noun
- A short, large-caliber firearm used by cavalry soldiers in the 16th and 17th centuries, typically fired from horseback.
Usage: archaic; historical
Examples
- The cavalry officer carried a petronel as his primary weapon during the Renaissance.
- Petronels were favored by mounted soldiers because they were shorter and lighter than full muskets.
- Historical records show that petronels became less common after the introduction of more reliable firearms.
- The museum's collection included several well-preserved petronels from the 1600s.