Page 441 - (DK) Smithsinian - Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare

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Intermediate cartridge Minesweeper A ship used for Pre-dreadnought A type Shaffron Protective armor for a Tang The part of a sword or GLOSSAR
Medium-sized ammunition clearing mines at sea. of battleship with mixed heavy horse’s head. knife that extends inside the grip.
primarily used in assault rifles. and medium main armament.
Miquelet A type of snaphaunce Shako A tall, peaked hat adorned Tanto A traditional Japanese
Ironclad A mid-19th-century firing mechanism prevalent in Primer The small amount with a feather or pompom, worn short sword or dagger. Y
warship with a hull built from, the Mediterranean between the of fulminate lit by a firing by European and US soldiers.
or protected by, iron plates. late-16th and mid-19th centuries. mechanism to ignite the main Tomahawk A North American
charge in the barrel; another Shamshir A type of saber that Indian ax; a type of US cruise missile.
Jian A Chinese sword with a long, Misericorde A long, narrow word for percussion cap. spread from Persia from the 16th
straight blade with two edges. knife used in medieval times to century onward. It has a deep Tracer bullet A bullet
deliver the “mercy stroke” to a Privateer A private vessel used curve and tapers to a point. treated with illuminant to
Katana The long sword carried mortally wounded knight. to raid enemy shipping in war. show its direction and range.
by a samurai. Ship of the line A sailing warship,
Morion A 16th-century helmet Quillons Extended cross- usually of a third-rate class vessel Trebuchet A siege machine
Knot A unit used to measure with a flat or swept brim, and guards on either side of a sword with 74 guns. See also first-rate ship. employing either manpower or
a ship’s speed. One knot equals either a comb along its centre or knife blade designed to protect counterweights to launch missiles.
one nautical mile per hour. line or a “pearstalk” at its apex. the hand. Shrapnel shell A projectile
containing a number of small bullets Trireme An ancient Greek or
Lamellar A type of armor made Mortar A high-angle, Radar An instrument used to that explodes just before impact. Roman war galley, propelled by
of small plates laced together. short-ranged artillery piece. locate an object by transmitting three tiers of oars on each side.
and measuring radio waves. Silencer A device that reduces,
Langet A strip of metal secured Muzzle The open front end but rarely silences, the sound, Turbocharger A device
along the length of a wooden staff of a firearm’s barrel. Rapier Usually a thrusting flash, and recoil of a fired round; that compresses air into the
weapon to reinforce the wood. sword with a long blade. for this reason, it is also known combustion chamber of an engine
Musket A term originally used as a suppressor or moderator. to increase power and efficiency.
Light cruiser A cruiser for a large and heavy firearm Rating An enlisted member
typically equipped with 6in guns. shot from a rest, that, from of a navy. Skirmisher An infantryman Turtle ship A 16th-century
the 18th century, described or cavalryman who harasses the Korean armored warship that was
Light machine-gun A a smooth-bore longarm gun. Repeating rifle A rifle that can enemy in an irregular fashion. fitted with an iron cover to prevent
machine-gun chambered for discharge multiple consecutive shots. boarding by the crew of enemy ships.
rifle-caliber ammunition, but Naginata A Japanese infantry Sloop A sailing vessel with a
not capable of sustained fire. polearm with a curved blade. Revolver A gun which carries single mast and fore-and-aft U-boat (Unterseeboot)
ammunition in a rotating cylinder. rig; any minor class of warship. A German submarine.
Line of battle The formation Optical sight A sighting device
of a fleet before entering into providing a single point of aim Rifle A long-barreled firearm Smart weapon A precision- Vambrace Armor that was
battle, traditionally a line. and often a degree of magnification. with spiral grooves in the barrel. guided munition directed to its developed in the 14th century
target using laser guidance or GPS. to protect the forearm; from
Limber A simple trailer Ordnance The collective Rolling barrage A continuous the 15th century it was designed
attached to a gun carriage. term for cannon and artillery. firing of artillery shells. Smooth-bore A gun barrel to cover the whole of the arm.
lacking a rifled interior.
