carbine

American  

[kahr-been, -bahyn] / ˈkɑr bin, -baɪn /

noun

1. a light, gas-operated semiautomatic rifle.

2. (formerly) a short rifle used in the cavalry.

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carbine British  

/ ˈkɑːbaɪn /

noun

1. a light automatic or semiautomatic rifle of limited range

2. Also called: carabin.   carabine.  a light short-barrelled shoulder rifle formerly used by cavalry

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Etymology

Origin of carbine

1595–1605; earlier carabine < Middle French: small harquebus, weapon borne by a carabin a lightly armed cavalryman, compared with ( e ) scarabin gravedigger for plague victims (< Provençal, akin to French escarbot cockchafer, dung beetle ≪ Latin scarabaeus scarab ), though semantic change is unclear

Example Sentences

He told the jury he had responded to "10 to 15 spontaneous incidents" but added this was the first time he had fired his carbine rifle in a live operation.

From BBC

With its flair for guerrilla theater, the SLA picked the Hibernia Bank to rob, knowing that security cameras would capture Hearst storming the lobby with a military-style M1 carbine, under no apparent coercion.

From Los Angeles Times

But any of them might point to Don Hogan Charles’ photo of him peering out of his window while holding an M1 carbine.

From Salon

They included an automatic rifle that was not registered, a carbine with optics, a pistol and four hand grenades.

From New York Times

Possible sales of firearms were also discussed with Colt CZ Group, the Czech holding company that owns the long-established U.S. carbine and rifle maker, the source said.

From Reuters

Related Words

• rifle