assault rifle

American  

noun

assault rifles plural

1. a military rifle capable of both automatic and semiautomatic fire, utilizing an intermediate-power cartridge.

2. a nonmilitary weapon modeled on the military assault rifle, usually modified to allow only semiautomatic fire.

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assault rifle British  

noun

1. a semiautomatic firearm with additional features such as a large magazine, a bayonet fitting, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• assault rifles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of assault rifle

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

assault rifle

In the eastern state of Bihar, a police official was suspended for using an assault rifle to disperse student protesters in Siwan district on Saturday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

In October 2023, Manunya tattooed a Kalashnikov assault rifle onto the forearm of a colleague.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

The Sheriff’s Department asked the public to help find the assault rifle and identified the route that the deputies traveled Saturday night in hopes of locating the weapon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2025

Results of ballistics investigations carried out in Ukraine suggested it was impossible to accidentally fire the weapon, an assault rifle, Det Sgt Bullivant told the inquest.

From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2024

Standing a few feet away was his dad, Mars, wearing a red beret and olive fatigues with the insignia of the Italian Special Forces, an assault rifle slung over his shoulder.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan