Etymology From Middle English gunne, gonne, possibly from Gunnhild, a female given name formerly used as a nickname for engines of war (compare Nordic Gunn, a female name meaning “battle”). The name is composed of the Norse elements gunnr and hildr, both meaning "battle".
A device for shooting projectiles or ditto (a shooter), functioning through stored energy: a firearm, cannon, harpoon gun/spear gun, raygun, etc, not a bow and arrow, or slingshot.
They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect.1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
Well, I've always been progun, you know that. It's... yeah, I think adding more guns into a situation is obviously the way to prevent shooting. I think in a way, if we take the guns away, the shootings may escalate. And I think that's why he's so firm on literally arming everyone. I think if you don't have a gun in your hands... well, let's not find out what that world would be.2018 February 23, Richard Ayoade, The Last Leg, Season 14, Episode 5
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Guns were considered improvements of crossbows and catapults.
Looking for wild meat to fill his family's freezer for the winter, the young man quietly raised his gun at the approaching deer.
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A very portable, short firearm, for hand use, which fires bullets or projectiles, such as a handgun, revolver, pistol, or Derringer.
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A less portable, long firearm that fires bullets or projectiles; a rifle, either manual, automatic or semi-automatic; a flintlock, musket or shotgun.
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Government, Military, Politics, War A cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity.
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Government, Military, Politics, War A cannon with a 6-inch/155mm minimum nominal bore diameter and tube length 30 calibers or more.
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Figuratively A firearm or cannon used for saluting or signalling.
21-gun salute
It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street.[…]. He halted opposite the Privy Gardens, and, with his face turned skywards, listened until the sound of the Tower guns smote again on the ear and dispelled his doubts.1906, Stanley J[ohn] Weyman, chapter I, in Chippinge Borough, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co., →OCLC, page 01:
› A device operated by a trigger and acting in…
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Any implement designed to fire a projectile from a tube.
air-pressure pellet gun
zipgun
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nail gun
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A device or tool that projects a substance.
squirt gun
spray gun
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grease gun
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A device or tool that applies something rather than projecting it.
a rivet gun
screw gun
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a price-label gun
The piercing gun cannot be disinfected and therefore there is a risk of transmitting hepatitis and other infections.2024, David Golinkin, “Is Body Piercing Permitted According To Jewish Law”, in Responsa in a Moment, volume 4, page 193:
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Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports, Surfing A long surfboard designed for surfing big waves (not the same as a longboard, a gun has a pointed nose and is generally a little narrower).
2000, Drew Kampion, surfline.com by the winter of 1962, the Brewer Surfboards Hawaii gun was the most in-demand big-wave equipment on the North Shore.
The glider gun on the bottom of the NOT circuit emits a continuous stream of gliders, while the data stream source emits a glider only when there is a value of 1 in the stream[…].2000, Gary William Flake, The computational beauty of nature:
It would be especially interesting if someone can find an "airplane gun", which generates airplanes at regular intervals.2007 February 23, Frank, “Life on the Edge”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet):
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Greene's period-416 2c/5 spaceship gun2010, Andrew Adamatzky, Game of Life Cellular Automata, page 74:
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Colloquial, Metonymically A person who carries or uses a gun (rifle, shotgun or handgun), particularly with reference to how quickly the person can draw and fire the gun.
Some said that the cowboy was the fastest gun in the West.
[…] we had one lawman - Sheriff Dirty Herwick, "the slowest gun in the West." Dirty was a kindly man, a java addict whose knees knocked at the sight of blood. Back then, we winched our own car wrecks out of ravines and chased away mountain lions with kitchen brooms.1991 12, “Ski”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), page 256:
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"I must say, I quite enjoy having the best detective in the business, and the fastest gun in the West, on my payroll." "First of all," Clint said tightly, "I'm not the fastest gun in the West, and second, I'm not on your payroll." Royce held up both of his hands. "I didn't mean to offend you, sir[…]"(Can we date this quote?), J.R. Roberts, Death in Denver, Speaking Volumes, →ISBN:
"They say he's the fastest gun in the whole goddamn world." "I thought Blackie was supposed to be the best," Harlow remarked. “That's what all you chaps keep tellin' me." "Blackie is the fastest gun in the Oklahoma Territory,"[…](Can we date this quote?), J.R. Roberts, Gundown in Paradise, Speaking Volumes, →ISBN:
They want to take on the fastest gun in town.2015 February 26, Neil Hickey, Adventures in the Scribblers Trade: The Most Fun You Can Have, iUniverse, →ISBN:
"He's a fast gun out of Arizona."2015 August 31, Raymond C. Merriam, Hell’S Partner, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN:
The problem is figuring out how to get the electrons from the red gun to hit only the red phosphors, the electrons from the blue gun to hit only the blue phosphors, and so on.2012, Brand Fortner, Theodore E. Meyer, Number by Colors, page 202:
Etymology From Middle English gunne, gonne, possibly from Gunnhild, a female given name formerly used as a nickname for engines of war (compare Nordic Gunn, a female name meaning “battle”). The name is composed of the Norse elements gunnr and hildr, both meaning "battle".
What's the use of foolishness like calling a gentleman bad names when he can gun you in the dark and you're no good even at striking matches?1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
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To cause to speed up.
He gunned the engine.
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Informal To offer vigorous support to (a person or cause).
We're all gunning for you.
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Informal (gunning for something or gunning to do something) make a great effort.
Australian John Landy, one of Bannister’s rivals also gunning to break the four-minute barrier, took more than a second off the Briton’s time in Turku, Finland, a few weeks later.2023, George Ramsay, Amy Woodyatt, “‘Like a chairlift up Everest’: Once running’s supreme challenge, has the value of a four-minute mile diminished?”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), CNN:
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To seek to attack someone; to take aim at someone; used with for.
He's been gunning for you ever since you embarrassed him at the party.
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To practice fowling or hunting small game; chiefly in participial form: to go gunning.
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US, Ambitransitive, Slang, Of a male prisoner Synonym of gun down (“to masturbate while making sustained eye contact with someone — typically a female prison officer — as a form of intimidation”).
[…] all inmates participated in such conduct, and […] "the inmates gunned only female staff, not the all-male security staff," he said.2010, BNA's Employment Discrimination Report:
To discover […] how the honest poor are compelled to hob-and-nob with the “shoful pitcher” and the “gun,” it is necessary to visit the vast nursery-grounds of crime.1863, Blanchard Jerrold, Signals of Distress in Refuges and Homes of Charity (etc.), page 2: