popgun

American

[pop-guhn] / ˈpɒpˌgʌn /

noun

a child's toy gun from which a pellet is shot by compressed air, producing a loud pop.

popgun British

/ ˈpɒpˌɡʌn /

noun

a toy gun that fires a pellet or cork by means of compressed air and makes a popping sound

"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 popgun

First recorded in 1655–65; pop ¹ + 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.

See Examples For:

popgun

As of now, they are as threatening as a popgun.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2025

It was a popgun approach when the Giants need a howitzer, and it did not end well.

From New York Times ● Dec. 10, 2017

And it’s finished off with a “BNAG” flag stuck, popgun style, into its barrel.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 28, 2017

The Chiefs’ popgun offense and stingy defense carried them to a 9-7 record last season, barely missing out on the playoffs on the final Sunday of the regular season.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 28, 2015

‘Colonel Nesbit said I was just a child. “Go buy a popgun, boy,” he said.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

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