Meanings
gun1
plural guns
- A device for shooting projectiles or ditto (a shooter), functioning through stored energy: a firearm, cannon, harpoon gun/spear gun, raygun, etc, not a bow and arrow, or slingshot.
Guns were considered improvements of crossbows and catapults.
3 more examples
They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect.
1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLCWell, I've always been progun, you know that. It's... yeah, I think adding more guns into a situation is obviously the way to prevent shooting. I think in a way, if we take the guns away, the shootings may escalate. And I think that's why he's so firm on literally arming everyone. I think if you don't have a gun in your hands... well, let's not find out what that world would be.
2018 February 23, Richard Ayoade, The Last Leg, Season 14, Episode 5Looking for wild meat to fill his family's freezer for the winter, the young man quietly raised his gun at the approaching deer.
- governmentA cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity.
- figurativelyA firearm or cannon used for saluting or signalling.
21-gun salute
1 more example
It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street.[…]. He halted opposite the Privy Gardens, and, with his face turned skywards, listened until the sound of the Tower guns smote again on the ear and dispelled his doubts.
1906, Stanley J[ohn] Weyman, chapter I, in Chippinge Borough, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co., →OCLC, page 01
- A device operated by a trigger and acting in a manner similar to a firearm.
- Any implement designed to fire a projectile from a tube.
zipgun
2 more examples
air-pressure pellet gun
nail gun
- A device or tool that applies something rather than projecting it.
screw gun
3 more examples
a rivet gun
a price-label gun
The piercing gun cannot be disinfected and therefore there is a risk of transmitting hepatitis and other infections.
2024, David Golinkin, “Is Body Piercing Permitted According To Jewish Law”, in Responsa in a Moment, volume 4, page 193
- cellular automataA pattern that "fires" out other patterns.
Greene's period-416 2c/5 spaceship gun
2010, Andrew Adamatzky, Game of Life Cellular Automata, page 742 more examples
The glider gun on the bottom of the NOT circuit emits a continuous stream of gliders, while the data stream source emits a glider only when there is a value of 1 in the stream[…].
2000, Gary William Flake, The computational beauty of natureIt would be especially interesting if someone can find an "airplane gun", which generates airplanes at regular intervals.
2007 February 23, Frank, “Life on the Edge”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet) - colloquialmetonymicallyA person who carries or uses a gun (rifle, shotgun or handgun), particularly with reference to how quickly the person can draw and fire the gun.
Some said that the cowboy was the fastest gun in the West.
5 more examples
[…] we had one lawman - Sheriff Dirty Herwick, "the slowest gun in the West." Dirty was a kindly man, a java addict whose knees knocked at the sight of blood. Back then, we winched our own car wrecks out of ravines and chased away mountain lions with kitchen brooms.
1991 12, “Ski”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), page 256"I must say, I quite enjoy having the best detective in the business, and the fastest gun in the West, on my payroll." "First of all," Clint said tightly, "I'm not the fastest gun in the West, and second, I'm not on your payroll." Royce held up both of his hands. "I didn't mean to offend you, sir[…]"
(Can we date this quote?), J.R. Roberts, Death in Denver, Speaking Volumes, →ISBN"They say he's the fastest gun in the whole goddamn world." "I thought Blackie was supposed to be the best," Harlow remarked. “That's what all you chaps keep tellin' me." "Blackie is the fastest gun in the Oklahoma Territory,"[…]
(Can we date this quote?), J.R. Roberts, Gundown in Paradise, Speaking Volumes, →ISBNThey want to take on the fastest gun in town.
2015 February 26, Neil Hickey, Adventures in the Scribblers Trade: The Most Fun You Can Have, iUniverse, →ISBN"He's a fast gun out of Arizona."
2015 August 31, Raymond C. Merriam, Hell’S Partner, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN - metonymicallyA gentleman participant in a shooting weekend, typically on an English estate.
