handgun
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of handgun
First recorded in 1400–50, handgun is from the late Middle English word handgone. See hand, gun 1
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.
Officials said a handgun was located alongside the remains.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
The New York state judge did exclude certain items from an initial search carried out at the time of the defendant's arrest on December 9, 2024, including a handgun magazine, a phone and a wallet.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Deputies found a handgun and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition in the hotel room, the post said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
That comment recalled the argument advanced after Dunblane that shooting clubs and even Britain's Olympic shooting team would be unfairly affected by a handgun ban.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
At home, though, there was still the matter of the handgun.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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.
