Definition of handgun
: a firearm (such as a revolver or pistol) designed to be held and fired with one hand
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Recent Examples of handgun from the Web
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David Nelson of the Tega Cay Police Department said three handguns were taken along with money, keys, sunglasses and wallets.
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Chicago police arrested Peter Mazzone, 34, after an unloaded handgun was found in his carry-on luggage about 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, TSA officials said in a media release.
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Investigators found that Odom fired 12 times from a .45 caliber handgun.
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When Tolver then attempted to rob a staff member of the church, the staff member fired his handgun once, hitting Tolver in the upper torso.
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According to court documents filed in federal court in Kansas City, 52 handguns were taken in the burglary.
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The police said that the assailants had been armed with two improvised automatic weapons, a handgun and at least one knife, and said officers were making sure that other weapons were not being stored at the site.
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When the girls managed to open the door, the homeowner noticed a figure outside and ran to the kitchen to grab his .38-caliber handgun, Connolly said.
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During the robbery, Madison allegedly approached a bank teller with a note demanding money and produced a handgun, according to the release.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'handgun.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of handgun
15th century
HANDGUN Defined for English Language Learners
handgun
playDefinition of handgun for English Language Learners
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: a small gun (such as a revolver or a pistol) designed to be held and shot with one hand
Learn More about handgun
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See words that rhyme with handgun Spanish Central: Translation of handgun Nglish: Translation of handgun for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of handgun for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about handgun
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