noun
-
the firing of one or more guns, esp when done repeatedly
-
the use of firearms, as contrasted with other military tactics
Etymology
Origin of gunfire
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.
The term originates from the late 19th century, according to the weather service and Merriam-Webster Dictionary, when an Iowa newspaper first used the word for a snowstorm; previously, the term had typically described gunfire.
Officers potentially wasting thousands of hours in pursuit of car backfires and construction noise mislabeled as gunfire has not deterred the New York Police Department from continuing to use it.
From Salon
The official told the agency they were trying to determine whether the gunfire was linked to the uranium shipment.
From BBC
The album started with quiet wind and then turned into a tornado of thunder and sirens, swordplay and gunfire over big horns and a funky soul backbeat.
From Los Angeles Times
Some streets were blocked by traffic sign poles and large metal sheets, in an apparent effort by protesters to protect themselves from gunfire.
From BBC
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.
