2023 August 23, LA Duce ft. Young Note, YB Ea$e, Dudadamthang, DoeBoyTK & I.E. Shelby (lyrics and music), “I's & E's” (2:32 from the start):

Someone gon' bleed in your family, crodie
I be at New Ho King eatin' fried rice wit' a dip sauce and blammy, crodie

2024 April 30, Kendrick Lamar (lyrics and music), “euphoria” (5:46 from the start):


multibarrels

His own [heart] was hammering like a minigun, multibarrels firing.


fully-automatic

Coordinate term: semi-automatic

(weaponry, firearms) That loads itself and fires continuously.


nuclear deterrence

(geopolitics) The discouraging of nuclear attack through the threat of nuclear retaliation.


anchor point

Tournament archers generally use a lower anchor point, with the string hand under the chin.

1997, M. R. James, G. Fred Asbell, Dave Holt, Bowhunting Equipment and Skills, page 83:

Low groups can come from a mis-set sight, dropping your bow arm because of fatigue, a broken serving causing your nocking point to elevate, a loose aperture or scope, or half a dozen form flaws (such as a misplaced anchor point).

2004, Steve Ruis, Claudia Stevenson, Precision Archery, page 59:

To this point you have been using an under-chin anchor point. You have been anchoring your string hand under your jaw bone.

2006, Kathleen Haywood, Catherine Lewis, Archery: Steps to Success, page 67:

(archery) A point on the body, such as the chin or the corner of the mouth, that an archer touches with the string hand when the bow is fully drawn, in order to maintain a consistent draw.


controlled variable time

controlled variable time (countable and uncountable, plural controlled variable times)

(military, weaponry) A type of artillery fuze that has a mechanical timer which activates the radar when it is near the target.


functioning time

functioning time (countable and uncountable, plural functioning times)

(military, weaponry) Of ordnance, the amount of time required for the fuze to detonate after impact or after a preset time.


pistolized

(chiefly Philippines, firearms) with shoulder stock removed and replaced with a pistol grip on a long gun (such as a shotgun or carbine)


superprojectile

He knew the cause—tons of khatonite were being turned out where only pounds had been required before—tons of high explosive that were to be transported in those dread superprojectiles to congested centres of population all over the world.

1932, Bob Olsen, Earl Repp, William Lemkin, Amazing Stories, page 698:

The six submarines, of a type now maneuvering off the coast, are shown surfaced off enemy coast line launching superprojectiles, guided from sub conning towers to targets as far as 500 miles inland.

1950, Donald Goldsmith, Los Angeles Times, Volume 69, page 3:

t. The comet or asteroid would part the - atmosphere like a superprojectile, leaving a hole through the air as wide as itself.

1985, Donald Goldsmith, Nemesis: The Death-Star and Other Theories of Mass Extinction, Walker, →ISBN, page 144:

Picture an onrushing comet or asteroid that approaches Earth at a relative velocity between 10 and 50 kilometers per second, so that the object arrives from the moon's distance in a matter of a few hours— not much of a warning even if anything were to done about it. The comet or asteroid would part the atmosphere like a superprojectile, leaving a hole through the air as wide as itself. Even though air rushes back into the hole at the speed of sound, it would taken tens of seconds for the hole to disappear.

1987, Thomas R. McDonough, Space: The Next Twenty-Five Years, Wiley, →ISBN, page 134:

(rare, firearms, physics) A superior projectile; a supershot.


Western Bloc

Coordinate term: Eastern Bloc

(geopolitics, historical) The noncommunist nations of Europe and America.


holy hand grenade

holy hand grenade (plural holy hand grenades)

From holy (“divine; godly”, adjective) + hand grenade (“hand-thrown timed explosive”, noun); an ellipsis of the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, coined in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The popularity of holy hand grenades as video game items is largely attributed to the Worms series.

com

A fictional weapon, usually gilded with gold and adorned with Christian symbolism such as crosses, which is a much more powerful version of a standard hand grenade or explosive.


heat-seeking

(military, weaponry) Of a missile or rocket, able to detect and follow the heat emitted by an aircraft engine or rocket.


