Also 7 blunderbush, 7–8 -bus. [ad. Du. donderbus with same meaning, f. donder thunder + bus gun (orig. box, tube); perverted in form after blunder (perhaps with some allusion to its blind or random firing).]
1. A short gun with a large bore, firing many balls or slugs, and capable of doing execution within a limited range without exact aim. (Now superseded, in civilized countries, by other fire-arms.)
1654. Gayton, Festiv. Notes, IV. xi. 244. In the antient wars, before these Bomards, Blunderbushes, Peters.
1657. Colvil, Whigs Supplic. (1751), 25. A blunderbush hang’d at his back, Of terrible report and crack.
1682. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), I. 164. Two of which fired two blunderbusses at him, charg’d with severall shott.
1774. Mrs. Delany, Life & Corr., Ser. II. (1862), II. 60. Lord Berkeley … attacked by a Highwayman … shot him with a blunderbuss.
1808. Syd. Smith, Plymley’s Lett., x. A tithe procter in Ireland collects his tithes with a blunderbuss.
1863. Kingsley, Water-Bab., viii. 329. A tremendous old brass blunderbuss charged up to the muzzle with slugs.
2. transf. † a. A blustering noisy talker (obs.). b. A blundering fellow, a blunderhead.
1685. Answ. Dk. Buckhm. on Lib. Consc., 23. Securing the Person of his Prince, and the Peace of his Country from Religious Rumbalds, and Conventicling Blunderbusses.
1692. Washington, trans. Milton’s Def. Pop., Pref. (1851), 18. Not such a hair-brain’d Blunderbuss as you.
1706. Refl. on Ridicule, 129. Those blunderbusses that talk loud and long.
1768. Tucker, Lt. Nat., I. 475. He must be a numskull, not to say a beetle, nor yet a blunderbuss.
† 3. ? A blunder; trouble. Obs. rare.
1726. Amherst, Terræ Filius, xlviii. 259. More horrors still! Yea, verily! & a new blunderbuss into the bargain.
4. attrib.
1864. R. Burton, Dahome, II. 76. The Agbary or blunderbuss-women are the biggest and strongest of the force.
