What does gun mean?
Definitions for gun
gʌngun
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word gun.
Princeton's WordNet
gunnoun
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
artillery, heavy weapon, gun, ordnancenoun
large but transportable armament
gunman, gunnoun
a person who shoots a gun (as regards their ability)
gunman, gunslinger, hired gun, gun, gun for hire, triggerman, hit man, hitman, torpedo, shooternoun
a professional killer who uses a gun
grease-gun, gunnoun
a hand-operated pump that resembles a revolver; forces grease into parts of a machine
accelerator, accelerator pedal, gas pedal, gas, throttle, gunnoun
a pedal that controls the throttle valve
"he stepped on the gas"
gunverb
the discharge of a firearm as signal or as a salute in military ceremonies
"two runners started before the gun"; "a twenty gun salute"
gunverb
shoot with a gun
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
GUNnoun
The general name for firearms; the instrument from which shot is discharged by fire.
Etymology: Of this word there is no satisfactory etymology. Mr. Edward Lye observes that gun in Iceland signifies battle; but when guns came into use we had no commerce with Iceland.
These dread curses, like the sun ’gainst glass,
Or like an overcharged gun, recoil
And turn upon thyself. William Shakespeare, Henry VI. p. ii.The emperor, smiling, said that never emperor was yet slain with a gun. Richard Knolles, History of the Turks.
The bullet flying, makes the gun recoil. John Cleveland.
In vain the dart or glitt’ring sword we shun,
Condemn’d to perish by the slaught’ring gun. George Granville.
Wikipedia
Gun
A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch typically solid projectiles, but can also project pressurized liquid (e.g. water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, projected water disruptors, and technically also flamethrowers), gas (e.g. light-gas gun) or even charged particles (e.g. plasma gun). Solid projectiles may be free-flying (as with bullets and artillery shells) or tethered (as with Taser guns, spearguns and harpoon guns). A large-caliber gun is also referred to as a cannon. The means of projectile propulsion vary according to designs, but are traditionally effected pneumatically by a high gas pressure contained within the barrel tube, produced either through the rapid exothermic combustion of propellants (as with firearms), or by mechanical compression (as with air guns). The high-pressure gas is introduced behind the projectile, pushing and accelerating it down the length of the tube, imparting sufficient launch velocity to sustain its further travel towards the target once the propelling gas ceases acting upon it after it exits the muzzle. Alternatively, new-concept linear motor weapons may employ an electromagnetic field to achieve acceleration, in which case the barrel may be substituted by guide rails (as in railguns) or wrapped with magnetic coils (as in coilguns). The first devices identified as guns appeared in China from around CE 1000. By the 12th century, the technology was spreading through the rest of Asia, and into Europe by the 13th century.
ChatGPT
gun
A gun is a weapon designed to discharge projectiles driven by rapidly expanding high-pressure gas produced by chemical reactions within a confined space. These projectiles could be bullets, pellets, or other forms of ammunition. Guns are typically used for hunting, self-defense, military purposes, or recreational shooting. They are designed in many different forms such as handguns, rifles, shotguns, and machine guns.
Webster Dictionary
Gun
of Gin
Gunnoun
a weapon which throws or propels a missile to a distance; any firearm or instrument for throwing projectiles by the explosion of gunpowder, consisting of a tube or barrel closed at one end, in which the projectile is placed, with an explosive charge behind, which is ignited by various means. Muskets, rifles, carbines, and fowling pieces are smaller guns, for hand use, and are called small arms. Larger guns are called cannon, ordnance, fieldpieces, carronades, howitzers, etc. See these terms in the Vocabulary
Gunnoun
a piece of heavy ordnance; in a restricted sense, a cannon
Gunnoun
violent blasts of wind
Gunverb
to practice fowling or hunting small game; -- chiefly in participial form; as, to go gunning
Etymology: [OE. gonne, gunne; of uncertain origin; cf. Ir., Gael., & LL. gunna, W. gum; possibly (like cannon) fr. L. canna reed, tube; or abbreviated fr. OF. mangonnel, E. mangonel, a machine for hurling stones.]
