hagbut--prophetes.ai

hackbut, hagbut arch. and Hist.
  (ˈhæk-, ˈhægbət)
  Forms: α. 6 hacquebute, -buyt, 6–7 hackebutte, 7– haquebut, 7– hackbut (hakebut, hacbutt). β. 6–7 hagbutt(e, -bute (6 hagbit, hergbut), 7– hagbut (haguebut).
  [a. 15–16th c. F. haquebut, -bute (hacque-, aque-, harqbute), ad. MDu. hakebus, or MLG. hakebusse: see hackbush. Later in the 16th c., this F. form passed (under influence of It. archibuso) through the intermediate harquebute, to harquebuse, arquebuse, whence the corresponding English forms: see harquebus.]
  1. An early kind of portable firearm; = hackbush, harquebus.

α 1543 Traheron Vigo's Cirurg. iii. ii. iii. 116 Woundes made by Hacquebutes. 1583 Golding Calvin on Deut. cxxvi. 773 Some which had leuer to beare a hackebutte on their shoulder than a distaffe in their hand. 1611 Cotgr., Haquebute, an Haquebut, or Arquebuse; a Coliuer. 1864 Burton Scot Abr. I. iv. 167 note, The identical hackbut with which Bothwellhaugh shot the Regent Murray.

β 1541–2 Act 33 Hen. VIII c. 6 Preamb., With crossebowes, litil short handgunnes, and little hagbutts. Ibid. §2 To seise and take..everie hagbutt and demyhake beinge shorter in lengthe then thre quarters of a Yarde. 1573 Satir. Poems Reform. xxxix. 153 Out gais the Hergbut, in the Cannon glydis. 1582–8 Hist. James VI (1804) 40 Sorely stressit be shott of hagbute. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. x. 316 Dischargeng thair hagbitis [L. bombardis]. 1808 Scott Marm. v. iii, A crossbow there a hagbut here.

† 2. hackbut à croc (hackbut acroke, hackbut of croche, hackbut of croke, hackbut upon crocke): see harquebus 2. Obs.

1547 [see hackbush β]. 1549 Compl. Scot. vi. 41 Mak reddy ȝour cannons..hagbutis of croche, half haggis. 1552 Edw. VI. Lit. Rem. (Roxb.) 427 He found in the toune..300 hagbutes of croke. 1563 in Meyrick Anc. Armour (1842) III. 37 Hagbutts uppon crocke xiij, whereof xij serviceable. 1580 Ld. Grey in Grosart Spenser's Wks. I. 472 They had..muskets and hackbus-acroke.

† 3. A man armed with a hackbut. Obs.

1587 Holinshed Chron. Scot. an. 1583 (R.) Capteine Lamie..sent with two companies of hackbuts.

4. Comb., as hackbut-man.

1805 Scott Last Minstr. iv. vi, The German hagbut-men [v.r. hackbut-]. 1885 C. W. C. Oman Art of War 93 Under a severe fire from the Spanish hackbutmen.