Tompions

It was raining heavily all the forenoon, so we had not removed what is called the tompions (to my unprofessional reader I may say that the tompion is a very large piece of wood made to fit into the muzzle, for the purpose of preventing wet from penetrating). ❋ Pasha, Hobart (1887)

The mortars were capped with tompions, but Sharpe guessed they threw a shell about a foot across and, because the flash of their firing would blast up into the air to lob the bombs in a high arc, the forward stays of the Zebra were not made of hemp, but of thick chain. ❋ Cornwell, Bernard, 1944- (2001)

"Couldn't even get the tompions out of his guns," as he explained the matter to the Doctor that evening. ❋ Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930 (1982)

No tompions are to be put into the guns when they are stowed unless expressly directed by the Bureau; if so ordered, a score must be cut out from them on the lower side, half an inch wide and equally deep. ❋ United States. Navy Dept. Bureau Of Ordnance (N/A)

Colonel was here, these black muzzles with their white tompions, like ❋ Various (N/A)

The tompions was taken out; the sponge, rammer, crows and handspikes placed in readiness, and all awaited eagerly the word for the action to begin. ❋ Herbert Strang (N/A)

POWDER-SCUTTLES, careful men to be selected for attending 1; 18; 85 directions as to use of, in passing cartridges 1; 41; 181-189 position of, on each deck 1; 43; 190-192 to be provided with water-tight tompions 1; 43; 191 flap-holes in magazine screens to be provided for 1; 43; 193 when guns of the same calibre on different decks may be supplied from the same 1; 43; 194 ❋ United States. Navy Dept. Bureau Of Ordnance (N/A)

(Army Regulations 292.) _Is the use of tompions [17] in small arms permitted? ❋ Unknown (1906)

The muzzles of the great guns were stopped by tompions. ❋ Willis J. Abbot (1898)

No idea that the Englishman had any hostile designs seems to have occurred to Commodore Barren; but some of the younger officers noticed that the ports of the "Leopard" were triced up, and the tompions taken out of the muzzles of the cannon. ❋ Willis J. Abbot (1898)

Not until October did a United States vessel again knock the tompions from her guns, and give battle to an enemy. ❋ Willis J. Abbot (1898)

To hear and see the fight the whole night through, and never to pull a lanyard or take the tompions out of my guns. ❋ Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930 (1896)

Also there are several exciting situations, even before we come to the application of a lady's fingers as tompions. ❋ George Saintsbury (1889)

Concluding the frigate to be a merchant-man, the _Alert_ bore down on her; while the Americans went to quarters and cleared for action, although the tompions were left in the guns, and the ports kept closed. ❋ Theodore Roosevelt (1888)

Thereupon Porter put up his helm and opened as soon as his guns would bear, tompions and all. ❋ Theodore Roosevelt (1888)

"Those [pesky] ants won't get me this time,not with my [tompion]" said [the bear]. ❋ Big Brown Bear (2009)