submachine gun

noun sub·ma·chine gun \ ˌsəb-mə-ˈshēn-ˌgən \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Definition of submachine gun

: a portable automatic firearm that uses pistol-type ammunition and is fired from the shoulder or hip

See submachine gun defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of submachine gun from the Web

The Army has awarded contracts to ten companies to submit submachine guns for the service to evaluate.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Army Is Testing 10 New Submachine Guns," 11 June 2018
Police said a weapon, possibly a MAC-10 submachine gun, was recovered near the body of the 17-year-old.

— CBS News, "Teen thought shot dead, covered with sheet, begins to move," 19 June 2018
The Israeli army has released images of protesters using weapons ranging from slingshots to submachine guns, and numerous attempts to breach the Israeli border with knives or bombs, to prove the contrary.

— hana salah, latimes.com, "Palestinians in Gaza launch biggest rocket barrage in years, then claim they have agreed to cease-fire," 29 May 2018
The last time the Army adopted a submachine gun was in 1943.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Army is Looking for Its First New Submachine Gun Since WWII," 11 May 2018
There are Tommy guns, M2 Brownings, Uzis, a Sterling submachine gun and AK-47 assault rifles, the most popular machine gun in the world.

— polly mosendz, Bloomberg.com, "How One Man Got Rich Selling Machine Guns," 5 Apr. 2018
There are Tommy guns, M2 Brownings, Uzis, a Sterling submachine gun and AK-47 assault rifles, the most popular machine gun in the world.

— Fortune, "How Buying and Selling Machine Guns in America Made This Man Rich — Yes, Actual Machine Guns," 5 Apr. 2018
The rifle was being carried by more experienced soldiers, while newer soldiers and conscripts were still issued the wartime PPSh submachine guns.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "A CIA Agent’s Drawing of the First AK-47 Sighting," 13 Mar. 2018
Authorities seized 70 weapons, including an Uzi submachine gun and rifles.

— ryan martin, Indianapolis Star, "How Trump's federal prosecutor is bringing the 'hammer' against Indianapolis gun violence," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'submachine gun.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.