harquebus
/ˈhɑɹkɪbʌs/
"harquebus" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“harquebus” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An obsolete matchlock firearm.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | harquebus |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈhɑɹkɪbʌs/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “harquebus” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
harquebus is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈhɑɹkɪbʌs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
harquebus doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From French harquebuse, borrowed from Middle Low German hakebusse or Middle Dutch hakebus, hagebus (modern Dutch haakbus), from hôk (“hook”) + busse (“box; firelock”), from Old Saxon hōk + *buhsa, from Proto-Germanic *hōkaz + *buhsā. The correct English form is harquebus, spelled H-A-R-Q-U-E-B-U-S.
Definition
- 1An obsolete matchlock firearm.
- 2A portable gun, varying in size from a small cannon to a musket. When used in the field it was supported upon a tripod or trestle.
Etymology
From French harquebuse, borrowed from Middle Low German hakebusse or Middle Dutch hakebus, hagebus (modern Dutch haakbus), from hôk (“hook”) + busse (“box; firelock”), from Old Saxon hōk + *buhsa, from Proto-Germanic *hōkaz + *buhsā.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “harquebus”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is H-A-R-Q-U-E-B-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈhɑɹkɪbʌs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.