Adjacent Words

breechblock definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a metal block in breech-loading firearms that is withdrawn to insert a cartridge and replaced to close the breech before firing [syn: breechblock, breech closer]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1881 the block in breech-loading firearms that closes the rear of the barrel against the force of the charge and prevents gases from escaping

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Breechblock Breech"block, n. The movable piece which closes the breech of a breech-loading firearm, and resists the backward force of the discharge. It is withdrawn for the insertion of a cartridge, and closed again before the gun is fired.