Gumminess

Viscousne ; accumulation of gum. Gum'mite, n. ( Min. ) A mineral of greasy lustre, reddish color, and resembling gum. Sp. gr. 3-9-4-20. Comp. Oxide of uranium, 72; oxide of manganese, 0.05; lime, 6.00; silica, 4-26; phosphoric acid, 2:30; water, 14-75, and a trace of fluorine and arsenic. Gummos'ity, n. [Fr. gommosité; Lat. gummositas .] Viscidity; an adhesive quality. Gum'mous, a. [Fr. gommeuz.] Like gum; pertain- ing to or composed of gum. Gum'my, a. Consisting of gum; of the nature of gum. Productive of gum. - Overgrown, or covered with gum. Gump, n. [Dan. gump , the buttocks.] An imbecile; a dolt; a dunce; a silly person. Gumption, ( gum's hon,) n. [A.S. geomian, to observe.] Capacity; ability; shrewdne ; addre . (Colloq.) ( Painting .) The art of preparing colors.-MAGILP, q. v. Gum'-rash, n. ( Med .) The RED-GUM, q. v. Gum-resin, (-rez in,) n. (Chem.) See RESIN. Gum'-tree, n. ( Bot .) See EUCALYPTUS. Gun, n. [W. gwn ; Ir. gunn ; Scot. gyn , an abbrevia- tion of the Fr. eng in , a military engine, which word gyn became corrupted into gun .) An instrument consisting of a barrel or tube, of iron or other metal, from which balls, shot, or other mi iles are discharged by the ex- plosive force of gunpowder. The largest species of guns are called cannon ; the smaller species are called rifles , muskets, carbines, fowling - pieces , . The manufacture and construction of cannon have been fully described in the articles on ARTILLERY and CANNON, and the rifled cannon will be more especially examined under RIFLED ORDNANCE. We give a description of the fowling-piece, referring to RIFLE, for the latest improvements in the manufacture of smaller military firearms. For sport- ing purposes smooth-bored shot-guns and grooved rifles are employed. Both are nearly always double-barrelled, and of late years the old muzzle-loaders have been al- most entirely supplanted by the many breech-loading systems recently invented, which enables the sports- man to reload with greatly increased rapidity and uni- for mity, the latter quality being specially important in rifle shooting. Mr. Lefancheux is entitled to the credit of inventing the modern sporting breech-loader; but the ingenuity of gunmakers has since devised an im- mense variety of actions, and every day sees progre made in strength and simplicity. The latest guns, how- ever, leave little room for improvement in respect to the action. The hammers are abolished altogether, the striker being a needle in the interior, which is driven against the cap of a central-fire cartridge by a spring when the trigger is pre ed; a lever on top is pushed aside by the thumb, liberating the catch which holds the barrels against the false breech; the barrels then drop from the hinge, and are open for loading. On raising the barrels, the action snaps to, and holds them fast; the dropping of the barrels causes an extractor to withdraw the empty cartridge cases. A key at the side regulates the cocking and safety of the lock and striker. The manufacture of sporting rifles does not greatly differ from that of shot-guns. Great strength and weight of barrel are nece ary to resist the pres- sure of the charge, withstand the wedging action of the bullet and deaden the recoil. See Greener's Gun and its Development (1885), and Modern Shot Guns (1888). Gun, v. n. To practise fowling, or hunting small game; as, to go gunning. Gun'-barrel, n. The metallic tube of a gun. Gun'boat, n. ( Naval .) A term applied to a small ves- sel carrying not more than four guns, most frequently only one, and of trifling draught of water. Steam gun- Fig . 1215, GUNBOAT USED ON THE MISSISSIPPI. boats, especially when iron-plated, are most powerful auziliaries to a fleet; their light draught enables them to approach the shore or ascend rivers; their heavy guns tell with deadly effect from their near positions; while they themselves, from their diminutive size, can scarcely be hit. - Gunboats of a peculiar construction (Fig. 1215) were used on the Mi i ippi during the late war. Bomb - ve els differ from gunboats in being of greater beam, or width, to withstand the vertical recoil of the mortars which they carry. They are rarely propelled by steam. See also SECTION II.