minute gun

[ min-it ]
/ ˈmɪn ɪt /

noun

a cannon fired at intervals of a minute, especially as a signal of distress or in a military funeral ceremony.

Origin of minute gun

First recorded in 1720–30

Words nearby minute gun

minus sight, minus sign, minus tick, minuscule, minute, minute gun, minute hand, minute mark, minute steak, minute volume, minutely

Example sentences from the Web for minute gun

  • It was a minute-gun, fired by the Americans in honour of their fallen foe, the gallant dead.

    Elsie Yachting with the Raymonds |Martha Finley

  • His questions had come in gasps, like short breakers out of a rising sea; her answers had fallen like the minute-gun above it.

    The Manxman |Hall Caine

  • All yesterday the minute-gun was booming through the fog to warn ships off the rocks—such a strangely solemn sound.

    Story of My Life, volumes 1-3 |Augustus J. C. Hare

British Dictionary definitions for minute gun

minute gun
/ (ˈmɪnɪt) /

noun

a gun fired at one-minute intervals as a sign of distress or mourning