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Synonyms

air rifle

American  

noun

  1. an air gun with rifled bore.


air rifle British  

noun

  1. a rifle discharged by compressed air

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of air rifle

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

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:

The weapon was believed to have been an air rifle and no-one was hurt, police said.

From BBC Jul. 30, 2026

Radke said he ordered Tovar to stop and talk to him, and Tovar produced what he thought at first was a shotgun, but later turned out to be an air rifle.

From Seattle Times Mar. 27, 2024

A highlight is the discussion of a novel, multishot air rifle that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark brought on their continental expedition.

From New York Times Mar. 14, 2023

He also said the office “is currently in possession of the air rifle and the eagle.”

From Washington Times Mar. 6, 2023

Winnie brought me an old air rifle that I had in Orlando and Arthur and I would use it for target practice or hunting doves on the farm.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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