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Smoothbore for Dummies

adjective

pronunciation: 'smuð,boʊr

What does Smoothbore really mean?

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Smoothbore is a word that might sound a little bit complicated at first, but don't worry, I'm here to help you understand it easily. So, imagine you have a toy car that moves really fast on a smooth surface like a race track. When you look closely at the wheels of that toy car, you'll notice that they are rounded and don't have any bumps or ridges on them, right? Well, that's kinda similar to what we mean when we say something is "smoothbore."

When we talk about a "smoothbore" in a different context, like in history or in relation to firearms, it means something that doesn't have any rifling or grooves on the inside of the barrel. Now, you might be wondering, what are rifling and grooves? Great question!

Rifling and grooves are little twists or spirals inside the barrel of a gun that help in making the bullet rotate as it is being fired. This rotation makes the bullet much more stable and precise when it travels through the air. It's kinda like when you throw a ball that spins really fast, it goes straight and accurate, right? Well, rifling does something similar for bullets.

So, what makes "smoothbore" different is that it doesn't have those twists or spirals inside the barrel. It's just plain and smooth, like a cylinder. Because of this, when a gun with a smoothbore barrel is fired, the bullet doesn't spin or rotate as much, making it less accurate over long distances. It's more like shooting that toy car without wheels spinning, which may not go as far or as straight as the one with spinning wheels.

Smoothbore can also refer to other things besides guns. For example, a pipe that doesn't have any bumps or irregularities on its inner surface can be called a smoothbore pipe. Similarly, a tunnel that is completely straight and without any curves or bends can be referred to as a smoothbore tunnel.

So, to sum it all up, "smoothbore" means something that is plain and without any twists or spirals on its inner surface. It is used in different contexts, such as describing guns without rifling, pipes that are completely smooth on the inside, or even tunnels that have no curves.

Revised and Fact checked by Michael Miller on 2023-10-28 18:40:37

Smoothbore In a sentece

Learn how to use Smoothbore inside a sentece

  • A smoothbore is a type of gun barrel that doesn't have any rifling inside, so the bullet or projectile that comes out of it doesn't spin.
  • Firefighters use smoothbore nozzles to spray water in a steady stream to put out fires.
  • In ancient times, people used smoothbore cannons to shoot heavy cannonballs at enemy ships during naval battles.
  • Hunters may use a smoothbore shotgun to shoot small game like birds or rabbits.
  • During the early days of photography, cameras had smoothbore lenses, which means they didn't have any curves or irregularities on the surface.

Smoothbore Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

Smoothbore Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.