Lewis gun

American

noun

a light, air-cooled, gas-operated machine gun with a circular magazine, first used in World War I.

Lewis gun British

noun

a light air-cooled drum-fed gas-operated machine gun used chiefly in World War I

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Lewis gun

First recorded in 1910–15; named after I. N. Lewis

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.

Stuart Leslie, describes crash landings, the number of rounds fired by the plane’s Lewis gun, bombs dropped and actions against enemy aircraft.

From Fox News

The Lewis gun on Robinson's plane, which was fitted almost vertically to fire over the top wing, contained a mixture of two different types of bullets: Brocks and Buckinghams.

From BBC

Iaian tells how his great-grandfather spent the rest of the war as a Lewis gun instructor, marrying his Scottish great-grandmother, Margaret, who confessed that she couldn't resist his "smart appearance due to his blue puttee uniform and swagger stick".

From BBC

Lewis' gun and badge were stolen, and the assault victim has been unable to give police a description of the shooter.

From Los Angeles Times

Around me is the ring of the Lewis gun mounting.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023