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derringer

 - 4 dictionary results

der⋅rin⋅ger

  [der-in-jer]
Use derringer in a Sentence
–noun
an early short-barreled pocket pistol.
Also, deringer.

Origin:
1850–55, Americanism; named after Henry Deringer, mid-19th-century American gunsmith who invented it
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To derringer
der·rin·ger   (děr'ĭn-jər)   
n.  A short-barreled pistol that has a large bore and is small enough to be carried in a pocket.

[After Henry Deringer (1786-1868), American gunsmith.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

derringer 
1850, for Henry Deringer (1786-1868), U.S. gunsmith who invented it in the 1840s; prevailing misspelled form is how his name appeared on the many counterfeits and imitations. "A small pistol with a large bore, very effective at short range" [OED].
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

derringer

pocket pistol produced in the early 19th century by Henry Deringer (q.v.), a Philadelphia gunsmith.

Learn more about derringer with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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