Whitworth gun

English

Etymology

Invented by Sir Joseph Whitworth of Manchester, England.

Noun

Whitworth gun (plural Whitworth guns)

1. A form of rifled cannon and small arms. The bore has a polygonal section, and the twist is rapid. The ball, which is pointed in front, is made to fit the bore accurately, and is very much elongated, its length being about three-and-a-half times its diameter.
   • 1863, Henry Lee Scott, Military Dictionary:

     THE WHITWORTH GUN. — Mr. Whitworth, of Manchester, has succeeded in constructing several rifled breech-loading cannon of various calibres: his 3-pounder gun, 208 lbs. in weight, with a calibre of 1½ inches, a charge of 8 oz. of powder, […]

References

“Whitworth gun”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.