GunTube

Blend of gun + YouTube. By surface analysis, gun + -Tube.

YouTube is awash in gun content, often referred to as “GunTube” by firearm enthusiasts. Individuals who come to GunTube—including children and teens—can find videos which glorify assault weapons, show how to modify firearms, and teach viewers how to shoot through bulletproof glass or “win gunfights.”

2023 May 16, “YouTube and Gun Content: A Dangerous Combination for Kids and Teens”, in Everytown Support Fund:

The community of videobloggers (particularly YouTubers) who create videos about firearms or advocate for gun rights.


Right Arm of the Free World

en-proper noun

the Right Arm of the Free World (uncountable)

the Right Arm of the Free World (canonical)

Even as the U.S. rapidly moved on from their M-14 to the famed M-16 rifle, the rest of the world’s efforts against the Soviets and their “Red reach” was at the muzzle end of the FAL, resulting in the rifle’s nickname, “the Right Arm of the Free World.”

2017 February 16, Jason J. Brown, “The FN FAL: ‘The Right Arm of the Free World’”, in National Rifle Association:

(colloquial) The FN-FAL, which was widely used by militaries of the Western Bloc during the Cold War.


thermonuclear war

en-noun

thermonuclear war (countable and uncountable, plural thermonuclear wars)

A nuclear war, assuming at least some of the bombs are thermonuclear.


range queen

(weaponry, uncommon) A gun which is shot, but only at a range in order to avoid damage.


blow forward

(firearms) A firearm action where the propellant gas pressure and the friction of the bullet traveling down the bore drag the whole gun barrel forward to facilitate the opening of the breech.


Dirty War

(historical) The period of state terrorism in Argentina from 1974 to 1983 as a part of Operation Condor.


pentolite

Local people fear the pentolite, which is buried underground and is in an unknown number of places around the forest floor, could explode at any time and say it blocks full access to their land, puts them at risk and threatens the forest itself.

2024 April 18, Beatriz Miranda, “‘We can’t hunt or fish’: the villages in Ecuador’s Amazon surrounded by abandoned explosives”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

A composite high explosive used for military and civilian purposes.


nuclear umbrella

nuclear umbrella (countable and uncountable, plural nuclear umbrellas)

A guarantee by a nuclear weapons state to defend a non-nuclear allied state.


Second Amendment sanctuary

Second Amendment sanctuary (plural Second Amendment sanctuaries)

(US) A locality in the United States that has adopted laws or resolutions to prohibit or impede the enforcement of certain gun control measures which are perceived to violate the Second Amendment.


gun sanctuary

Second Amendment sanctuary
Second Amendment sanctuary#English

(US) Synonym of Second Amendment sanctuary


para-shooting

An adaptation of the sport of shooting for athletes with a physical disability.


barleycorn sight

barleycorn sight (plural barleycorn sights)

(weaponry) A type of front sight of triangular appearance.


belt-fed

(weaponry) Supplied with ammunition by means of a belt.


ghost bullet

[…] not see them— ghost-bullets flying.

1966, Victor Jeremy Jerome, The Paper Bridge, page 118:

[…] a 'ghost' bullet from a resisting gun strikes an innocent American tourist; a bomb explodes and the faces of four young school-girls smile defiantly at their Israeli jailer.

1970, The Arab World - Volume 16, page 2:

A shot screeched past her head from the west, like a ghost bullet seemingly shot from the large gap of El Capitan itself.

2005, Amy Lignor, The Heart of a Legend, page 6:

I planned to fire what are known as "ghost bullets” —ones that nobody at the intersection would even see or hear .

2024, Terry Hayes, The Year of the Locust, page 121:

(weaponry) A bullet that is shot by an unseen assailant or one that cannot be seen or heard when it is shot.

