Plural of fusil; light muskets or carbines used by infantry soldiers, especially in the 17th-19th centuries.
From French fusil (musket), derived from Late Latin fusile (capable of being poured/melted). The weapon was named for its ease of manufacture by pouring molten metal.
Fusils were the 'assault rifles' of their era—lighter and faster to reload than traditional muskets, they changed military tactics by allowing soldiers to move more quickly on the battlefield.
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