swivel gun

noun

A small cannon attached to a swivel or pivot. It was usually located on a ship's rail so it could have a large range of fire, and could fire anything ranging from small round balls of lead to cannon balls.

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Meanings

nounswivel gun (plural swivel guns)

plural swivel guns

  1. A small cannon attached to a swivel or pivot. It was usually located on a ship's rail so it could have a large range of fire, and could fire anything ranging from small round balls of lead to cannon balls.

    The captain came to the break of the quarter-deck and, perceiving the fun afoot, leaned on the swivel-gun.

    1923, Charles Boardman Hawes, The Dark Frigate, Chapter 7
    1 more example

    On this roof a heavy swivel-gun was to be placed to command shipping, while howitzers on each side were to form a flanking defense in connection with the neighboring towers.

    1881, Thomas Wilhelm, A Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
Cite this entry
APA

swivel gun. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swivel%20gun

MLA

“swivel gun.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swivel%20gun. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “swivel gun,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swivel%20gun.

Source: swivel gun on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.