gun

The word “gun” means a weapon that fires bullets or shells using an explosive charge, ranging from handguns to rifles and artillery. In plain terms, most commonly a firearm, but also any hand tool that fires or sprays something, and informally a slang term for a skilled operator or a sudden burst of speed.

“Gun” is pronounced GUHN (/ˈɡʌn/ in IPA).

Here is “gun” used in a sentence: “Police recovered the gun used in the robbery.”

Depending on how it is used, “gun” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “gun” comes from Middle English. Traced to Middle English gunne, thought to derive from Gunnhild, a Norse female name once given as a nickname to siege engines and cannons — the name combines Old Norse words both meaning "battle".

“Gun” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Gun” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a weapon that fires bullets or shells using an explosive charge, ranging from handguns to rifles and artillery.

Firearm is the formal, legal term for any portable weapon that fires a projectile using an explosion, such as pistols and rifles. Gun is the everyday word for the same thing, though in strict military use gun can also mean a large artillery piece rather than a handheld weapon.

Guns are usually grouped by size and use. Handguns like pistols and revolvers are small and held in one hand. Long guns include rifles and shotguns, fired from the shoulder. Larger mounted weapons such as cannons and artillery also count as guns in the broadest sense.

A rifle is one type of gun, so all rifles are guns but not all guns are rifles. A rifle has a long, spiral-grooved barrel for accuracy over distance and is fired from the shoulder. Gun is the general category covering rifles, pistols, shotguns, and more.