Obs. rare. Also trompe, trumbe. [ad. It. tromba a hand-grenade, tromba di fuoco ‘a kind of casting wild-fier’ (Florio, 1598); cf. obs. F. trombe a hollow humming-top.
With trompe cf. TRUMP sb.1 hollow tube, trumpet, etc.]
a. A hollow tube filled with explosives; a hand-grenade. b. A mortar for firing rockets.
1560. Whitehorne, Ord. Souldiours, xxix. 39 b. Trombes or trunkes of fyre. Ibid. Putte in the trumbe a handfull of serpentine poulder vnmixte.
1588. Lucar, trans. Tartaglia’s Colloq. Arte Shooting, App. 85. How you may make a Trunke or Trombe which will shoote fireworkes.
1591. Garrard’s Art Warre, 317. For preparations against the assault you must not be destitute of all sorts of arteficial fire, as Trompes, Granades, Bullets.
