riot gun
1
7.2
- noun
- /ˈraɪət ɡʌn/
- Specialized
:
escopeta de control de disturbios
- John has borrowed a 12-gauge riot gun from the SWAT team.
Examples
-
During the demonstration, officers used riot guns loaded with rubber bullets to maintain order.
-
They've got riot guns, cocked and locked.
Fiction book (1991) -
Run my car into town and get the riot gun, Charlie.
-
Go get the riot gun.
-
Riot guns will be there to meet you.
-
Since when do they need riot guns in Black Mountain, North Carolina?
Fiction book (1994) -
The first two blasts from the cops' riot guns go high and wide.
Fiction book (1991) -
"You best shut your mouth!" Eldon said, and took a fresh grip on the new riot gun.
Fiction book (1998) -
At the last instant, she whips up the riot gun and fires.
Fiction book (1991) -
Calvin parked the car half a block up from the store and hopped out, taking the riot gun with him.
Fiction book (1996)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A weapon that fires bullets or shells at high speed
7
3.9
A machine that sprays high-pressure water to push away crowds
1
6.5
A device that fires small gas containers like tear gas to make crowds move away
How Forceful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'riot gun' is compositional: it denotes a type of gun associated with 'riot' (used in riot control) and 'gun' (a firearm), so its overall meaning (a firearm used to disperse crowds) is directly inferable from the parts. A B1 learner who knows 'riot' and 'gun' would readily understand this sense (including the idea of crowd-dispersal or specialized ammunition), making the expression transparent.
Etymology
Riot gun comes from the simple image of a riot and a gun: a gun made to stop rioters, often firing rubber bullets or tear gas to scatter a crowd. That's why 'riot gun' today means a weapon used to 'disperse' or 'break up' crowds without killing people.