big gun

plural big guns

1. governmentA large artillery gun or one of the largest-caliber naval guns (as on a battleship).

   London, Nov. 1: The big guns opened fire on Paris today at mid-day.

   1870 December 2, “The Suez Mail”, in Southland Times, number 1342, New Zealand, page 2

   2 more examples

   The smaller crew was possible because the battleship was stripped of all but her big guns.

   1968 March 26, “Battleship begins Viet Tests”, in Evening News, Newburgh, NY, USA, retrieved 19 Aug 2011, page 1

   The USS West Virginia became one of many symbols of American resolve. . . . Her big guns pounded the enemy at the battles of Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

   2008 December 6, William J. Bennett, John Cribb, “Deadly resolve answered attack”, in Daily Courier, USA, retrieved 19 Aug 2011

   Synonyms: great gun

2. broadlyidiomaticin pluralA person, group, thing, or course of action that is powerful, influential, or particularly effective.

   Berra Is Big Gun In Yankee Victory

   1957 Aug. 28, Ed Wilks, "Sports" (Headline), Park City News (USA), p. 15 (retrieved 20 Aug. 2011)

   3 more examples

   This has been a great day for the big guns. This does not refer to Prof. Lummis and the other big guns of the Board of Visitors, for every day is a great one for them.

   1888 June 6, “A Great Day for Big Guns”, in New York Times, retrieved 20 Aug 2011

   And the administration's big guns — Bush, Cheney, Powell and once-and-current Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld — had the clout to make bold and necessary changes.

   2001 June 29, Frank Pellegrini, “Whatever Happened to Military Restructuring?”, in Time

   Clapton kept the big guns for last, finishing the set off with Derek and the Domino's "Layla", complete with the haunting instrumentals at song's end.

   2007 March 26, Yuri Wuensch, “Eric Clapton simply masterful”, in canoe.ca, Canada, retrieved 20 Aug 2011

   Synonyms: big shot, bigwig, baron, big cheese, big enchilada, big kahuna, big man, big name

3. hobbiesA large surfboard used to ride very large, powerful waves.

   Special boards are used called "big guns."

   1966, Bruce Brown, director, The Endless Summer