■ noun historical a hand-held fuse used for firing cannons, igniting explosives in mining, etc.
Origin
C17: partial anglicization of Fr. porte-feu , from porter 'carry' + feu 'fire'.
■ noun historical a hand-held fuse used for firing cannons, igniting explosives in mining, etc.
Origin
C17: partial anglicization of Fr. porte-feu , from porter 'carry' + feu 'fire'.
Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004