stun gun
Americannoun
-
a battery-powered, handheld weapon that fires an electric charge when held against a person and activated by a trigger or button, used, especially by police, to immobilize a person briefly and without injury.
-
any of various handheld weapons that shoot small pellet-filled bags, tranquilizer darts, darts attached to electric wires, or the like to immobilize a person or animal briefly and without injury.
noun
Etymology
Origin of stun gun
First recorded in 1965–70
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.
Former Metropolitan police officer Michael Fanone, who suffered a heart attack on Jan. 6, 2021 after being shot with a stun gun by a rioter, felt betrayed by the DOJ’s reversal.
From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2026
Carbyne was bought by Taser stun gun maker Axon for $625 million in November 2025.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
One of the family members had a stun gun and the sound of the weapon scared away the mountain lion, Tira said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2025
Mr Amaaz also told the court that, at one point, he saw PC Ellie Cook pointing what he thought was a gun at his brother without realising it was actually an electronic stun gun.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2025
He rapped sharply on the door with the butt of his stun gun.
From A Spaceship Named McGuire by Garrett, Randall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
