gun

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a piece of ordnance usually with high muzzle velocity and comparatively flat trajectory
b
: a portable firearm (such as a rifle or handgun)
c
: a device that throws a projectile
2
a
: a discharge of a gun especially as a salute or signal
b
: a signal marking a beginning or ending
3
a
: hunter
b
: gunman
4
: something suggesting a gun in shape or function
5
6
slang : a person's arm
specifically : an arm that has well-defined muscles
usually plural
Conor was spotted rowing away from The Loeb Boathouse in Central Park Saturday with his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, and their cute son, Conor Jr. The famous fighter showed off his guns while handling the oars for his crew. TMZ.com
The Heisman Trophy-winning and former NFL quarterback worked the stage the way he probably jabs through the weight room—whilst checking out his guns in the mirror … Tory Barron
gunned adjective

gun

2 of 2

verb

gunned; gunning

transitive verb

1
a
: to fire on
b
: shoot
gunned down by a hit man
2
a
: to open up the throttle of so as to increase speed
gun the engine
b
: fire sense 3b
gunned the ball to first base

intransitive verb

: to hunt with a gun
Phrases
under the gun
: under pressure or attack
gun for
: to aim at or go after with determination or effort

Did you know?

A ballista (a large missile-thrower in the form of a crossbow) that defended Windsor Castle in the 14th century was named in Latin Domina Gunilda, or “Lady Gunilda.” Gunilda is an Old Norse name and is a compound of gunnr and hildr, both words meaning “battle.” The English may have learned the name from early Norsemen who knew its etymological significance, or its use by the English may have been a coincidence. However, the use of this name for the Windsor ballista was not an isolated incident. Gonnylyde was the name of a cannon in a 14th century song. Our word gun, which also traces back to the 14th century, is probably a shortening of Gunilda.

Examples of gun in a Sentence

Noun a gun battle between gang members and the police She claimed that the gun went off accidentally. Verb She let the car coast down the hill, then gunned it. The shortstop gunned the ball to first base.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Many of the guns were loaded, including one in Herrling’s purse. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024 The foreman noted that not all jurors had the same views about how the gun should have been stored, and that the reason for convicting was different from juror to juror. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024 According to the judge’s decision: Police claim Cole had a gun in his hands when Mensah shot him but officers had conflicting testimony as to the position of his body at the time of the shooting and where the gun was pointed. Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024 The prosecution has maintained that the gun was working normally, and that it was broken later on during FBI testing. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 The suit accuses gun retailers and manufacturers of irresponsible businesses practices that allowed criminals to access guns. The Indianapolis Star, 15 Mar. 2024 One of the bill's provisions would allow a gun used in a homicide to be destroyed, but only after it is auctioned off and only if the purchaser wants that. Rebecca Grapevine, The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024 The defense also asserted publicly for the first time that while Crumbley knew his son had access to a gun, the school did, too. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Boettcher does not appear to be holding a stick or gun during this interaction. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
Any great opera has a brutal death, and Springer’s offing at the hands of someone who was probably actually gunning for a Klan member in Act 1’s finale is brutal indeed. David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 Indeed, as companies stay private longer, there’s a lot of gridlock, not only between startups and investors gunning for an exit but between large private companies and the public itself, the world of people who want in. Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2024 Then, Pipkin gunned her down in the front yard, according to deputies. Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 28 Feb. 2024 Kyle Busch, a polarizing personality who has now become an elder statesman of the sport, will be gunning for his first 500 win in the No. 8 Chevrolet from the 34th position. Travis Caldwell, CNN, 18 Feb. 2024 Due to their gregarious tendency, scaup are typically gunned over spreads of 50 to 200 or more decoys. M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 8 Feb. 2024 To that end, Trump is gunning to make South Carolina the official death-knell of his last remaining primary opponent. Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 6 Feb. 2024 So in a field of 12 politicians gunning for the same job, some aesthetic overlap is inevitable. Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 But Netanyahu may still be gunning for a grand deal, said Ben Caspit, author of a Netanyahu biography and a columnist at Al-Monitor — pinning his hopes on normalizing relations with Riyadh. Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gun.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gonne, gunne

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1622, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gun was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near gun

Cite this Entry

“Gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gun. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gun

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: an artillery piece with a usually long barrel and firing shot or shells in a somewhat flattened curve
b
: a portable firearm (as a rifle or pistol)
2
a
: a firing of a gun
a 21-gun salute
b
: a signal marking a beginning or ending
the opening gun of the campaign
3
: something suggesting a gun in shape or use
a grease gun
4
gunned adjective

gun

2 of 2 verb
gunned; gunning
1
: to hunt or shoot with a gun
gunning for rabbits
2
: to open up the throttle of so as to increase speed
gun the engine

More from Merriam-Webster on gun

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