Mace A medieval staff weapon Orlop deck The lowest deck of Rondel See besagew. Vervelles Metal staples used
with a spiked or flanged head. a ship. Snaphaunce An early flintlock to attach an aventail to a helmet.
Rondel dagger A late-medieval mechanism featuring a separate
Mach number The ratio of OSS The Office of Strategic European dagger with a round pivoting striking surface made Visor A face defence attached
an aircraft’s speed to the speed Services, a World War II covert hand guard, and pommel. of steel, and a sliding pan-cover. to a helmet to protect the eyes.
of sound. Mach 2, for example, US intelligence service.
is twice the speed of sound. Rotary cannon A revolving, Sonar An electronic device Volley gun A multi-barreled
Paravane A device towed by a multi-barreled gun that provides used primarily by submarines gun that fires several rounds at
Machicolation An opening ship to destroy mines in the water. a greater rate of fire than a single- to locate underwater objects. the same time.
in a castle wall through which barreled gun of the same caliber.
missiles could be dropped on Pennon A banner or streamer Sponson A semi-circular gun Wakizashi A 12–24in
an invading enemy. borne on a cavalryman’s lance. Running rigging The part turret on the side of a tank. (30–60cm) short sword
of a sailing vessel’s rigging that worn by samurai.
Machine-gun An automatic Percussion cap A firing controls the movement of the sails. Staff weapon A type of weapon
weapon intended for sustained fire. mechanism with a small cap mounted on a long wooden or Warhammer A medieval
containing fulminate that serves as a Sabaton Foot-covering armor. metal haft. close-combat weapon with
Machine pistol A pistol capable primer in muzzle-loading firearms. a handle of varying lengths.
of automatic or select fire. Sallet A 15th-century helmet Standing rigging Fixed
Phalanx An Ancient Greek featuring a tail to protect the neck. rigging that supports a ship’s sails. Warhead The explosive
Magazine The part of a firearm military formation of heavy material delivered by a rocket,
that holds the ammunition; a infantry armed with spears. Samurai A member of military Stock The portion of a firearm that missile, bomb, or torpedo.
storage area for ammunition and political aristocracy in is held by the person firing it; it is
in a building or on board a ship. Pike An infantry weapon with pre-industrial Japan. attached to the lock, which holds Wheellock The first self-igniting
a pointed metal head fixed on a the sparking mechanism, and the firearm. It featured a friction-wheel
Mangonel A type of medieval long, wooden shaft. Sap A deep, narrow trench barrel, which carries and guides that created a spark that lit the
siege catapult. used to approach or undermine the explosive-driven shot or bullet. charge when the trigger was pulled.
Plate armor Armor made an enemy position.
Matchlock A firing mechanism of articulating metal plates. Strakes The long planks that form Wolf pack A term used for
incorporating a piece of cord Sapper A combat engineer. the hull frame of a Viking longship. a group of German submarines
(or “slow-match”) that ignites the Pommel A counterweight during World War II.
primer when the trigger is pulled. at the top of a sword grip. Scabbard A sword’s sheath, Strategic bombing The planned
terminating in a chape. destruction of specific targets with Yard The wooden spar
Medium machine-gun Pocket battleship A term the intention of weakening the perpendicular to the mast, from
A machine-gun chambered for that was given to three small Scimitar An Islamic sword economy of an enemy state and which a ship’s sails are hung.
rifle-caliber ammunition and but heavily armed German with a curved blade. the morale of its people.
capable of sustained fire. cruisers: Graf Spee, Deutschland, Yari A traditional straight-
and Admiral Scheer. Scramasax See seax. Submachine-gun A hand- bladed Japanese spear.
Mine An explosive laid beneath held automatic weapon firing
the surface of the ground or left Poleyn The part of medieval Seax A single-edged blade used pistol-caliber rounds. Zeppelin Any of the airships
floating on or just below the and Renaissance armor that by Anglo-Saxons and Franks as built by the Zeppelin company;
surface of the water. protected the knee. both a weapon and a tool. Talwar A curved Indian sword. a generic term used for airships.