What does matchlock mean?
A matchlock is an early firearm that fires gunpowder ignited by a slow-burning match. The operator brings the match to a small opening, or touch hole, where the flame ignites the priming powder and then the main charge. Matchlocks were important in the development of firearms during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, especially in Europe and parts of Asia. They were simpler than earlier gunlocks that relied on a mechanically produced spark, but they still demanded care because the flame had to be kept burning and correctly positioned. The term also refers to the ignition mechanism itself. In modern writing, matchlock is chiefly historical and is used in discussions of early military technology, exploration-era weapons, and the transition toward more reliable firearm mechanisms. It should not be confused with musket, which is a broader term for a type of firearm, or flintlock, which uses a different ignition system.
nounA firearm that fires a gunpowder charge ignited by a slow-burning match. It was an important early firearm technology before the flintlock and other more reliable ignition systems became widespread.
- An early firearm ignited by a slow-burning match held or brought to a touch hole.
- The match-ignition mechanism itself, or a firearm fitted with such a mechanism.
"The matchlock was used by soldiers who held the lit match near the weapon's touch hole."
"The matchlock's burning match had to be guided carefully toward the powder charge."
"The museum displays a seventeenth-century matchlock alongside other early firearms."
The plural is used when referring to multiple matchlock firearms or mechanisms.
"The museum owns several matchlocks from the sixteenth century."
Before the trigger became standard, a matchlock's operator had to manually bring a burning match to the gun's touch hole.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of matchlock
Matchlock is a compound formed from match, meaning a slow-burning combustible cord, and lock, referring to the device that contains and ignites the charge. The compound name reflects the firearm's basic operating principle. Its cognate tradition is best understood through related firearm terminology such as firelock, while the individual elements are older English words with separate histories.
Related word forms
How matchlock is actually used
This is primarily a historical term. In modern writing, it generally refers to an early firearm or its ignition mechanism rather than to a contemporary weapon.
Easily confused with matchlock
A musket is a general term for a firearm, while a matchlock specifically identifies the weapon's slow-burning match ignition system.
A flintlock uses a flint striking mechanism to ignite gunpowder, whereas a matchlock uses a slow-burning match.