Definition of semiautomatic
: not fully automatic: such asa : operated partly automatically and partly by handb of a firearm : able to fire repeatedly through an automatic reloading process but requiring release and another pressure of the trigger for each successive shot a semiautomatic rifle
semiautomatic
nounPeople Are Reading
Recent Examples of semiautomatic from the Web
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The guns are all semiautomatic pistols, though the order consists of several different models.
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When police arrived at the scene, Donald Markham's .380-caliber Glock semiautomatic pistol was found in his right hand, with five bullets still in the magazine and one in the chamber, according to supplemental reports logged in the investigation.
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Officers fired 19 bullets from semiautomatic rifles and three hard-foam rounds to break up the melee at Pelican Bay State Prison near the Oregon border.
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The shots came from a semiautomatic pistol that did precisely what its colloquial name –
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'semiautomatic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of semiautomatic
1853
SEMIAUTOMATIC Defined for English Language Learners
semiautomatic
playDefinition of semiautomatic for English Language Learners
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of a gun : able to fire bullets one after the other quickly but not automatically
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