ghost gun

noun

plural ghost guns

: a gun that lacks a serial number by which it can be identified and that is typically assembled by the user (as from purchased or homemade components)

Ghost guns, cobbled together with various parts often purchased separately, are popular among hobbyists and firearms enthusiasts.

—St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The issue centers on so-called ghost guns, which consist of untraceable parts that can be ordered online and then, with a little finishing work, assembled into a working firearm.

—Los Angeles Times

Even so, they haven't been outlawed; buying or selling a ghost gun is illegal, but making one remains kosher under US gun control laws.

—Andy Greenberg

Examples of ghost gun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Multiple officers responded to detain the suspect and a pat frisk of the jacket uncovered a ghost gun with 7 rounds in the magazine, police said. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2026

Wen-Lone Chou tested illegally built ghost guns in a makeshift shooting range in the basement of his Long Island home, authorities allege. —Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026

An 18-year-old is facing charges for allegedly using a 3D printer to manufacture ghost guns in his bedroom, according to the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office. —Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026

Police said the investigation started as a welfare check when officers allegedly discovered evidence that ghost guns were being manufactured in the residence. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ghost gun

• begun
• grandson
• gudrun
• handgun
• homespun
• outdone
• outrun
• pashtun
• redone
• rerun
• shotgun
• someone