An archaic or variant spelling of harquebus, referring to the same early type of portable firearm.
Alternative spelling of 'harquebus,' showing the spelling variation common in English when words entered from Dutch during the 15th-16th centuries. English hadn't yet standardized spelling of foreign loanwords.
Historical documents show tremendous spelling variation—the same weapon appears as 'harquebus,' 'harquebuse,' 'arquebus,' and 'hackbut' in different sources, reminding us that standardized spelling is a surprisingly recent invention!
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