unrifled

Thân thiện

A soldier inspects the unrifled barrel of an antique musket.

Definition

Adjective: 1. Of a firearm; not having rifling or internal spiral grooves inside the barrel: Describes a gun barrel that is smooth on the inside, lacking the spiral grooves (rifling) that impart a stabilizing spin to a projectile.

Usage

The term "unrifled" is a technical adjective used almost exclusively in the context of firearms and artillery to describe the internal construction of a weapon's barrel. It specifies the absence of rifling.

Examples

• The museum displayed an unrifled musket from the 18th century.
• Early cannons were unrifled, which made them less accurate over long distances.
• Shotguns typically have unrifled barrels, unlike rifles.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The term is often used in historical or comparative discussions about the evolution of firearm technology, contrasting older smoothbore weapons with modern rifled arms.
  • The transition from unrifled to rifled barrels marked a major advancement in military small arms.

Variants and Related Words

• Smoothbore (adjective/noun): A more common synonym for "unrifled," especially when used as a noun to describe the firearm itself.
  • The soldier was equipped with a smoothbore musket.
• Rifled (adjective): The direct antonym, describing a barrel that has spiral grooves cut into the bore.

Synonyms

• Smoothbore

Antonyms

• Rifled

Học thuật

Adjective

1. of a firearm; not having rifling or internal spiral grooves inside the barrel

Từ đồng nghĩa

• smoothbore