blaster

noun

blast·​er ˈbla-stər How to pronounce blaster (audio)
plural blasters
: someone or something that blasts something: such as
a
: one whose work is shattering or demolishing something (such as rock) with an explosive device or agent
Demolition companies that level buildings with explosive charges—and so are called blasters—have been letting the team plant transmitters in the ill-fated structures …Peter Weiss
At work in their gaslit catacomb the laborers split into the specialty groups that would become standard in tunnel driving: drillers and blasters worked the heading, blasting out the raw rock …Donald Dale Jackson
b
: something that produces a loud sound
specifically : a radio with powerful speakers : boom box
… he listens to alternative rock—Live, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Green Day—very loud, dutifully shouting answers over the blaster and the hair dryer. Fred Schruers
c
science fiction : a handheld weapon similar to a gun that fires bolts of energy instead of physical projectiles
For about $30 each, players don headsets and heavy vests—computer and battery pack in back, and on the front the "haptics" technology that creates physical sensations like the rumble of the spaceship's engines or the tingle of a shot from a blaster rifle hitting your body armor.Marjie Lambert

Examples of blaster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These airsoft rifles, BB guns and gel blasters look like handguns and AR-15s. Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026 The blaster does include the darts, which will inevitably be quickly strewn around your house. Chaunie Brusie, Parents, 14 Mar. 2026 In Irvine, police renewed that warning last month, saying some water guns and gel blasters resemble real handguns closely enough to prompt an emergency response. Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026 Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin will return April 8 with enhanced ride vehicles, targets, sound effects and blasters, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will come back after more than a year of shutdown. Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for blaster

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blaster was circa 1578

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Cite this Entry

“Blaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blaster. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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