handgun

noun

hand·​gun ˈhan(d)-ˌgən 

: 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

Darby Township Police Chief Michael Sousa told Fox News Digital investigators believe two men got into a verbal altercation in the self-checkout area before one of them pulled out a handgun and fired. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Investigators said officers recovered a handgun near the vehicle and found additional ammunition during a search of the vehicle. — Bay City News, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026

But preliminary test results from that handgun appear to exclude it as the gun responsible for the deaths, police said in the court document, a probable cause statement filed Wednesday. — Joe Kottke, NBC news, 31 July 2026

Investigators said a homeowner returned to find a man matching the description of the earlier suspect inside his home with the homeowner's handgun. — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for handgun

• begun
• grandson
• gudrun
• homespun
• outdone
• outrun
• pashtun
• redone
• rerun
• shotgun
• someone
• stepson

Kids Definition

handgun

noun

hand·​gun ˈhan(d)-ˌgən 

: a firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand