devil's paintbrush
A World War I slang term for the Maxim machine gun — one of the most feared weapons of the era.
Definitions
A World War I slang term for the Maxim machine gun — one of the most feared weapons of the era. The name evokes the gun's ability to sweep a deadly arc across the battlefield, painting destruction with each burst. Devil's paintbrush captures both the lethal precision of the weapon and its hellish reputation among troops in the trenches.
They called it the devil's paintbrush because it could cut down an entire line before anyone had time to react.
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(slang, historical) A Maxim gun.
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