handgun

noun

hand·gun | \ ˈhan(d)-ˌgən

How to pronounce handgun (audio)

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Definition of handgun

: a firearm (such as a revolver or pistol) designed to be held and fired with one hand

Examples of handgun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web According to the officers, Walker pulled out a 9 mm handgun. — Nora Mishanec, San Francisco Chronicle, "Man killed by CHP officers near Vacaville identified as Sacramento man," 5 Feb. 2021 The 59-year-old then pulled out a handgun and shot at Wann, according to police. — Taylor Pettaway, ExpressNews.com, "Road rage incident leads to deadly shooting on Far West Side," 19 Jan. 2021 As the older woman exited and walked toward her door, Williams pulled out a black handgun and shot her in the hip, charges say. — Liz Sawyer, Star Tribune, "Charges: Woman stalked, shot, pistol-whipped elderly victim in Minneapolis robbery," 8 Jan. 2021 As family members left their homes and formed a crowd on the sidewalk and in the street, a 43-year-old man pulled a handgun and opened fire, hitting two teenagers, police said. — Alec Snyder, CNN, "Philadelphia police kill gunman who opened fire on teens, killing 1," 25 Dec. 2020 Nelson then pulled out a handgun and shot Pouncey multiple times, LPD reported. — orlandosentinel.com, "Teen driver indicted on murder charge in death of librarian," 19 Dec. 2020 One of the men — who police allege was Davis — pulled out a handgun and demanded money from Thurman, the witness said. — Tom Steele, Dallas News, "2 men arrested on capital murder charges after fatal shooting at illegal Dallas game room," 18 Dec. 2020 Mulkey then dropped the bag and pulled a handgun from his waist, according to body camera footage taken from the officers at the scene. — Vandana Rambaran, Fox News, "Florida officers who opened fire at suspect in Dollar General cleared of wrongdoing," 2 Dec. 2020 Walker pulled a handgun from his pocket and shot the man two times, once in the man’s right forearm and once on the right side of his pelvis, court records say. — Adam Ferrise, cleveland, "Man charged in daytime shooting outside Beachwood Place mall," 23 Nov. 2020

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.

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Last Updated

22 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Handgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handgun. Accessed 27 Feb. 2021.

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More Definitions for handgun

handgun

noun

English Language Learners Definition of handgun

: a small gun (such as a revolver or a pistol) designed to be held and shot with one hand

See the full definition for handgun in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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