gunfire

[guhn-fahy^uhr]

noun

1. the firing fire of a gun gin gun or guns. gun.

2. Military.,  the tactical use of firearms, especially artillery, as distinguished from other weapons, as bayonets, torpedoes, or grenades.

gunfire

/ ˈɡʌnˌfaɪə /

noun

1. the firing of one or more guns, esp when done repeatedly

2. the use of firearms, as contrasted with other military tactics

Word History and Origins

Origin of gunfire¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; gun ¹ + fire

Example Sentences

The police and suspected gang members traded heavy gunfire.

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Another clip showed his clerk—a relative—cowering behind the counter as gunfire erupted outside.

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At least 40 people were killed and 300,000 forced to flee their homes as soldiers traded gunfire, fighter jets launched sorties and rocket barrages rained down.

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Coast Guard base in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the driver of a U-Haul truck reversed toward security officers who responded with a volley of gunfire, wounding the motorist and a civilian nearby.

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"The next day it all happened again - air defence fire, automatic gunfire, explosions."

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Related Words

• artillery 
• barrage 
• blast 
• bombardment 
• burst 
• detonation 
• firing 
• shooting www.thesaurus.com
• thunder 
• volley