water gun
9
1.0
- noun
- /ˈwɔːtər ɡʌn/
:
pistola de agua
- As most kids frolic on the playground, Devon sneaks into the school hallways with a water gun to catch the bad guy.
- shooting a water gun
- toy water gun
- water gun fight
She supported them in his face and then on the phone she was like, girl, yes, pair of water guns.
- She supported them in his face and then on the phone she was like, girl, yes, pair of water guns.
Examples
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On a hot summer day, the children laughed as they sprayed each other with their water guns.
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- Oh, kids, put your water guns away.
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We were just playing on the blocks, like shooting water guns at police, just being children and just having fun.
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You know how we'd all play war in the back yard with paint balls and water guns?
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In Kelley Park, they have picnics and shoot each other with water guns.
Fiction book (1995) -
I've filled two water guns, so if we see heads peering over the wall... "Bang! Bang!" said Elinor.
Fiction book (1999) -
Before the party, we filled our water guns with water to have fun in the backyard.
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During the picnic, the kids brought their water guns and had a great time splashing each other.
Synonyms
7
2.1
A toy that shoots a small stream of water
5
1.9
A small toy that shoots a thin stream of water
4
1.3
A small toy that sprays water for play
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Morphology
water + gun
The meaning 'a toy gun that squirts water' is directly derivable from combining 'water' (the liquid) with 'gun' (a device that shoots) — i.e. a gun that uses water. This noun–noun compound is a common, productive construction with clear cross-linguistic equivalents, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
The name water gun comes from the simple picture of a small gun that shoots water instead of bullets. That's why it means 'a toy that squirts water' and is used for children's play.