Browning automatic rifle
1
7.4
- noun
- /ˈbraʊnɪŋ ˌɔːtəˈmætɪk ˈraɪfəl/
- Archaic
:
fusil automático Browning
Examples
-
They say that they have found a Browning automatic rifle, fitted with a marksman's scope, on a sidewalk.
-
The soldier carried a Browning automatic rifle during the fierce battle in World War II.
-
In the museum, we saw a preserved Browning automatic rifle that was used in the Korean War.
-
He trained extensively on the Browning automatic rifle to prepare for his deployment in the military.
Synonyms
86
9.8
A portable automatic rifle used by US soldiers in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War
7
4.7
A rifle that shoots bullets without stopping as long as the trigger is held
1
5.1
A gun that keeps loading and shooting as long as you hold the trigger
A gun that fires many bullets automatically with one pull of the trigger
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositional: 'automatic rifle' literally denotes a rifle that fires automatically, and 'Browning' functions as a proper name/brand labeling a particular model or maker. A B1 learner who knows 'automatic' and 'rifle' can infer the basic meaning (a specific kind of automatic rifle), even if they would not know the historical or technical details associated with the Browning name.
Etymology
Browning automatic rifle is named after gun maker John Browning, who designed the famous weapon. The words automatic and rifle tell you it is a gun a soldier could carry that 'keeps firing' while the trigger is held, so the name points to Browning's portable weapon used in war.