Forms: 6–7 cartage, 7 cartrage, -redge, -rege, cartharidge, (cartalage), cartruce, 7–8 carthrage, 8 cartrouche, 7– cartridge. [A corruption of CARTOUCHE, q.v. for other forms and examples.]
1. Mil. The case in which the exact charge of powder for fire-arms is made up; of paper, parchment, pasteboard, flannel, serge, metal, etc., according to its use. Generally, for small-arms, the cartridge contains the bullet as well as the powder (called distinctively a ball-cartridge); if it contains no ball, it is a blank cartridge.
1579. Digges, Stratiot., 116. Cases of Haileshot in manner of Cartages.
1611. Florio, Scarnuzzo, a cartage so called of gunners.
1625. Markham, Souldiers Accid., 42. Cartalages … for this or any other peece on horsebacke.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Sea-men, 2. The Maister Gunner hath the charge of the … Spunges, Cartrages, Armes and Fire-workes.
1644. Nye, Gunnery, I. (1647), 38. Canvas, or strong paper (to make Cartredges).
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Cartouche (Fr.), a charge of powder and shot ready made up in a paper; we corruptly call it a cartage.
1665. Phil. Trans., I. 84. A Cartridge full of Gunpowder.
1677. Earl Orrery, Art of War, 58. If the Powder in the Cartruce be wet.
1678. Phillips, Carthrage … a bag of Canvas … of such a depth as to contain just so much Powder as the Charge of the Piece: Also a Charge of Powder and Shot made ready in a Paper for any smaller Gun.
1702. E. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit. (ed. 20), 369. Ordnance … with cartrouches and ball for service.
1868. Regul. & Ord. Army, § 630 a. 90 rounds of ball Cartridge and 60 rounds of blank Cartridge.
1887. Murray’s Mag., Aug., 181. The famous buckshot-cartridges were ordered by the Government that preceded him [Mr. Forster].
b. transf. and fig.
1673. Marvell, Reh. Transp., II. 182. ’Tis pity that you … did not … fill the cartridges or distribute them to each magistrate according to his calibre.
1679. Plot, Staffordsh. (1686), 221. Fill’d with pellets or Cartrages of the same forme … made not of the leaves of the same tree … but plainly of the Rose.
1826. Sheridaniana, 69. Of this dense, epigrammatic style, in which every line is a cartridge of wit in itself, Sheridan was, both in prose and verse, a consummate master.
1872. Lever, Ld. Kilgobbin, lxvii. 168/1. What rare wisdom it is not to fire away one’s last cartridge!
† c. = Cartridge-box. Obs.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., xiv. 66. They haue also Cartrages or rather cases for Cartrages made of Lattin to keepe the Cartrages in.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., s.v., There are also Tin Cartridges, in which the Paper or Parchment ones are both formed and carried.
† 2. Arch. a. A modillion or corbel; b. The volute of an Ionic capital; c. A tablet representing a sheet of paper with the ends rolled up; = CARTOUCHE 2 a, b, c. Obs.
1611. Cotgr., Cartoche as cartouche; also a Cartridge or roll (in architecture).
1756. Nugent, Gr. Tour, France, IV. 90. The cartridges in the cieling are also by [Le Brun].
3. (See quot.)
1747. Hooson, Miner’s Dict., E 1 b. When the Miner haums a Pick, there is always some of the Haum comes through the Eye on the other Side … that part he calls the Cartridge.
4. attrib. and in comb., as cartridge-bag, a flannel bag, etc., containing the charge of powder for a cannon; cartridge-belt, a belt having pockets for cartridges; cartridge-box, a box for storing or carrying cartridges; the case in which a soldier carries his supply of cartridges; also see quot. 1867; cartridge-case, (a.) = cartridge-box; (b.) the paper that contains the powder of a cartridge; cartridge-filler, (a.) one who fills cartridges; (b.) an appliance for charging cartridge-cases with the proper quantity of powder; cartridge-paper, a strong kind of paper, used for making cartridges, and also for rough drawings, etc.; cartridge-shot, shot contained in cartridges.
1699. Dampier, Voy., II. I. iv. 70. The Soldiers have each a *Cartage Box covered with leather.
1802. Home, Hist. Reb., iv. A musket, bayonet, and cartridge-box, were delivered to each volunteer.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Cartridge-box, a cylindrical wooden box … just containing one cartridge, and used for its safe conveyance from the magazine to the gun…. The term is loosely applied to the ammunition-pouch.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), Lanterne … a *cartridge-case, to carry the cartridges from the ship’s magazine to the artillery.
1858. J. B. Norton, Topics, 7. The *cartridge-cry … did not originate with the sepoys.
1871. Ruskin, Fors Clav., vi. 8. Every collier and *cartridge-filler is as fit for Elysium as any heathen could be.
1712. Act 10 Anne, in Lond. Gaz., No. 5018/3. Paper called … *Cartridge Paper.
1739. Beighton, in Phil. Trans., XLI. 750. Fine Paper pasted on Cartridge-paper, or Two Papers pasted together.
1690. Lond. Gaz., No. 2544/3. Major la Borde was kill’d with *Carthrage-shot from the last Cannon that was fired.
1753. Hanway, Trav. (1762), II. 396, note. These [swivel guns or harquebuses] carried cartridge-shot to a great distance.
