Lyle gun
noun
ˈlī(ə)l-
1
: a mounted gun that resembles a small brass cannon and is used to fire a projectile attached to a line of rope to an extreme range of about 700 yards in rescue operations at sea
2
: a firing device that resembles a short shotgun and is used to propel a weight attached to a line of rope in rescue operations at sea or on land (as in firefighting)
called also line-throwing gun
Word History
Etymology
after David A. Lyle †1937 American officer, U.S. Army, its inventor