gun-room
(ˈgʌnrʊm)
1. In large ships of war, a compartment orig. occupied by the gunner and his mates, but now fitted up for the accommodation of the junior officers; in smaller vessels, that used as a mess-room by the lieutenants.
| 1626 Capt. Smith Accid. Yng. Sea-men 11 About the Gun-roome, the Tiller, the rudder, the pintels, the gudgions. a 1642 Sir W. Monson Naval Tracts iii. (1704) 360/2 The upper Gun-Room..is used for a Store-Room, Lodgings. 1673 Dryden Amboyna iii. iii, Oh, now it begins, and the gun-room grows hot, Ply it with culverin and with small shot. 1711 W. Sutherland Shipbuilder's Assist. 36 Upon the lower Gun-deck in Men of War there is an Apartment for the Gunner, called the Gun-room; it is for fitting and securing all his small Stores. 1720 De Foe Capt. Singleton xi. (1840) 200 The gunner of the ship..secured himself in the gun-room. 1833 Marryat P. Simple (1863) 44 The first lieutenant had asked me to dine in the gun⁓room. 1884 Pae Eustace 86 You forget..that I shall be in the gun-room, and he in the forecastle. |
| Proverb. 1697 Vanbrugh Relapse iii. iii, I'm afraid we shall find a great job on't. Pray Heaven that old rogue Coupler han't sent us to fetch milk out of the gunroom. |
b. attrib., as
gun-room bulkhead,
gun-room gossip,
gun-room gun,
gun-room hour,
gun-room officer,
gun-room steward;
gun-room ports, stern ports cut through the gun-room in a frigate (Hamersly
Naval Encycl. 1881).
| 1712 W. Rogers Voy. 27 We struck two of our Gun-room Guns into the Hold. 1748 Anson's Voy. i. iii. 32 They lowered down a bucket out of the cabbin-window, into which the gunner, out of one of the gun-room ports, put a quantity of pistol cartridges. 1825 H. B. Gascoigne Nav. Fame 61 The Gunroom hour to dine is long since past. 1855 Sir A. West Recoll. (1899) I. vi. 212 The gunroom officers had asked us to dinner. 1895 Westm. Gaz. 6 Nov. 3/2 The Doctor's cabin was next to the gun-room bulkhead. 1898 Daily News 9 Nov. 6/3 They..talk the most knowing gun-room gossip. |
2. A room in which guns are kept.
| 1773 Goldsm. Stoops to Conq. ii. i, Your worship must not tell the story of Ould Grouse in the gun-room. 1883 Black Shandon Bells xxvi, It is like the place too—the gun-room even, and the stuffed birds. |