noun
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the art and science of the efficient design and use of ordnance, esp artillery
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guns collectively
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the use and firing of guns
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(modifier) of, relating to, or concerned with heavy guns, as in warfare
a gunnery officer
Etymology
Origin of gunnery
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.
Matt served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantry squad leader and gunnery sergeant in the Marine Corps.
From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026
It included a live-fire gunnery exercise conducted by the guided missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
As a victim of increasingly effective gunnery, Arundel also epitomized another development that would expedite the end of England’s sporadic efforts to subdue the rival realm.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
In so doing, Mr Carter overrode a request by the Marine Corps to exempt women from certain roles, including in infantry and machine gunnery.
From BBC • Oct. 25, 2022
There was no one to give warning, no one to signal to the gunnery above.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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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.