Brewer's: Jambon

A gun, so called from its fanciful resemblance to a “betterave” or jambon. The botanical name of the root is melochia.

“What would you do to me, brigand? ... Give me fifty blows of a matraque, as your officer gave you last week for stealing his jambon?” —Ouida: Under Two Flays, chap. xvi.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language