MITRAILLEUSES Meaning and
Definition
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Mitrailleuses, a term derived from the French language, refers to early rapid-firing machine guns that were developed and used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The word "mitrailleuse" is derived from "mitraille," meaning "grapeshot" or "case-shot," which refers to a form of ammunition consisting of a large number of small iron or lead balls packed together. Often considered a precursor to the modern machine gun, mitrailleuses were designed to provide a higher rate of fire and increased firepower compared to traditional firearms.
Mitrailleuses were typically mounted on tripods or carriages and featured multiple barrels, each equipped with its own firing mechanism. These barrels rotated, allowing for continuous fire from a single barrel until it overheated, at which point another barrel would take its place. This innovative design allowed mitrailleuses to achieve a sustained rapid rate of fire, enhancing their effectiveness on the battlefield.
Initially utilized by the French military during the late 19th century, mitrailleuses demonstrated their deadly effectiveness in conflicts such as the Franco-Prussian War. Despite their advantages in terms of firepower, their heavy weight and limited maneuverability made them difficult to transport and therefore less suitable for mobile warfare.
As technological advancements progressed, mitrailleuses eventually became obsolete, gradually replaced by more advanced automatic weapons such as the Maxim gun. Nonetheless, their introduction paved the way for the development of modern machine guns, which have since become integral components of military arsenals worldwide.
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A many-barrelled gun, having the barrels laid together like a fagot of sticks, and securely attached and welded to each other, loaded with great quickness by an apparatus at the breech, and each barrel can be discharged singly, or the whole nearly simultaneously.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Common Misspellings for MITRAILLEUSES
- Mitrailleus
- mitralleuse
- nitrailleuses
- kitrailleuses
- jitrailleuses
- mutrailleuses
- mjtrailleuses
- mktrailleuses
- motrailleuses
- m9trailleuses
- m8trailleuses
- mirrailleuses
- mifrailleuses
- migrailleuses
- miyrailleuses
- mi6railleuses
- mi5railleuses
- miteailleuses
- mitdailleuses
- mitfailleuses
Etymology of MITRAILLEUSES
The word "mitrailleuses" is derived from the French language. The term itself is a plural noun form of "mitrailleuse", which translates to "grapeshot shooter" or "machine gun" in English. It is formed by combining the words "mitraille" (grapeshot) and the suffix "-euse" (which denotes a tool or device used for a particular purpose). Grapeshot was a type of ammunition consisting of small metal balls or bullets, often used in cannons or early firearms. Mitrailleuses originally referred to a type of rapid-firing, multi-barreled firearms developed in the 19th century, typically used in a defense role.
