- [countable] a weapon that is used for firing bullets or shells
- I have never fired a gun in my life.
- He pointed a gun at them.
- Should police officers carry guns?
- a toy/replica gun
- Anti-aircraft guns opened fire as the bombers flew overhead.
- A loaded gun was found in the vehicle.
- Look out, he's got a gun!
- The guard drew his gun (= took it out so it was ready to use).
- She pulled a gun on me (= took out a gun and aimed it at me).
- The gun went off by accident.
- The attacker held a gun to the hostage’s head.
- a gun battle between rival gangs
- high levels of gun crime/violence
- gun owners/ownership
- gun control/laws
Extra ExamplesTopics War and conflicta2- Enemy ship approaching! Man the guns!
- Guns were firing and grenades going off all around.
- He grinned and cocked the gun with his thumb.
- He pulled a gun from his pocket.
- She raised her gun, aimed and fired.
- I found myself looking down the barrel of a gun.
- I loaded the gun with my last two bullets.
- Jorge quickly holstered his gun.
- My big brother taught me about gun safety.
- She brandished the gun menacingly.
- The gunman turned the gun on himself.
- The police pointed to the success of a gun amnesty earlier this year.
- There were several guns mounted in the back of the vehicle.
- These kids have grown up in a drugs and gun culture.
- They grudgingly took off their gun belts and holsters.
- They succeeded in silencing the enemy guns.
- This new gun shoots a laser beam at the target.
- Two armed men held a gun to his head and made him empty the safe.
- We're very short of guns and ammunition.
- the powerful gun lobby in the US
- He walked into the bank and pointed his gun at the cashier.
- He was injured in a gun battle between rival gangs.
- Should commercial airline pilots be permitted to carry guns?
- The battleship fired its main 16-inch guns against enemy coastal positions.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- heavy
- loaded
- …
- be armed with
- carry
- have
- …
- blaze
- fire
- go off
- …
- control
- law
- crime
- …
- the barrel of a gun
- guns and ammunition
- hold a gun on somebody
- …
- [countable] a tool that uses pressure to send out a substance or an object
- a staple gun
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- heavy
- loaded
- …
- be armed with
- carry
- have
- …
- blaze
- fire
- go off
- …
- control
- law
- crime
- …
- the barrel of a gun
- guns and ammunition
- hold a gun on somebody
- …
- the gun[singular] the signal to begin a race, that is made by firing a special gun, called a starting pistol, into the airTopics Sports: other sportsc1
- [countable] (informal, especially North American English) a person who is paid to shoot somebody
- a hired gun
see also big gun, flashgun, laser gun, son of a gun
Word OriginMiddle English gunne, gonne, perhaps from a pet form of the Scandinavian name Gunnhildr, from gunnr + hildr, both meaning ‘war’.
Idioms
See gun in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee gun in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English(with) all/both guns blazing
- (informal) with a lot of energy and determination
- The champions came out (with) all guns blazing.
be going great guns
- (informal) to be doing something quickly and successfully
- Work is going great guns now.
hold/put a gun to somebody’s head
- to force somebody to do something that they do not want to do, by making threats
jump the gun
- to do something too soon, before the right time
spike somebody’s guns
- (British English) to cause the plans of an opponent to fail
stick to your guns
- (informal) to refuse to change your mind about something even when other people are trying to persuade you that you are wrong
under the gun
- (North American English, informal) experiencing a lot of pressure
- I'm really under the gun today.
Check pronunciation:
gun