gun

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. firearm (see arms).

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [A cannon]

Syn. piece, orDNAnce, heavy orDNAnce, rifle.

Types of large guns include: long gun, siege gun, howitzer, mortar, antitank gun, culverin, field piece, bazooka, pom-pom, antiaircraft gun, ack ack*; see artillery 1 , cannon , rocket .

2. [A portable firearm].

Types of hand-held guns include: rifle, automatic rifle, semiautomatic rifle, repeating rifle, repeater, recoilless rifle, air rifle, BB gun, air gun, shotgun, sawed-off shotgun, double-barreled shotgun, magazine shotgun, pump-action gun, fowling piece, musket, flintlock, wheel lock, hand gun, muzzle-loader, breech-loader, squirrel gun, needle gun, blunderbuss, carbine, machine gun, submachine gun, Uzi, AK-47, M-1, M-14, M-16, machine pistol, long rifle, laser gun, matchlock, revolver, pistol, automatic, semiautomatic, 9-mm., derringer, horse pistol, gat*, persuader*, rod*, piece*, heater*, burp gun*, Saturday night special*, zip gun*; see also machine gun , pistol .

3. [A device suggestive of a gun]

Syn. spray gun, air brush, grease gun, atomizer, syringe, tranquilizer gun.

• give it the gun*,

Syn. quicken, stimulate, speed up, accelerate; see hasten 2 .

• go Great guns*,

Syn. do well, succeed, triumph; see prosper .

• jump the gun*,

Syn. start too soon, act inappropriately, give oneself away; see begin 1 , hurry 1 .

• stick to one's guns,

Syn. maintain one's position, be firm, sustain; see endure 2 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

firearm, revolver, pistol, *six-shooter, *shooting iron, rifle, carbine, shotgun, *peashooter, *Saturday night special, *.38 special, *.45, *equalizer, *rod, *piece, *enforcer, *heater, *roscoe. ''[That which]

makes men equal, a citizen's musket fires as well as a nobleman's.''—Heinriche Heine.

WORD FIND

• ammunition receptacle: clip, magazine, cylinder

• antique: blunderbuss, breechloader, Colt six-shooter, flintlock, Gatling gun, musket, muzzle loader

• attack rifle: assault rifle

• back explosion: backfire

• barrel end: muzzle

• barrel portion receiving bullet: chamber

• bead: sight

• bore: caliber, gauge

• brush: swab

• butt: stock

• case: holster

• cock: hammer

• colored finish on metal parts: blueing

• gunfire: fusillade, enfilade, volley, salvo

• handle: grip

• knife mounting: bayonet

• locking mechanism: safety

• manufacturer: Colt, Magnum, Luger, Winchester, Smith and Wesson, Beretta, Remington, Uzi

• plug placed in muzzle for safety: tampion

• quieting attachment: silencer, suppressor

• rear portion: breech

• recoil after firing: kick

• revolver’s ability to shoot without first cocking hammer: double-action

• revolving cartridge holder: cylinder

• trigger needing only slight pull: hair trigger

• single-shot pistol: derringer

• sliding rod that pushes cartridge into firing chamber: bolt

see ammunition, army, bullet, cannon, war, weapon

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) verb To wound or kill with a firearm. Often used with down: pick off, shoot. Slang: plug. See HELP.