spray gun

American  

noun

1. a device consisting of a container from which paint or other liquid is sprayed through a nozzle by air pressure from a pump.

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spray gun British  

noun

1. a device that sprays a fluid in a finely divided form by atomizing the fluid in an air jet

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Etymology

Origin of spray gun

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

The new colorants come in a powdered form that Cypris Materials says can be incorporated into manufacturing processes—added to paint in an automotive spray gun, for example, or mixed into nail polish.

From Scientific American • Nov. 13, 2020

According to Bonzani the “plume” of the spray gun being used to apply the sealant was too short, meaning it couldn’t reach the inner crevices of the engine.

From Washington Post • Aug. 16, 2018

Yvette sat at her assembly station with a spray gun, applying a greenish adhesive to the glass tubes and using a blow torch to cure it. A fan turned weakly above her.

From Slate • Jul. 2, 2015

Mr. Olitski used a spray gun to produce an ethereal backdrop of speckles interrupted by thick daubs of paint and subtle vertical lines.

From New York Times • Feb. 13, 2015

Under the philosophy that now seems to guide our destinies, nothing must get in the way of the man with the spray gun.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson