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Glite Dictionary
Bren gun

Bren gun

8.8
A light machine gun used by British soldiers in World War II
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : ametralladora Bren

Examples

  • That was the Bren gun!

    Fiction book (1998)

  • - The Bren gun.

    Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

  • It's a Bren gun.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • The soldiers relied on their Bren gun for accurate fire support during the battle.

  • During World War II, the Bren gun was known for its reliable performance in combat situations.

  • In the training sessions, each recruit learned to handle the Bren gun effectively.

Synonyms

light machine gun
vsBren gun
  • Specialized
1 4.9

An automatic gun that one soldier can carry and use

is a specific, gas operated model used by British forces in WWII

Surface Forms

Bren gun singular
Bren guns plural

Morphology

Bren + gun

The form 'Bren gun' is compositionally clear: a proper name 'Bren' combined with 'gun' denotes a gun called or of the Bren type, so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a kind of firearm. Specific technical details (that it is a light machine gun used in WWII) are not derivable from the parts, but the basic referent as a type of gun is transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Bren gun may come from two names joined: Bren from the city 'Brno' and the 'Enfield' factory, and gun just means 'gun'. That's why the name Bren gun came to mean the light 'machine gun' used by the British in World War II.