semiautomatic

[ sem-ee-aw-tuh-mat-ik, sem-ahy- ]

/ ˌsɛm iˌɔ təˈmæt ɪk, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

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adjective

(of a firearm) automatically ejecting the cartridge case of a fired shot and loading the next cartridge from the magazine but requiring a squeeze of the trigger to fire each individual shot.

noun

a self-loading rifle or other firearm.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of semiautomatic

First recorded in 1890–95; semi- + automatic

OTHER WORDS FROM semiautomatic

sem·i·au·to·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use semiautomatic in a sentence

Brinsley stepped up to the passenger side of the patrol car, raised a silver Taurus semi-automatic pistol and began firing.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ramsey has tweeted photos of his gun collection, which includes semi-automatic rifles.
Spies, Cash, and Fear: Inside Christian Money Guru Dave Ramsey’s Social Media Witch Hunt|Matthew Paul Turner|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Why are all semi-automatic weapons automatically covered by the Second Amendment?
What We Didn’t Learn After Newtown|John Avlon|December 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Semi-automatic gunshots feature prominently on the soundtrack.
Are Narcocorrido Mexican Drug Ballads Really That Bad?|Jimmy So|November 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST

After 1980, smaller, lighter semi-automatic pistols made of polymers took market share from revolvers.
David's Bookclub: Private Guns, Public Health|David Frum|March 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Charles flipped the pistol to semi-automatic as they passed a red-painted bulkhead with valves and gages sprouting from it.
The Syndic|C.M. Kornbluth
There was, he was afraid at the time, little more than enough mind left in his body to keep the semi-automatic functions going.
Man of Many Minds|E. Everett Evans
Few of these have been put into use, for the reason that a switchboard, like a human body, must be semi-automatic only.
The History of the Telephone|Herbert N. Casson
He checked his automatic rifle, moving the control lever to the semi-automatic position.
First on the Moon|Jeff Sutton
For work which is automatic or semi-automatic, boys or girls may be employed.
A Rational Wages System|Henry Atkinson

British Dictionary definitions for semiautomatic

semiautomatic

/ (ˌsɛmɪˌɔːtəˈmætɪk) /

adjective

partly automatic

(of a firearm) self-loading but firing only one shot at each pull of the triggerCompare automatic (def. 5)

noun

a semiautomatic firearm

Derived forms of semiautomatic

semiautomatically, adverb

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