handgun
pronunciation
How to pronounce handgun in British English:
UK [ˈhændgʌn]
How to pronounce handgun in American English:
US [ˈhændˌɡʌn]
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- Noun:
- a firearm that is held and fired with one hand
Word Origin
- handgun (n.)
- mid-14c., of unmounted firearms, from hand (n.) + gun (n.). In modern use, "a pistol," from 1930s, American English.
Example
- 1. Police were investigating how the boy got the 9mm handgun .
- 2. An accomplice was sticking a handgun against the driver 's head .
- 3. Some reports say the man shot a handgun at police when they stopped his taxicab .
- 4. But a police investigative report tuesday says a handgun found at the scene had not been fired .
- 5. The gunman is reported to have been armed with a handgun , an automatic weapon and a shotgun .