Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
cork gun

cork gun

5.7
A toy pistol or rifle that shoots corks
  • noun
  • /kɔrk ɡʌn/
translation icon : pistola de corcho
  • He played with his cork gun all afternoon.

Examples

  • At the birthday party, children had fun playing with a cork gun.

  • The boy aimed his cork gun at the target and pulled the trigger.

  • He bought a vintage cork gun at the antique store.

  • Don't point that cork gun at anyone!

  • The children had a great time playing with their cork gun at the park.

  • He carefully loaded the gun with cork bullets before the backyard battle.

  • During the birthday party, the kids took turns aiming their cork guns at balloons.

Synonyms

popgun
vscork gun
1 3.6

A toy gun that makes a popping sound when you pull the trigger

shoots small cork projectiles rather than producing only a sound

Surface Forms

cork gun singular
cork guns plural

Morphology

cork + gun

The meaning 'a toy gun that shoots cork bullets' follows directly from the compound cork (the material or stopper) + gun (a firearm); English noun-noun compounds commonly label an object characterized by the first noun. A B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer it refers to a gun that uses corks as projectiles (or is made of cork), so the sense is compositional and immediately understandable.

Etymology

The name cork gun comes from the simple idea of a small gun that fires a cork. Toy makers used a spring or rubber band to push a cork 'bullet', so the name now means a 'toy' that 'shoots' corks.