in military affairs, a wooden staff about three feet long, having a sharp point in one end, and a sort of fork or crotch on the other; the latter serving to contain a lighted match, whilst by the former the lintstock is occasionally stuck in the ground, or in the deck of a ship during an engagement. It is frequently used in small vessels, where there is commonly one fixed between every two guns, by which the match is always kept dry, and ready for firing.