brown bess
Preserved but no longer current.
Sense 1
A soldier's firelock. To hug brown Bess; to carry a firelock, or serve as a private soldier.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Sense 2
The old Government regulation musket; a musket with a browned barrel; also BLACK BESS. A suggestion has been made that BESS may be from the German BUSCHE, or BOSCHE, a barrel. It is much more likely, however, that the phrase is derived from the fact that "the soldier is wedded to his weapon."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “brown bess” mean?
A soldier's firelock. To hug brown Bess; to carry a firelock, or serve as a private soldier.
Is “brown bess” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.