noun
musketry
MUS-kit-ree/ˈmʌskɪtri/
The use of muskets for shooting.
The soldiers practice musketry at the firing range each morning.
Etymology
The ending gathers muskets into a collective: musketry originally meant muskets taken together. In the gunfire sense, the name shifts from the weapons collectively to the firing they produce.
In context
The French emplacements, ominously silent the entire march, suddenly erupted with ear-splitting crackles of musketry as the French soldiers opened fire in concentrated mass volleys against the German lines.
More examples
- A burst of musketry breaks the silence.
- The recruits receive instruction in musketry before joining their regiment.
- Heavy musketry forces the advancing troops to retreat.
Forms
musketry
musket noun — An old muzzle-loading gun carried by soldiers.
Similar words
- gunfire
- Covers shots from any gun, not just muskets.
- shooting
- Refers broadly to firing guns, regardless of their type.