Wikidata
Gun
Gun is a Revisionist Western-themed video game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. The game was released in North America on November 17, 2005, and during mid to late-November in Europe. Since October 13, 2006, the game has been available to buy on Steam. The PlayStation Portable version, released on October 10, 2006, under the title, Gun: Showdown, features new side-missions, a multiplayer mode, and other additions that were not available in the console versions. During its first month, the game sold 225,000 copies across the four console systems for which it was initially released. The game had sold over 1.4 million units in the United States as of October 2008. It was well received by game critics and won numerous awards, including GameSpy's "Xbox 360 Action Game of the Year".
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Gun
gun, n. a firearm or weapon, from which balls or other projectiles are discharged, usually by means of gunpowder—now generally applied to cannon: one who carries a gun, a member of a shooting-party.—v.i. (Amer.) to shoot with a gun.—ns. Gun′-barr′el, the barrel or tube of a gun; Gun′boat, a boat or small vessel of light draught, fitted to carry one or more guns; Gun′-carr′iage, a carriage on which a gun or cannon is supported; Gun′-cott′on, an explosive prepared by saturating cotton with nitric acid; Gun′-fire (mil.), the hour at which the morning or evening gun is fired; Gun′-flint, a piece of flint fitted to the hammer of a flint-lock musket; Gun′-met′al, an alloy of copper and tin in the proportion of 9 to 1, used in making guns; Gun′nage, the number of guns carried by a ship of war; Gun′ner, one who works a gun or cannon: (naut.) a petty officer who has charge of the ordnance on board ship; Gun′nery, the art of managing guns, or the science of artillery; Gun′ning, shooting game; Gun′-port, a port-hole; Gun′powder, an explosive powder used for guns and firearms; Gun′-room, the apartment on board ship occupied by the gunner, or by the lieutenants as a mess-room; Gun′shot, the distance to which shot can be thrown from a gun.—adj. caused by the shot of a gun.—adj. Gun′-shy, frightened by guns (of a sporting dog).—ns. Gun′smith, a smith or workman who makes or repairs guns or small-arms; Gun′stick, a ramrod; Gun′stock, the stock or piece of wood on which the barrel of a gun is fixed; Gun′stone (Shak.), a stone, formerly used as shot for a gun; Gun′-tack′le (naut.), the tackle used on board ship by which the guns are run to and from the port-holes; Gun′-wad, a wad for a gun; Gat′ling-gun, a revolving battery-gun, invented by R. J. Gatling about 1861, usually having ten parallel barrels, capable of firing 1200 shots a minute; Machine′-gun (see Machine).—As sure as a gun, quite sure, certainly; Blow great guns, to blow tempestuously—of wind; Great gun, a cannon: (coll.) a person of great importance; Son of a gun, a rogue, rascal. [M. E. gonne, from W. gwn, a bowl, a gun, acc. to Skeat.]
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
gun
1. A cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity. 2. A cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more. See also howitzer; mortar.
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
gun
The usual service name for a cannon (which see); it was originally called great gun, to distinguish it from the small or hand guns, muskets, blunderbusses, &c. The general construction for guns of cast metal is fairly represented by the old rule that the circumference at the breech ought to measure eleven calibres, at the trunnions nine, and at the muzzle seven, for iron; and in each instance two calibres less for brass guns. But the introduction of wrought-iron guns, built up with outer jackets of metal shrunk on one above another, is developing other names and proportions in the new artillery. (See BUILT-UP GUNS.) The weight of these latter, though differently disposed, and required not so much for strength as for modifying the recoil or shock to the carriage on discharge, is not very much less, proportionally, for heavy guns of full power, than that of the old ones, being about 1-1/4 cwt. of gun for every 1 lb. of shot; for light guns for field purposes it is about 3/4 cwt. for every 1 lb. of shot. Guns are generally designated from the weight of the shot they discharge, though some few natures, introduced principally for firing shells, were distinguished by the diameter of their bore in inches; with the larger guns of the new system, in addition to this diameter, the weight in tons is also specified.--Gun, in north-country cant, meant a large flagon of ale, and son of a gun was a jovial toper: the term, owed its derivation to lads born under the breast of the lower-deck guns in olden times, when women were allowed to accompany their husbands. Even in 1820 the best petty officers were allowed this indulgence, about one to every hundred men. Gunners also, who superintended the youngsters, took their wives, and many living admirals can revert to kindness experienced from them. These "sons of a gun" were tars, and no mistake.--Morning gun, a signal fired by an admiral or commodore at day-break every morning for the drums or bugles to sound the reveillé. A gun of like name and nature is generally in use in fortresses; as is also the evening gun, fired by an admiral or commodore at 9 P.M. in summer, and 8 P.M. in winter, every night, on which the drums or bugles sound the retreat.
Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
gun
In its most general sense, a gun is a machine, having the general shape of a hollow cylinder closed at one end, and used for the purpose of projecting heavy bodies to great distances by means of gunpowder. Technically, it is a heavy cannon, distinguished by its great weight, length, and absence of a chamber. It is used for throwing projectiles with large charges of powder to long distances, with great accuracy and penetration. Guns came into use in the 14th century, and were first fired from supports, and in reality were artillery. Shortly after, they took the form of a clumsy hand-gun, called an arquebuse, which was portable, but discharged from a forked rest. The next modification, which came into use about the end of the 14th century, was called the matchlock. The piece was discharged by a lighted match brought down on the powder-pan by the action of a trigger. This was superseded in 1517 by the wheel-lock, the fire being produced by the action of a toothed wheel upon flint or iron pyrites. Almost contemporary with this was the snaphance gun, in which sparks were generated by the concussion of flint on the ribbed top of the powder-pan. About the middle of the 17th century the flint-lock began to be employed. This was a combination of the two latter weapons, but much superior to either. It continued universally in use until the early part of the present century, when the percussion-lock was invented, which by 1840 (the time of its adoption by the British government), had completely superseded it. As the lock improved, and the rapidity of firing increased, the weight of the piece diminished; the old tripod first used as a rest gave way to one stake, and finally, in the 18th century, was abandoned altogether. The weapon was then the smooth-bore musket, which continued in use with various modifications until the middle of the 19th century, when it was partially superseded by the rifle. (See Small-arms.) In their earlier stages cannon went by various names, as bombards, culverins, petronels, and later on were reduced to the three denominations, technically, of guns, howitzers, and mortars. For the two latter, see Howitzer and Mortar. Guns are subdivided in the U. S. service according to their use, into field, siege, and sea-coast guns. The field-guns consist of two rifle pieces; the 3-inch rifle, adopted in 1861, and the 31⁄2-inch rifle, adopted in 1870 (see Ordnance, Construction of), and the Napoleon gun, a 12-pounder smooth-bore, adopted in 1857. (See Napoleon Gun.) The only siege gun adopted by the United States is a 41⁄2-inch rifle. The 30-pounder Parrott, so extensively employed in our service for siege purposes, is not a regulation gun. The sea-coast guns consist of 13-, 15-, and 20-inch smooth-bores, and 10- and 12-inch rifles. An 8-inch rifle has been constructed by converting the 10-inch smooth-bore according to the Palliser or Parsons method. The 13-inch smooth-bore and the 10- and 12-inch rifles are regarded as experimental guns. The guns principally in use for the land and sea forces of the United States are those known as the Columbiad, or Rodman, Dahlgren, Gatling, Hotchkiss, Napoleon, Parrott. (For particular descriptions, see appropriate headings.) In the British service they are the Armstrong, Palliser, Woolwich, or Fraser, and the Lancaster, Mackay, and Whitworth; the three latter being now very little used. (See appropriate headings.) The only breech-loader in general use in Europe is the Krupp, which is largely employed for all purposes by Germany and Russia. See Krupp Gun.
Editors Contribution
gunnoun
A vice or device for offense or defense. Invented for Guam times reverse of patterns after a contract. 1.) a weapon incorporating metal tube from which bullets, shells, or other missiles are propelled by explosive force, typically making a characteristic loud, or silent noise.
I enjoy going to the gun range from time to time.
Etymology: Weapon
Submitted by Tehorah_Elyon on March 31, 2024
Suggested Resources
gun
Song lyrics by gun -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by gun on the Lyrics.com website.
