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Definition of gun
1a : a piece of ordnance usually with high muzzle velocity and comparatively flat trajectoryb : a portable firearm (such as a rifle or handgun)c : a device that throws a projectile
2a : a discharge of a gun especially as a salute or signalb : a signal marking a beginning or ending
4 : something suggesting a gun in shape or function
5 : throttle
under the gun
: under pressure or attack
From the M-W Editors
Examples of gun in a Sentence
a gun battle between gang members and the police
She claimed that the gun went off accidentally.
Recent Examples of gun from the Web
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With Austerity Prime Minister Theresa May is sticking to her guns on austerity.
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If the permits are approved anyway, air guns could begin terrorizing whales and killing zooplankton all along the Eastern Seaboard by autumn’s end.
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A Shawnee Walmart was emptied late Monday night after a gun was pointed at a customer in the parking lot.
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Chicago police are searching for a man who is believed to be behind at least five robberies in which a gun was used or items were taken by force on the South Side, according to a news release.
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The next morning, whites pouring out of a meeting in the Labor Temple downtown began beating blacks with guns, rocks and pipes.
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The gunfire broke out at 2:50 p.m. inside the Bronx Lebanon Hospital, drawing police cars and firetrucks to the scene and sending officers onto the roof with their guns drawn as people inside the building were told to hide.
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About 1:30 a.m., a concerned citizen called police and said a man had just pointed a gun at someone on Irving Street.
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Last October, physicists fired electrons from an electron gun through the spectrometer.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gun'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
A ballista (a large missile-thrower in the form of a crossbow) that defended Windsor Castle in the 14th century was named in Latin Domina Gunilda, or “Lady Gunilda.” Gunilda is an Old Norse name and is a compound of gunnr and hildr, both words meaning “battle.” The English may have learned the name from early Norsemen who knew its etymological significance, or its use by the English may have been a coincidence. However, the use of this name for the Windsor ballista was not an isolated incident. Gonnylyde was the name of a cannon in a 14th century song. Our word gun, which also traces back to the 14th century, is probably a shortening of Gunilda.
Origin and Etymology of gun
Middle English gonne, gunne
gun
Definition of gun
gunned
;gunning
gun for
: to aim at or go after with determination or effort
Examples of gun in a Sentence
She let the car coast down the hill, then gunned it.
The shortstop gunned the ball to first base.
Recent Examples of gun from the Web
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One five-year-old boy described how his mother was gunned down while trying to flee indiscriminate gunfire from a helicopter.
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For decades, Aussie truckers had been gunning their ‘Road Trains’ (Mad Max-style trucks two or three carriages long) across the vast Nullarbor Plains.
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Bridges, who recently lost a friend to gun violence, had put in enough time to earn a certificate in carpentry.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gun'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of gun
1622
GUN Defined for English Language Learners
gun
playDefinition of gun for English Language Learners
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: a weapon that shoots bullets or shells
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: a tool or device that looks like a gun
gun
Definition of gun for English Language Learners
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: to cause (a car or a car's engine) to go very fast by pressing the accelerator
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: to throw (something) very hard
GUN Defined for Kids
Definition of gun for Students
gunned
;gunning
: to open the throttle of quickly so as to increase speed gun the engine
Learn More about gun
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See words that rhyme with gun Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gun Spanish Central: Translation of gun Nglish: Translation of gun for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gun for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gun
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