automatic gun
1
3.9
- noun
- /ˌɔːtəˈmætɪk ɡʌn/
- Specialized
:
pistola automática
- He carried an automatic gun that could fire continuously with a single pull of the trigger.
- fully automatic guns
Examples
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In many countries, the ownership of automatic guns is heavily restricted due to their potential for misuse.
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You know, the one with the uniform, cute little leather pouch, automatic gun.
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If it's a semi-automatic gun and someone calls it an "assault" rifle or weapon, correct it immediately.
Blog text (4) -
Down he went, automatic gun swinging on a strap, hands tearing on the rocks.
Fiction book (1993) -
However, I can tell you this material is a 40 millimeter automatic gun... effective against low-flying aerial targets.
-
The law had barred automatic guns with specific features, but some stripped-down versions of the AR-15 were still sold during the ban, the story says.
Blog text (32) -
The police confiscated several automatic guns during the raid on the suspect's hideout.
Synonyms
101
3.5
A large gun that fires many bullets very quickly, often used by soldiers
38
4.9
A gun that reloads and keeps firing while the trigger is held
7
4.7
A rifle that shoots bullets without stopping as long as the trigger is held
3
7.8
A small automatic handgun that fires many bullets very quickly
2
5.1
A small gun that keeps firing while you hold the trigger and there are bullets
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
A gun that fires many bullets automatically with one pull of the trigger
How Automatic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a firearm that reloads automatically and continues firing' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'automatic' (self-operating, working without manual intervention) with 'gun' (firearm). This adjective+noun compositional pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The term automatic gun comes from automatic, meaning 'by itself', and gun, meaning a firearm. The image is of a weapon that keeps loading and 'keeps firing' while the trigger is held, so the phrase means a gun that reloads automatically and continues firing as long as you hold the trigger.