1. Plural of harquebus; portable firearms with long barrels used by infantry soldiers from the 15th to 17th centuries.
Usage: historical; also spelled arquebus or arquebuse

Examples

• The soldiers carried harquebuses into battle during the Renaissance.
• Harquebuses required a long time to load and fire compared to bows.
• The regiment was armed with harquebuses and pikes.
• Medieval armies gradually replaced crossbows with harquebuses.
• Training soldiers to use harquebuses effectively took considerable time.