Etiquette dictated that Herbert Bartholemew-Graves, the unfortunate gun who had mistakenly shot the gamekeeper, must never shoot again.
- broadcastingAn electron gun.
The problem is figuring out how to get the electrons from the red gun to hit only the red phosphors, the electrons from the blue gun to hit only the blue phosphors, and so on.
2012, Brand Fortner, Theodore E. Meyer, Number by Colors, page 202 - colloquialplural normallyThe biceps.
- in pluralnauticalViolent blasts of wind.
- AustraliaNew ZealandslangSomeone excellent, surpassingly wonderful, skilful, or cool.
Uncle Murray's a bit of a gun with his fishing rod.
1 more example
Crikey, look at him drive! Your mate Darren is a real gun.
present singular third person guns · participle present gunning · participle past gunned · past gunned
- transitiveTo shoot with a gun.
What's the use of foolishness like calling a gentleman bad names when he can gun you in the dark and you're no good even at striking matches?
1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London - informalTo offer vigorous support to (a person or cause).
We're all gunning for you.
- informalTo strongly desire or seek, and make a great effort to obtain (something which one is 'gunning for' or 'gunning to do').
Australian John Landy, one of Bannister’s rivals also gunning to break the four-minute barrier, took more than a second off the Briton’s time in Turku, Finland, a few weeks later.
2023, George Ramsay, Amy Woodyatt, “‘Like a chairlift up Everest’: Once running’s supreme challenge, has the value of a four-minute mile diminished?”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), CNN - To practice fowling or hunting small game; chiefly in participial form: to go gunning.
- USambitransitiveslangSynonym of gun down (“to masturbate while making sustained eye contact with someone — typically a female prison officer — as a form of intimidation”).
[…] all inmates participated in such conduct, and […] "the inmates gunned only female staff, not the all-male security staff," he said.
2010, BNA's Employment Discrimination ReportSynonyms: gun down
gun2
gun3
Gun4
Synonyms & antonyms
verbSynonym of gun down (“to masturbate while making sustained eye contact with someone — typically a female prison officer — as a form of intimidation”).
More synonyms by meaning
nouna professional killer who uses a gun
nouna hand-operated pump that resembles a pistol; forces grease into parts of a machine
nouna pedal that controls the throttle valve
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
gun · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*gʷʰen-
- Proto-Indo-European*gʷʰéntis
- Proto-Germanic*gunþiz
- Old Norsegunnr
- Proto-Indo-European*kelh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*kelh₂tís
- Proto-Germanic*hildiz
- Old Norsehildr
- Old NorseGunnhildr
- Middle Englishgunne
- Englishgun
From Middle English gunne, gonne, possibly from Gunnhild, a female given name formerly used as a nickname for engines of war (compare Nordic Gunn, a female name meaning “battle”). The name is composed of the Norse elements gunnr and hildr, both meaning "battle".