GUN
What does GUN stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the GUN acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.
Surnames Frequency by Census Records
GUN
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Gun is ranked #78821 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Gun surname appeared 242 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Gun.
50.8% or 123 total occurrences were White.
20.2% or 49 total occurrences were Asian.
15.7% or 38 total occurrences were Black.
9% or 22 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'gun' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3025
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'gun' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2184
Nouns Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'gun' in Nouns Frequency: #853
Anagrams for gun »
gnu
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of gun in Chaldean Numerology is: 5
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of gun in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6
Examples of gun in a Sentence
The gun is in my hand.
I don’t really want to go on that direction on gun reform. This night is about and healing, and we really just want to encourage and love on the kids and the community right now.
California President Sam Paredes:
The state governswhen you think about buying a gun,when you buy a gun, own it, use it, transport it,sell it, everything...they govern everything, we have ten-day waiting periods,an assault weapons ban,a magazine ban, ammunition background checks and registration, You cannot sell without going through a dealer. So, we control everything. And still, these tragedies continue to occur, which shows that all of these gun control laws, they all fail. They cannot prevent mass shootings.
Where there are more guns, there are more gun problems, it’s particularly dangerous to have a gun around when people do things spontaneously. In college, from a public health standpoint, brains are n’t fully developed.
We won in trial court because the trial judge was not persuaded by the evidence submitted by California that the waiting period would have any public safety benefits, one department finds a gun legal. Another finds it illegal. Conflicting opinions are expressed.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for gun
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- kanonAfrikaans
- مسدس, مدفعArabic
- arm-tan, kanol, pistolennBreton
- canó, escopeta, pistola, obús, dispararCatalan, Valencian
- tapchaChechen
- pistole, puška, děloCzech
- pistolDanish
- Geschütz, Gewehr, Kanone, PistoleGerman
- πιστόλι, κανόνι, περίστροφο, τουφέκιGreek
- fusilo, pafiloEsperanto
- escopeta, pistola, obús, cañón, rifle, disparar, balearSpanish
- تفنگ, تپانچهPersian
- kivääri, pistooli, pyssy, kiihdyttää, ampuaFinnish
- canon, fusil, pistoletFrench
- gun - gunIrish
- dag, gunnaScottish Gaelic
- תותח, רובה, אקדחHebrew
- stukker, puska, pisztoly, ágyúHungarian
- ատրճանակArmenian
- senjataIndonesian
- fusiloIdo
- byssa, fallbyssa, skotvopnIcelandic
- pistola, fucile, obice, cannoneItalian
- אקדחHebrew
- 銃, ガン, 鉄砲Japanese
- ქვემეხი, თოფიGeorgian
- កាំភ្លើងKhmer
- 총, 권총, 銃Korean
- دهمانچهKurdish
- armaLatin
- šautuvas, armota, revolveris, pistoletas, patranka, pabūklasLithuanian
- revolveris, šautene, lielgabals, pistole, biseLatvian
- pū, pūrākauMāori
- буу, гар бууMongolian
- håndvåpen, gevær, kanon, skyteNorwegian
- geweer, vuurwapen, kanon, pistool, opdrijven, neerschietenDutch
- gevær, kanon, håndvåpen, skjote, skyteNorwegian Nynorsk
- rewolwer, działo, pistolet, armata, strzelba, zastrzelić, podkręcićPolish
- arma de fogo, obus, canhão, rifle, fuzil, acelerarPortuguese
- revolver, pistol, tun, pușcăRomanian
- ору́дие, пу́шка, пистоле́т, ружьё, газану́ть, газова́ть, застрели́ть, приба́вить газуRussian
- kanón, puška, pištoľ, deloSlovak
- havbica, top, puškaSlovene
- pistol, haubits, kanon, bössa, gevär, skjutaSwedish
- bundukiSwahili
- తుపాకీTelugu
- barilTagalog
- tabancaTurkish
- пістоле́тUkrainian
- بندوقUrdu
- súng trường, súng lục, đại bác, bắnVietnamese
- günVolapük
- געווירעןYiddish
- 枪Chinese
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