a weapon consisting of a metal tube, with mechanical attachments, from which projectiles are shot by the force of an explosive; a piece of ordnance.
any portable firearm, such as a rifle, shotgun, or revolver.
a long-barreled cannon having a relatively flat trajectory.
any device for shooting something under pressure.
I always thin the paint a bit before using it in a paint gun.
With a staple gun, you could put up these posters a lot faster.
any of various handheld devices used as a dispenser or applicator.
We need to put a new roll of tape on the tape gun.
Be careful when handling the glue gun, as it has to be quite hot to melt the glue sticks.
Slang. a person whose profession is killing; professional killer.
They got a hired gun to take out the rival drug dealer.
British. a member of a group of people hunting pheasants or other game birds.
Slang.
(especially in baseball) a player’s throwing arm.
guns, the biceps or triceps of the arms.
After the workout he took a selfie, flexing his impressive guns.
to shoot with a gun (often followed bydown ).
The fighter pilot gunned down three enemy aircraft even after his own plane was damaged.
to cause (an engine, vehicle, aircraft, etc.) to increase in speed very quickly by increasing the supply of fuel.
Don’t gun the engine before it warms up, especially on a cold day.
to hunt with a gun.
He was out gunning in the woods when he came across somebody else’s traps.
to shoot with a gun.
I spent the afternoon gunning at the range with friends from my gun club.
jump the gun,
to begin a race before the starting signal.
to begin prematurely; act too hastily.
come out gunning, to enter or engage in a contest, debate, negotiation, etc., with an aggressive attitude.
The councilor has come out gunning on the crime issue ever since his own car was broken into.
We were psyched up for this game and came out gunning, straight to a 6–2 lead.
under the gun, under pressure, as to meet a deadline or solve a problem.
We're all under the gun with these new sales quotas.
give the gun, to put into motion or speed up.
The pilot gave the engine the gun and managed to take off on the short airstrip.
stick to one's guns, to maintain one's position in the face of opposition; stand firm: Also stand by one's guns.
They stuck to their guns and refused to submit.
spike someone's guns, to frustrate or prevent someone from accomplishing a plan.
Our competitors planned a surprise reduction in their rates, but we discovered it and were able to spike their guns.
a weapon with a metallic tube or barrel from which a missile is discharged, usually by force of an explosion. It may be portable or mounted. In a military context the term applies specifically to a flat-trajectory artillery piece
( as modifier )
a gun barrel
the firing of a gun as a salute or signal, as in military ceremonial
a member of or a place in a shooting party or syndicate
any device used to project something under pressure
a grease gun
a spray gun
slang an armed criminal; gunman
slang
an expert
( as modifier )
a gun shearer
a gun batsman
slang to act or function with great speed, intensity, etc
(of a runner, etc) to set off before the starting signal is given
informal to act prematurely
See spike 1
informal to maintain one's opinions or intentions in spite of opposition
to shoot (someone) with a gun
(tr) to press hard on the accelerator of (an engine)
to gun the engine of a car
(intr) to hunt with a gun
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English gunne, gonne, apparently short for Anglo-Latin Gunilda, gonnyld, name for engine of war; compare Old Norse Gunna, short for Gunnhildr, female name
A gun is a hand-held weapon that fires bullets or shells. A hunter's gun looks very different from the gun carried in a holster by a police officer.Guns come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all dangerous weapons. Most guns are designed to kill or injure, whether when hunting animals or used for self-defense. There are also starting guns, which make a loud noise to mark the start of a race; squirt guns, which fire streams of water; and paintball guns, used to shoot paint pellets during a paintball game. A so-called "hired gun" is a professional who's paid for their particular abilities. "Son of a gun" is an informal, fond way to refer to someone.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She has said she was fired for refusing to recommend the restoration of actor Mel Gibson’s gun rights.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
He is the loudest possible proof that you do not need a gun to be the bravest man on the hill.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
As always, Murderbot is snarky and deadly but unsure of where it stands in the world of humans when it isn’t the one holding the gun.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
And SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes added that the "Fed can keep the gun on the table without firing it".
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Grandpa frowned and said, “I don’t understand. Didn’t you wish you’d catch those monkeys so you could get that pony and gun? I thought you wanted that more than anything.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
“I’ve been to a protest. Guess what? I didn’t bring a gun. I brought a billboard,” Bessent said.
From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2026
"We cannot fight the security, because they have a gun. We only have the flag," he said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 11, 2026
"When he saw the case, he asked me to open it, fearing it was a gun. I sensed his reaction was influenced by my name," Mr Qureshi says.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2024
“I created the gun. I didn’t shoot it,” Carpenter said.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 26, 2024
“I am. I wasn’t before, but it wasn’t because of a gun. It was because of a guy, a different guy.”
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
Soren Waerenskjold caught the big guns by surprise with a long-range sprint to win the fastest-ever stage of the Tour de France.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Beijing has invested heavily in its coast guard, which now has bigger ships with bigger guns that can spend more time out at sea, including the world’s longest patrol vessels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
All of this benefits one company in particular: GrabaGun, which sells guns online.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
Officers removed both teens from the vehicle and determined they were using toy guns to shoot Orbeez out the windows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Navy provided the Swift boats, machine guns, and training.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Less than a month before he was gunned down in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy gave a memorable speech — the last major one of his life — at Amherst College.
From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2026
“I saw an opening and I just gunned it and got out of there,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
Three weeks after Robert Fico was gunned down in central Slovakia, he’s made a full-throated return to political life - on the eve of the European elections.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2024
King, just 39 when he was gunned down in 1968, would have been 94.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 4, 2023
He gave the man a wave and, once he was out of sight, gunned the engine.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
Messi, however, will be gunning for the Golden Boot having scored five goals already.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
The congressional seat Galindo is gunning for represents TX-35, a newly redrawn district that encompasses part of the San Antonio metro area and a slice of rural Texas to the south and east.
From Slate ● May 22, 2026
Executives are gunning to renegotiate leases, which could help the chain close more stores and reduce its costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
Ellison is gunning to get the deal done before this fall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
Now the two dogs raced each other, both gunning for the same target.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
