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
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.
The term ghost gun can refer to weapons manufactured in a variety of ways, whether from a CNC milling machine, a 3D printer or put together by hand from parts in a prepackaged kit. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025 That leaves just two justices likely drafting the court’s opinion on ghost guns, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Ella Lee, The Hill, 26 Mar. 2025 There are significant limits to how much can be done through executive action to regulate ghost guns. Annie Karni, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025 But the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that ghost guns could indeed be regulated by the law. Npr Washington Desk, NPR, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ghost gun

Word History

First Known Use

2012, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ghost gun was in 2012

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Cite this Entry

“Ghost gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghost%20gun. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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