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Glite Dictionary
🔫 Short firearm style 🔫 Compact gun type
bullpup

bullpup

1 9.0
A gun with the part that holds bullets and the firing parts behind the trigger to make it shorter
  • noun
  • /ˈbʊlˌpʌp/
  • Specialized
: arma bullpup
  • Her favorite aspect of the bullpup rifle is its lightweight construction, which makes it ideal for extended use.

Examples

  • "Modern gas-powered combat shotgun, all-plastic, bullpup design?

    Fiction book (1996)

  • The bullpup design has its issues, as the Brits have found out with the S80.

    Blog text (23)

  • Is the bullpup (generic term for a "Tavor" design where the breech is pushed back into the rear as part of the buttstock, thus shortening the overall length of the firearm) here to stay?

    Blog text (23)

  • The new model of the rifle features a bullpup design, allowing for better maneuverability in tight spaces.

  • Many military forces prefer bullpup firearms because they are more compact and easier to handle.

How Compact

bullpup
  • Specialized
1 9.0
subcompact
  • US
3 4.3
compact
80 4.1
full-size
43 2.5

Surface Forms

bullpup singular
bullpups plural

Morphology

bullpup = bull + pup (opaque) = bull + pup

The firearm sense arises via a metaphorical comparison ('short like a pup'); the compound's meaning is specialized and not directly derivable from its parts for typical learners.

Etymology

Bullpup likely comes from comparing the gun's short, strong look to a young bull dog or pup, often imagined as a 'bulldog puppy' that is short and stocky. So a bullpup gun has the parts that load and fire placed behind the trigger, making the whole weapon short and easy to handle while still keeping a long barrel.