Home › Words › F › firelockfirelock/ˈfaɪəlɒk/firelock means A form of gunlock, in which the priming is ignited by a spark.firelock is pronounced /ˈfaɪəlɒk/.EtymologyFrom fire + lock.nounA form of gunlock, in which the priming is ignited by a spark.A firearm using such a gunlock.e.g.“He looked round for his gun, but in place of the clean well-oiled fowing-piece, he found an old firelock lying by him, the barrel encrusted with rust, the lock falling off, and the stock worm-eaten.” — 1819 June 23, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Rip Van Winkle”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., number I, New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, pagesDefinitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.flintlock 72% match — An early type of firearm, using a spring-loaded flint to strike sparks into the firing pan. vs firelock →wheellock 72% match — An early type of firearm, using a spring-driven wheel against a flint to make sparks in the firing pan. vs firelock →doglock 71% match — The lock that preceded the true flintlock in both rifles and pistols in the 17th century. vs firelock →matchlock 69% match — Early type of firearm, using a smoldering piece of cord to fire the powder in the firing pan. vs firelock →doghead 64% match — That part of a matchlock or flintlock gun or rifle that holds the burning fuse or flint and applies it to the gunpowder. vs firelock →firepan 60% match — A pan for holding or conveying fire, especially (firearms) the receptacle for the priming of a gun. vs firelock →boxlock 60% match — A style of double-barrelled shotgun with concealed, self-cocking hammers that use a break-open action. vs firelock →droplock 60% match — A variant of the boxlock having a removable lock. vs firelock →