in military affairs, a large shell of cast iron, having a great vent to receive the fusee, which is made of wood. The shell being filled with gunpowder, the fusee is driven into the vent or aperture, within an inch of the head, and fastened with a cement made of quick-lime, ashes, brick-dust, and steel-filings, worked together in a glutinous water; or of four parts of pitch, two of colophony, one of turpentine, and one of wax. This tube is filled with a combustible matter, made of two ounces of nitre, one of sulphur, and three of gunpowder dust, well rammed. To preserve the fusee, they pitch it over, but uncase it when they put the bomb into the mortar, and cover it with gunpowder dust; which having taken fire by the flash of the powder in the chamber of the mortar, burns all the time the bomb is in the air; and the composition in the fusee being spent, it fires the powder in the bomb, which bursts with great force, blowing up whatever is about it. The great height the bomb goes in the air, and the force with which it falls, makes it go deep into the earth.

Bomb-chest, a kind of chest usually filled with bombs, sometimes only with gunpowder, placed under ground to tear it and blow it up in the air, with those who stand on it. It was set on fire by means of a faucille fastened at one end, but is now much diffused.

Bomb-battery. See Battery.