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans kanon
- kanonmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Arabic مُسَدَّس, طَبَنْجَة
- مُسَدَّس (musaddas)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- طَبَنْجَة (ṭabanja)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- مُسَدَّسَة (musaddasa)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- مِدْفَع (midfaʕ)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Bengali বন্দুক
- বন্দুক (bonduk)portable, short weapon, for hand use
Bulgarian пистоле́т, пу́шка
- пистоле́т (pistolét)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- пу́шка (púška)less portable, long weapon
- оръ́дие (orắdie)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- лонгборд (longbord)long surfboard designed for surfing big waves
Catalan pistola, escopeta
- pistolaportable, short weapon, for hand use
- escopetaless portable, long weapon
- canómilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- obúsmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- dispararspeed something up
Chinese Mandarin 手槍 /手枪, 槍 /枪
- 手槍 /手枪 (shǒuqiāng)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- 槍 /枪 (qiāng)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- 火砲 /火炮 (huǒpào)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- 大砲 /大炮 (dàpào)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- 砲 /炮 (pào)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Czech pistole, puška
- pistoleportable, short weapon, for hand use
- puškaless portable, long weapon
- dělomilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Danish pistol, håndvåben
- pistolportable, short weapon, for hand use
- håndvåbenportable, short weapon, for hand use
- revolverportable, short weapon, for hand use
- geværless portable, long weapon
- bøsseless portable, long weapon
- kanonmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- skytsmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- haubitsmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
Dutch vuurwapen, pistool
- vuurwapenportable, short weapon, for hand use
- pistoolportable, short weapon, for hand use
- vuurwapenless portable, long weapon
- geweerless portable, long weapon
- kanonmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- kanonmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- opdrijvenspeed something up
Esperanto fusilo, pafilo
- fusiloportable, short weapon, for hand use
- pafiloportable, short weapon, for hand use
- fusiloless portable, long weapon
Finnish pyssy, pistooli
- pyssyportable, short weapon, for hand use
- pistooliportable, short weapon, for hand use
- kivääriless portable, long weapon
- tykkimilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- tykkimilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- haupitsimilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- kiihdyttääspeed something up
French pistolet, flingue
- pistoletportable, short weapon, for hand use
- flingueportable, short weapon, for hand use
- fusilless portable, long weapon
- canonmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- flingueshooting device functioning through stored energy
German Pistole, Handbüchse
- Pistoleportable, short weapon, for hand use
- Handbüchseportable, short weapon, for hand use
- Gewehrless portable, long weapon
- Geschützmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- Kanonemilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- Geschützmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- Kanonemilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
Greek πιστόλι, περίστροφο
- πιστόλι (pistóli)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- περίστροφο (perístrofo)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- τουφέκι (touféki)less portable, long weapon
- κανόνι (kanóni)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Hawaiian pū, waikī
- pūportable, short weapon, for hand use
- waikīportable, short weapon, for hand use
Hebrew אֶקְדָּח, רוֹבֶה
- אֶקְדָּח (ekdákh)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- רוֹבֶה (rové)less portable, long weapon
- תּוֹתָח (totákh)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- תּוֹתָח (totákh)military: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
Hindi बंदूक़, तमंचा
- बंदूक़ (bandūq)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- तमंचा (tamañcā)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- पिस्तौल (pistaul)portable, short weapon, for hand use
Hungarian pisztoly, stukker
- pisztolyportable, short weapon, for hand use
- stukkerportable, short weapon, for hand use
- puskaless portable, long weapon
- lőfegyverless portable, long weapon
- ágyúmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- lövegmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
Icelandic byssa, byssa
- byssaportable, short weapon, for hand use
- byssaless portable, long weapon
- fallbyssamilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- skotvopnmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- byssamilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
Indonesian pistol
- pistolportable, short weapon, for hand use
Italian pistola, fucile
- pistolaportable, short weapon, for hand use
- fucileless portable, long weapon
- cannonemilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- obicemilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
Japanese 銃, 鉄砲
- 銃 (jū)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- 鉄砲 (teppō)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- ガン (gan)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- 銃 (jū)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- 大砲 (taihō)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Korean 총, 권총
- 총 (chong)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- 권총 (gwonchong)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- 총 (chong)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Latin sclopetum, sclopetum
- sclopetumportable, short weapon, for hand use
- sclopetumless portable, long weapon
Latvian pistole, revolveris
- pistoleportable, short weapon, for hand use
- revolverisportable, short weapon, for hand use
