silencer

noun

si·​lenc·​er ˈsī-lən(t)-sər How to pronounce silencer (audio)
: one that silences: such as
a
chiefly British : the muffler of an internal combustion engine
b
: a silencing device for small arms

Examples of silencer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After a retrial in January, a jury convicted Speed of three counts of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm silencer. Michael Kunzelman, ajc, 8 May 2023 An alarming number of silencers are Presidents and their ilk: Hamilton, Jefferson, John Edwards. Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2023 During some of the searches, investigators found military-grade bullet-resistant vests and guns that included assault rifles with scopes and makeshift silencers. USA Today, 18 June 2023 If the firearm possessed is a machine gun, or is equipped with a firearm silencer, then the imprisonment is no less than 30 years. John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 31 May 2023 There’s a new Ashura Wind sniper rifle which has a custom silencer and does more damage in stealth, along with having greater bullet velocity and range. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023 In late July, Ludlow had a firearm silencer that was not properly licensed to him, authorities wrote in court documents. Dallas News, 28 May 2022 Brent McGuyre said many of the weapons recovered had modifications including silencers. Richard Wintonstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2023 Officials arrested an Orlando man last year with 19 firearms, six silencers, three flash-bang grenades, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Garfield Hylton, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'silencer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of silencer was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near silencer

Cite this Entry

“Silencer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silencer. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

silencer

noun
si·​lenc·​er ˈsī-lən-sər How to pronounce silencer (audio)
: a device used on small arms to reduce the sound of firing

More from Merriam-Webster on silencer

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