Let us assume that this 'ghost bullet' idea is correct. Let us write an equation which relates the distance the ordinary bullet travels with the direction of the recoil of the gun and the amount of recoil, assuming that a ghost bullet does travel off at some strange angle each time.

1964, Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, page 412:

And the ghost bullet allowed me to introduce new depths of police corruption.

2012, Douglas Corleone, Last Lawyer Standing, page 304:

In a later account of his attack in Jamaica, Brathwaite claims his assailants shot him with a "ghost bullet,” going so far as to narrate his own death in “I Cristobel Colon.”

2014, Anthony Reed, Freedom Time, page 224:

He didn't find anything on the bullet. Not a trace. A ghost bullet.

2018, Sarah J. Maas, Catwoman: Soulstealer, page 76:

(weaponry, ballistics) A bullet that cannot be found or that is untraceable through ballistic testing.


nuclear button

Imagine, now, this irrepressible figure [Boris Johnson] transposed to the Group of 8 summit chamber, or with his finger on the nuclear button, or in the Downing Street equivalent of the White House Situation Room, deciding whether or not to send British troops to war.

2014 September 1, Matthew d’Ancona, “Boris Johnson’s Blond Ambition”, in New York Times:

Reportedly, as Yeltsin accepted the need for bypass surgery he at first considered delegating responsibility for security to Premier Chernomyrdin, but retaining the nuclear button.

2019, Dietrich Schroeer, Alessandro Pascolini, The Weapons Legacy of the Cold War, page 77:

So, we decided to write this book, a history of the nuclear button, based on the insights of the people most experienced with this dangerous remnant from the Cold War.

2020, William J. Perry, Tom Z. Collina, The Button:

The means (not likely an actual button) of quickly and easily launching nuclear warheads.


shell casing

(firearms) The container that holds the bullet, primer, and gunpowder in a cartridge.


green cross

(military, weaponry) A chemical warfare pulmonary agent used during World War I.


contact shot

(firearms, pathology) A gunshot wound incurred while the muzzle of the firearm is in direct contact with the body at the moment of discharge.


double-A

(military, weaponry) Synonym of AA (“anti-aircraft”)


triple-A

(military, weaponry) Synonym of AAA (“anti-aircraft artillery”)


air defense

air defense (countable and uncountable, plural air defenses)

(military, weaponry) The use of systems, equipment, and personnel to prevent or reduce the impact of an attack by enemy aircraft or missiles.


paper cartridge

paper cartridge (plural paper cartridges)

(firearms) A type of small arms ammunition used before the advent of the metallic cartridge.


APIT

(weaponry) Initialism of armor-piercing incendiary tracer.


hypercannon

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-hypercannon.wav

"You'll have to use the hypercannon", the professor answered.

1994, Dina Anastasio, Virtual Troopers: Virtual Reality Magician, Price Stern Sloan, →ISBN, page 136:

Notice that this law also states that we cannot hope to achieve superluminal (faster than light) speeds with a hypercannon mounted on a relativistic spaceship.

2005, John F. Hawley, Katherine A. Holcomb, Foundations of Modern Cosmology, OUP Oxford, →ISBN, page 193:

Once I realize what I am looking, I have some doubts that this hypercannon is going to be any use to us.

2014, Cynthia Green, Scott Green, GunKnight, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, →ISBN, page 237:

(science fiction, video games, rare, weaponry, fantasy) An extraordinarily powerful, superior cannon.


From the facts that, under this statute, (during the commission of certain felonies):
* Producing a firearm carries a mandatory 10-year prison sentence;
* Firing a firearm carries a mandatory 20-year prison sentence;
* Hitting someone with a firearm carries a mandatory 25-year to life prison sentence.

For example, when I asked the lobbyist for the Florida Sheriffs Association about the FSA's rationale for supporting 10-20-life, he responded that offenders were "getting too much gain-time and ... it just wasn't right."

2018 February 19, Heather Schoenfeld, Building the Prison State: Race and the Politics of Mass Incarceration (Chicago Series in Law and Society), University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 175: