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.22

American  
[twen-tee-too, twuhn-] / ˈtwɛn tiˈtu, ˈtwʌn- /
Or twenty-two

noun

  • .22s,
    plural
  • .22's
    plural
  1. a rifle or pistol using a cartridge .22 inch in diameter and of varying length.

  2. the cartridge itself.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of .22

First recorded in 1925–30


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

At one point, Mr Pozzolo appears to have shown guests his .22 calibre mini-revolver, one of the smallest commercially available, which he has a license to own.

From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2024

Another traveler, an Arkansas woman, was stopped with a .22 caliber handgun with five bullets loaded.

From Washington Times ● May 23, 2023

Those diamonds are .22 carats, which is an homage to the 22 years of ownership by the Kroenke family.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 11, 2022

At her lane, she took out her three handguns — a Walther .22 with a Glock and Smith & Wesson, both 9-millimeters — and placed them before her, with care.

From New York Times ● Aug. 4, 2022

He sinks back down into his recliner and keeps glaring at me like I’m the one showing up to steal his old .22 rifle.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden

On a low, barren knoll we cached that day eighty rounds of .45-70 cartridges and 300 rounds of .22's,

From The Lure of the Labrador Wild by Dillon Wallace

That left us 120 rounds of .45-70's and 500 rounds of .22's.

From The Lure of the Labrador Wild by Dillon Wallace

George Robertson says he knew that Forsyth also wanted the ban on .22s but was bound by cabinet responsibility.

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026

“As kids, we shot .22s to have meat on the table.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2022

There are worn old .22s you might give a kid to shoot squirrels.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 7, 2019

Category A is .22s, shotguns and air rifles.

From Time ● Jan. 13, 2016

When I saw my little sister kneeling in the center of that snow-white circle, and that old crutch laying on the ground beside her, I forgot about ponies and .22s.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

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