M16
noun
: a .223 caliber (5.56 millimeter) gas-operated magazine-fed rifle for semiautomatic or automatic operation used by U.S. troops since the mid 1960s
Examples of M16 in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The inquest, however, did not find any proof to Mohamed’s claims that their killings were orchestrated by Britain’s M16 and ordered by Prince Philip — and Mohamed accepted that outcome.
—
Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023
Black powder isn’t used in 5.56 ammunition for M16 rifles.
—wsj.com, 5 May 2023
Already, Kyiv has deployed soldiers from the 47th Mechanized Brigade, one of nine units formed in October specifically to recapture occupied land and armed with M16 rifles instead of the Kalashnikovs that most Ukrainian soldiers use.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 10 June 2023
An April 27 Page One article about this form of gunpowder incorrectly said that black powder is used for bullets for M16 rifles, based on inaccurate information from the Defense Department.
—wsj.com, 5 May 2023
And it is estimated that one in 20 adults own an AR-15 today, a semi-automatic rifle that is a civilian version of the military M16 rifle which fires one round for each pull of the trigger, automatically reloading for the next shot, capable of firing 45 to 60 rounds a minute.
—Bill Frist, Forbes, 3 May 2023
During World War II, the U.S. Army used the M15 and M16/M17 halftracks armed with 37 millimeter cannons and/or .50 caliber machine guns.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 22 Apr. 2023
See More
Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023
Black powder isn’t used in 5.56 ammunition for M16 rifles.
—wsj.com, 5 May 2023
Already, Kyiv has deployed soldiers from the 47th Mechanized Brigade, one of nine units formed in October specifically to recapture occupied land and armed with M16 rifles instead of the Kalashnikovs that most Ukrainian soldiers use.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 10 June 2023
An April 27 Page One article about this form of gunpowder incorrectly said that black powder is used for bullets for M16 rifles, based on inaccurate information from the Defense Department.
—wsj.com, 5 May 2023
And it is estimated that one in 20 adults own an AR-15 today, a semi-automatic rifle that is a civilian version of the military M16 rifle which fires one round for each pull of the trigger, automatically reloading for the next shot, capable of firing 45 to 60 rounds a minute.
—Bill Frist, Forbes, 3 May 2023
During World War II, the U.S. Army used the M15 and M16/M17 halftracks armed with 37 millimeter cannons and/or .50 caliber machine guns.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 22 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'M16.' 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
model 16
First Known Use
1968, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near M16
Cite this Entry
“M16.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/M16. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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