The arquebus (play /ˈɑrkɨbʌs/ ark-ə-bus or /ˈɑrkwɨbʌs/
ar-kwə-bus) (sometimes spelled harquebus, harkbus[1] or hackbut; from Dutch
haakbus, meaning "hook gun"), or "hook tube", is an
early muzzle-loaded firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. The word was
originally modeled on the German hakenbüchse; this produced haquebute. It then
copied the Italian word archibugio, which gave arquebuse (French), arcabuz
(Spanish), arcabus (Portuguese), and arquebus (English). In distinction from
its predecessor the hand cannon, it has a matchlock. Like its successor the
musket, it is a smoothbore firearm, but lighter and easier to carry[citation
needed].
