| 释义 |
brown bill, brown-bill
[See bill n.1 2.]
A kind of halberd painted brown, formerly used by foot-soldiers and watchmen.
1589Pappe w. Hatchet C iij b, All weapons, from the taylors bodkin to the watchmans browne bil. 1678Butler Hud. iii. ii. 541 Brown Bills levied in the City Made Bills to pass the Grand Committee. 1823Scott Peveril III. ii. 38 A constable with three or four assistants, armed with the old-fashioned brown-bills. 1870Morris Earthly Par. I. i. 316 There the porter stood, brown-bill in hand. |