semiautomatic
4
6.3
- noun
- /ˌsɛmiˈɔːtəˌmætɪk/
- Specialized
:
pistola semiautomática
- Here we have the F-1 firearm semiautomatic.
- 9 mm semiautomatic
- semiautomatic caliber
- Glock semiautomatic
Examples
-
Eyes widening in fear, he tries to level his semiautomatic.
Fiction book (1995) -
The big white man was holding an enormous semiautomatic, aimed at the Hispanic's heart.
Fiction book (1996) -
You know how to use a semiautomatic?
-
I sit on the deck of the barge with a semiautomatic.
Fiction book (1995) -
However, I do believe his book "The Semiautomatic in Law Enforcement and Self Defense" should be required reading by anyone wishing to understand the employment of firearms.
Blog text (11) -
Semiautomatic.
-
But Goldilocks had a Remington semiautomatic with a scope and a hair trigger.
-
SAFETY, SEMIAUTOMATIC, AUTOMATIC.
-
Would you tell us about your arrangement with a man, Michael Kincaid, who illegally sold this Performa 990 semiautomatic to Kevin Peltier smack-dab out of the trunk of his car?
-
The police officer used his semiautomatic for target practice at the shooting range.
Synonyms
3
4.7
A small gun that reloads itself after each shot and fires one bullet each time you pull the trigger
1
7.2
A gun that reloads itself after each shot but fires once per trigger pull
1
8.9
A gun part that loads the next round by itself after each shot
A gun that loads a new bullet by itself after each shot
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
3
4.7
A small gun that reloads itself after each shot and fires one bullet each time you pull the trigger
- Specialized
1
7.2
A gun that reloads itself after each shot but fires once per trigger pull
How Automatic
Surface Forms
Morphology
semiautomatic = semiautomatic (semi-transparent) = semi + automatic
This is a converted noun use of the adjective 'semiautomatic'; the connection is clear, but the noun is a specialized firearm term.
Etymology
Semiautomatic comes from the parts semi- meaning 'half' or 'partly' and automatic meaning 'works by itself'. As a noun, a semiautomatic is a pistol that reloads itself but needs a separate pull of the trigger for each shot, so it is partly automatic yet still controlled by the user.