M16

Or M-16

[em-siks-teen]

Trademark.

1. a lightweight, gas-operated, magazine-fed assault rifle with a caliber of .223 inches, used for fully automatic or semiautomatic fire: a U.S. Army combat weapon for mobile units since 1963.

Word History and Origins

Origin of M16¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Many young men carried M16 rifles slung over their shoulders.

From BBC

The cache included American-made firearms, such as M4 and M16 rifles, as well as other older weapons in Afghan possession that had been left behind from decades of conflict.

From BBC

Israeli media reported that the Palestinian who carried out Tuesday's shooting attack in Tayasir was able to sneak up to a military post next to the checkpoint before opening fire with an M16 rifle at soldiers stationed there.

From BBC

He says he was detained with M16 rifles in his face, strip-searched, and interrogated for 12 hours.

From Los Angeles Times

Years of violent confrontation between the Israeli army and Palestinian armed groups have been etched into Jenin's narrow pathways – bullet-holes scattered across walls, piles of rubble left by military bulldozers, graffiti in the shape of M16 rifles, along with the name "Hamas".

From BBC