- šauteneless portable, long weapon
- biseless portable, long weapon
- lielgabalsmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Lithuanian pistoletas, revolveris
- pistoletasportable, short weapon, for hand use
- revolverisportable, short weapon, for hand use
- šautuvasless portable, long weapon
- patrankamilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- pabūklasmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- armotamilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Malay pistol, bedil
- pistolportable, short weapon, for hand use
- bedilportable, short weapon, for hand use
- senapangless portable, long weapon
- bedilless portable, long weapon
Māori pū, pūrākau
- pūportable, short weapon, for hand use
- pūrākauportable, short weapon, for hand use
Norwegian børse
- børseshooting device functioning through stored energy
Norwegian Bokmål håndvåpen, gevær
- håndvåpenportable, short weapon, for hand use
- geværless portable, long weapon
- kanonmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- skytsmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
Polish pistolet, rewolwer
- pistoletportable, short weapon, for hand use
- rewolwerportable, short weapon, for hand use
- strzelbaless portable, long weapon
- armatamilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- działomilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- strzelbashooting device functioning through stored energy
- podkręcićspeed something up
Portuguese arma de fogo, pistola
- arma de fogoportable, short weapon, for hand use
- pistolaportable, short weapon, for hand use
- fuzilless portable, long weapon
- rifleless portable, long weapon
- canhãomilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- obusmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- acelerarspeed something up
Romanian pistol, revolver
- pistolportable, short weapon, for hand use
- revolverportable, short weapon, for hand use
- pușcăless portable, long weapon
- tunmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Russian пистоле́т, ствол
- пистоле́т (pistolét)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- ствол (stvol)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- пу́шка (púška)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- револьве́р (revolʹvér)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- ружьё (ružʹjó)less portable, long weapon
- пу́шка (púška)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- ору́дие (orúdije)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- пу́шка (púška)military: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- ору́дие (orúdije)military: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- приба́вить газу (pribávitʹ gazu)speed something up
- газова́ть (gazovátʹ)speed something up
- газану́ть (gazanútʹ)speed something up
Scottish Gaelic dag, gunna
- dagportable, short weapon, for hand use
- gunnaless portable, long weapon
Slovak pištoľ, puška
- pištoľportable, short weapon, for hand use
- puškaless portable, long weapon
- kanónmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- delomilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Spanish pistola, charpe
- pistolaportable, short weapon, for hand use
- charpeportable, short weapon, for hand use
- escopetaless portable, long weapon
- rifleless portable, long weapon
- fusilless portable, long weapon
- cañónmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- obúsmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- dispararspeed something up
Swahili bunduki, bunduki
- bundukiportable, short weapon, for hand use
- bundukiless portable, long weapon
Swedish pistol, handbössa
- pistolportable, short weapon, for hand use
- handbössaportable, short weapon, for hand use
- gevärless portable, long weapon
- bössaless portable, long weapon
- kanonmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- haubitsmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- kanonmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
- bössashooting device functioning through stored energy
Tagalog baril
- barilportable, short weapon, for hand use
Tamil துப்பாக்கி
- துப்பாக்கி (tuppākki)portable, short weapon, for hand use
Thai ปืน, ปืน
- ปืน (bpʉʉn)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- ปืน (bpʉʉn)less portable, long weapon
Turkish tabanca, tüfek
- tabancaportable, short weapon, for hand use
- tüfekless portable, long weapon
- topmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- topmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
Ukrainian пістоле́т
- пістоле́т (pistolét)portable, short weapon, for hand use
Urdu بَنْدُوق, تَپَنْچَہ
- بَنْدُوق (bandūq)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- تَپَنْچَہ (tapanca)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- تَمَنْچَہ (tamanca)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- تُفَن٘گ (tufaṅg)less portable, long weapon
Vietnamese súng lục, súng sáu
- súng lụcportable, short weapon, for hand use
- súng sáuportable, short weapon, for hand use
- súng ngắnportable, short weapon, for hand use
- súng trườngless portable, long weapon
- đại bácmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- đại bácmilitary: cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more
Welsh dryll, dryll
- dryllportable, short weapon, for hand use
- dryllless portable, long weapon
- drylliauless portable, long weapon
- dryllmilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
- drylliaumilitary: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Yiddish ביקס, פּיסטויל
- ביקס (biks)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- פּיסטויל (pistoyl)portable, short weapon, for hand use
- האַרמאַט (harmat)military: cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with gun
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
gun. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gun
“gun.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gun. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gun,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gun.
Source: gun on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.