cascabel
(ˈkɑːskəbɛl, ˈkæs-)
Forms: 7 caskable, casacabel(l, 9 cascable, 7– cascabel.
[a. Sp. cascabel little round bell, child's rattle, rattlesnake; which has been conjectured to be connected with L. scabellum a kind of castanet played with the foot: see Diez.]
1. Gunnery. Formerly the knob or pommel at the rear end of a cannon; now the whole rear part behind the base ring, including knob and base.
| 1639 R. Ward Animadv. Warre 129 The Center of the pummell or Caskable of the Peece. 1672 W. P. Compl. Gunner iv. 5 The Pumel or Button at her Coyl or Britchend is called the Casacabel. 1795 Phil. Trans. LXXXV. 439 A circular cavity..to receive the cascabel of the gun. 1797 Rumford ibid. LXXXVII. 240 A cannon of metal..placed vertically upon its cascabel. 1858 Greener Gunnery 9 Furnished with trunnions, cascable, and touchhole. 1864 Daily Tel. 25 May, The knob of the cascable. |
† b. called also cascabel deck. Obs.
| 1669 S. Sturmy Mariner's Mag. v. xi. 48 (On engraving of a Gun) Casacabell deck. 1706 Phillips, Cascabel, the Pummel or hindermost round Knob at the Breach of a great Gun, by some called the Cascabel-deck. |
‖ 2. A rattle-snake; also its rattle. [Sp.]
| 1760–72 tr. Juan & Ulloa's Voy. S. Amer. I. vii. 60 The cascabel or rattle-snake..at the end of its tail is the cascabel or rattle. 1852 Th. Ross tr. Humboldt's Trav. I. iv. 152 The Cascabel, or rattle-snake, the Coral, and other vipers. |