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paintball gun

paintball gun

5 3.2
A gun that shoots small paint-filled balls used in a game where players mark each other
  • noun
  • /ˈpeɪntbɔl ɡʌn/
translation icon : pistola de paintball
  • Before the match, each player loaded their paintball gun with paint capsules to prepare for the game.
  • fire a paintball gun

Don't be a teenager with a paintball gun in a city.

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Examples

Synonyms

air gun
vspaintball gun
1 3.1

A device that shoots small pellets using compressed air instead of gunpowder

is a specific version used in a sport to mark opponents with colored capsules

How Harmful

bullet
2.2
rubber bullet
11 3.8
paintball gun
5 3.2

Surface Forms

paintball gun singular

Morphology

paintball + gun

The meaning is directly compositional: a gun that fires paintballs. If a B1 learner knows the constituents 'paintball' and 'gun', the compound's sense is predictable following common noun+noun compounding patterns, so learners can infer the meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

Paintball gun is named for the little balls of paint it shoots. In the game, players try to hit others so they are 'marked' by a burst of colour, so the name simply means the gun used to fire those paint-filled balls.