ma·chine-gun
mə-ˈshēn-ˌgən 
: characterized by rapidity and sharpness : rapid-fire
a comic's machine-gun delivery
machine-gunned; machine-gunning; machine-guns
: 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
Terry EagletonA few years later someone machine-gunned to death the prosecutor who wanted to try the group for killing the soldiers.—Paul Berman
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
Shelby L. Stanton
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 WebBenjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 9 July 2024
That conviction came apart in the bloody years that followed, as machine-gun and trench warfare made mincemeat of visions of easy conquest.
—Charles L. Glaser, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2023
Adam Taylor, Orlando Sentinel, 12 July 2024
Rodriguez, who has a past felony conviction, allegedly sold a Draco rifle and a Glock machine gun for $1,700 during one of the meetings, which were all recorded.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for machine-gun 
Adjective
There was something faintly but indelibly Trumpian about this maneuver, in that the presumptive Republican nominee has also fought concerns about his age with displays of machine-gun pugnacity.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 9 July 2024
That conviction came apart in the bloody years that followed, as machine-gun and trench warfare made mincemeat of visions of easy conquest.
—Charles L. Glaser, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
Verb
As someone who grew up in the Dodgers’ family and now can’t stand the sight of them, who wants to beat them as Buddy Rich might machine-gun his snare drum.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2023
Noun
Wayne Sanders, 29, is facing charges for second degree murder with a deadly weapon, felony in possession of a firearm and possession of a machine gun.
—Adam Taylor, Orlando Sentinel, 12 July 2024
Rodriguez, who has a past felony conviction, allegedly sold a Draco rifle and a Glock machine gun for $1,700 during one of the meetings, which were all recorded.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for machine-gun
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'machine-gun.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near machine-gun
Cite this Entry
“Machine-gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/machine-gun. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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