automatic weapon
38
4.9
- noun
- /ˌɔːtəˈmætɪk ˈwɛpən/
- Specialized
:
arma automática
- Suddenly, the marshals hear automatic weapons fire coming from the next block.
- carry automatic weapons
And we, we got to a point where these, these Jordanian guards with their, with the automatic weapons stopped us and said Muslims only.
- And we, we got to a point where these, these Jordanian guards with their, with the automatic weapons stopped us and said Muslims only.
Examples
-
- The newspaper reported they were killed by automatic weapons fire.
-
Inside are four of Spoleto's men, carrying automatic weapons, and a driver.
Fiction book (1992) -
Why do the bad guys always have automatic weapons?
-
There were no automatic weapons, there was none of this people driving down and shooting everybody to get one person.
-
Fully armed with automatic weapons.
-
Terrorists armed with automatic weapons are stationed at various locations on the plane.
Fiction book (1996) -
Some of these small outposts continue to be occupied by soldiers carrying automatic weapons.
Academic text (2003) -
They have mortars and automatic weapons now.
-
Three bursts of gunfire, apparently from automatic weapons, were fired at President Kennedy's motorcade in downtown Dallas.
Fiction book (1991) -
The police discovered evidence at the scene of the crime, including several automatic weapons.
Synonyms
1
7.3
A gun that keeps firing while the trigger is held
1
5.1
A gun that keeps loading and shooting as long as you hold the trigger
1
3.9
A weapon that reloads and keeps firing while you hold the trigger
How Automatic
- NSFW
101
3.5
- Specialized
38
4.9
- Specialized
1
7.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'automatic' (self-operating/continues to operate without repeated manual action) plus 'weapon' (an instrument for harm), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a firearm that fires automatically. This is a common, cross-linguistically transparent compound-like construction and should be understandable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The phrase automatic weapon comes from the simple image of a weapon that works by itself: automatic means it keeps doing its job without a person doing each step. So an automatic weapon is 'a gun that reloads and fires again and again while the trigger is pressed'.