gunner

noun

gun·​ner ˈgə-nər How to pronounce gunner (audio)
1
: a soldier or airman who operates or aims a gun
2
: one who hunts with a gun
3
: a warrant officer who supervises ordnance and ordnance stores

Examples of gunner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But David, who had served two tours, including a stint as a machine gunner in Afghanistan, decided to stay in the military. Johnny Dodd, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 Women are also taking on more traditionally male roles in the military, according to the ministry, such as drivers, machine gunners, snipers and commanders. Richard Engel, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2024 Bettis went on to join the United States Army as a tank gunner stationed in Germany. J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2024 The gunner also has a third-gen thermal vision system with a laser rangefinder. David Axe, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Justin Bethel ▪ Skinny: Bethel played a team-high 318 special teams snaps and was one of the Dolphins’ top gunners. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024 The younger Slater also would make history as the first player who primarily served as a gunner to make the Hall of Fame. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Harry spent 3½ years in training and operational service with the Apache Force during his time with the Army Air Corps, winning the prize for best co-pilot gunner during training and becoming a fully operational Apache pilot in February 2012. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 20 Jan. 2024 The shortage of ammunition — and the shifting battlefield momentum — means the gunners are no longer supporting Ukrainian attacks. Thomas Gibbons-Neff Finbarr O’Reilly, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gunner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gunner was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near gunner

Cite this Entry

“Gunner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunner. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gunner

noun
gun·​ner ˈgən-ər How to pronounce gunner (audio)
1
: one who operates or aims a gun
2
: one who hunts with a gun

More from Merriam-Webster on gunner

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