gunman

American  

[guhn-muhn] / ˈgʌn mən /

noun

plural

gunmen

1. a person armed with or expert in the use of a gun, gin, gun, especially one ready to use a gun gin gun unlawfully.

2. a person who makes guns. gun.

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gunman British  

/ ˈɡʌnmən /

noun

1. a man who is armed with a gun, esp unlawfully

2. a man who is skilled with a gun

3. a person who makes, repairs, or has expert knowledge of guns

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Other Word Forms

• gunmanship noun

Etymology

Origin of gunman

First recorded in 1615–25; gun ¹ + -man

Example Sentences

Prosecutors have also demanded that relatives of one of the gunmen be stripped of their Russian citizenship.

From Barron's

To his shock, Issa saw a woman wearing pajamas and carrying a baby emerge from the sedan the gunmen had left at his gate.

From The Wall Street Journal

Prosecutors have alleged that the two gunmen, inspired by Islamic State, acted alone and were not part of a wider cell.

From BBC

It was announced a few days before Christmas that the security forces had rescued all the remaining pupils and staff who had been taken from St Mary's by gunmen on 21 November.

From BBC

The Mexican military also prepared a squad of light, turboprop Beechcraft Texan aircraft that are low-cost and effective for counterinsurgency operations of the kind that they expected to encounter with Oseguera’s gunmen.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• assassin
• hit man
• hit woman
• sniper