Also 6 coulvering, culuerene, -rijn, 6–7 culvering, 7 colverin, 6–9 culverine. [a. F. coulevrine (c. 1400 in Hatzfeld) = It. and med.L. colubrina, f. F. couleuvre, It. colubro snake: cf. L. colubrīnus of the nature of a snake. Names of reptiles were frequently applied to early cannon.]
1. The name of a gun and cannon formerly in use: a. orig. A small fire-arm, a kind of hand-gun. b. In later times, a large cannon, very long in proportion to its bore.
The length of the ordinary culverin ranged from 10 to 13 ft., the diameter of its bore from 5 to 51/2 inches, and the weight of shot from 17 to 20 lbs. Bastard culverin, bore 4 in., shot about 7 lbs.; Demi-culverin or culverin-moyen, bore 41/2 in., shot about 10 lbs.: see DEMI-CULVERIN.
a. [1466. Inv. Fastolf’s Goods, in Paston Lett., No. 979, II. 441. In artilleria, videlicet Colubrinas librillas diversorum magnitudinum.]
1489. Ld. Treas. Acc. Scotl., I. 122. To Qwariour … to pass to Stirling, to get culuerinis to bring to the felde.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., Wks. 1846, I. 221. A certane French man delivred a coulvering to George Tod, Scottisman, to be stocked.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xv. He found the gate of Say’s Court defended by men with culverins.
1864. Kirk, Chas. Bold, I. II. ii. 491. Armed with long pikes and with culverins—a name then applied not, as at a later period, to a species of cannon, but to a rude kind of musket.
1874. Boutell, Arms & Arm., xi. 219.
b. 1515. in Pitcairn, Crim. Trials Scot., I. 260*. Twa culuering-myance, gvn-stanis, gvn-powdir, and certane hacbuschis.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 41. Gunnaris … mak reddy ȝour cannons, culuerene moyens, culuerene bastardis … culverenis, and hail schot.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea (1847), 214. The saker, the demy-colverin, the colverin, and demi-cannon (being peeces that reach much further point blanke then the cannon).
1687. Congreve, Old Bach., II. ii. (1693), 13. O I am calm Sir, calm as a discharg’d Culverin.
1750. Carte, Hist. Eng., II. 714. Wounded in the ancle by a shot from a culverine.
1840. W. H. Ainsworth, Tower of London, 55. He … crouched beneath the carriage of a culverin.
c. fig.
1619. Fletcher, M. Thomas, II. ii. D 2. Doe you make me carrier Of your confound-mee’s, and your culverings [volleys of oaths]?
2. attrib. and Comb., as culverin-bore, -shot, etc.
1590. Sir J. Smyth, Disc. Weapons, 12. The Enemies … will descharge Cannon, Culverin and Saker shot.
1634–5. Brereton, Trav. (1844), 165. Six iron demiculverin drakes, four whole culverin drakes.
1640. Yorke, Union Hon., 64. They lay within Culvering Shot.
1667. Sir R. Moray, in Phil. Trans., II. 475. A Gun to be prepared of Culverin-Bore.
