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

That ghost gun was never recovered. —Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026

Spanberger signed a series of gun control bills on Friday, including legislation regulating firearm manufacturers’ liability, ghost guns, and partners of individuals charged with misdemeanor domestic violence. —Amy Delaura, The Washington Examiner, 12 Apr. 2026

Authorities also recovered a ghost gun loaded with eight rounds of ammunition from a vehicle in his garage. —Aldo Toledo, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Mar. 2026

The search warrant is part of a larger ghost gun investigation, sources said. —Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 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