machine-gun

1 of 3

adjective

ma·​chine-gun mə-ˈshēn-ˌgən 

: characterized by rapidity and sharpness : rapid-fire

a comic's machine-gun delivery

machine-gun

2 of 3

verb

machine-gunned; machine-gunning; machine-guns

transitive verb

: to shoot at, wound, or kill (someone or something) with a machine gun

… machine-gunned a marauding gang of terrorists outside the U.S. embassy …

—Terry Eagleton

A few years later someone machine-gunned to death the prosecutor who wanted to try the group for killing the soldiers.

—Paul Berman

machine gunner noun

or less commonly machine-gunner

plural machine gunners also machine-gunners

These battalions were composed of the hardened infantrymen—riflemen, machine gunners, grenadiers, and mortarmen—who carried the main burden of the war.

—Shelby L. Stanton

machine gun

3 of 3

noun

plural machine guns

: a gun for sustained rapid fire that uses bullets

broadly : an automatic weapon

Examples of machine-gun in a Sentence

Noun

They heard the sound of machine-gun fire.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And the Israeli army remains a few miles south, its presence marked by the occasional plume of smoke where its artillery hits, and the rip of machine-gun fire. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026

As seen in a recent action in Kupiansk, machine-gun robots can provide suppressive fire so the others can get through. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026

Verb

And the Israeli army remains a few miles south, its presence marked by the occasional plume of smoke where its artillery hits, and the rip of machine-gun fire. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026

Armed guards patrolled federal buildings; machine-gun-toting snipers perched on rooftops. — Sarita Gupta, Time, 2 June 2026

Noun

Nadal was later discharged from the hospital on Friday afternoon and booked on charges of unlawful discharge of a firearm, possession of a high-capacity magazine, use of a machine gun in a violent crime and carrying a pistol without a permit. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 10 July 2026

The indictment charging Bhagwanpuria also details members of the organized crime group selling semiautomatic rifles, a machine gun and pistols in parking lots across Southern California. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1906, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1894, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1867, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

machine gun

noun

: an automatic gun capable of continuous firing

machine-gun verb

machine gunner noun