gun
♦♦ gun /g'ʌn/ (guns gunning gunned)
1 [N-COUNT]
A gun is a weapon from which bullets or other things are fired.
He produced a gun and he came into the house...
The inner-city has guns and crime and drugs and deprivation.
...gun control laws.
2 [N-COUNT]
A gun or a starting gun is an object like a gun that is used to make a noise to signal the start of a race.
The starting gun blasted and they were off.
3 [VERB] V n
To gun an engine or a vehicle means to make it start or go faster by pressing on the accelerator pedal. (mainly AM)
He gunned his engine and drove off.
4
see also airgun, machine-gun, sub-machine gun, sub-machine gun
5 [PHRASE] PHR after v
If you come out with guns blazing or with all guns blazing, you put all your effort and energy into trying to achieve something.
The company came out with guns blazing.
6 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you jump the gun, you do something before everyone else or before the proper or right time. (INFORMAL)
It wasn't due to be released until September 10, but some booksellers have jumped the gun and decided to sell it early.
7 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you stick to your guns, you continue to have your own opinion about something even though other people are trying to tell you that you are wrong. (INFORMAL)
He should have stuck to his guns and refused to meet her.big gun (big guns)
[N-COUNT]
If you refer to someone as a big gun, you mean that they have a lot of power or influence. (INFORMAL)
...the legal big guns who will prepare his defence.gun con|trol
[N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Gun control refers to the laws that restrict the possession and use of guns.
France has tight gun-control laws for handguns, but not for hunting rifles.gun dog (gun dogs)
also gundog
[N-COUNT]
A gun dog is a dog that has been trained to work with a hunter or gamekeeper, especially to find and carry back birds or animals that have been shot.gun down
[PHRASAL VERB] usu passive, be V-ed P
If someone is gunned down, they are shot and severely injured or killed. (JOURNALISM)
He had been gunned down and killed at point-blank range.gun for
[PHRASAL VERB] only cont, V P n
If someone is gunning for you, they are trying to find a way to harm you or cause you trouble. (INFORMAL)
You knew that they were gunning for you, but did you ever imagine that it would be as bad as this?ma|chine gun (machine guns)
also machine-gun
[N-COUNT]
A machine gun is a gun which fires a lot of bullets one after the other very quickly.
...a burst of machine-gun fire.
see also sub-machine gunsmok|ing gun (smoking guns)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
A smoking gun is a piece of evidence that proves that something is true or that someone is responsible for a crime. (mainly AM or JOURNALISM)
The search for other kinds of evidence tying him to trafficking has not produced a smoking gun.spray gun (spray guns)
also spray-gun
[N-COUNT]
A spray gun is a piece of equipment which you use to spray paint under pressure onto a surface.sta|ple gun (staple guns)
[N-COUNT]
A staple gun is a small machine used for forcing staples into wood or brick.stun gun (stun guns)
[N-COUNT]
A stun gun is a device that can immobilize a person or animal for a short time without causing them serious injury.sub-machine gun (sub-machine guns)
also sub-machine-gun, submachine gun
[N-COUNT]
A sub-machine gun is a light portable type of machine gun.young gun (young guns)
[N-COUNT] oft plural
You can use young guns to talk about people, especially young men, who have lots of energy and talent, and are becoming very successful. (JOURNALISM)
He may have been eclipsed by the young guns, but his films are still very popular.
1 [N-COUNT]
A gun is a weapon from which bullets or other things are fired.
He produced a gun and he came into the house...
The inner-city has guns and crime and drugs and deprivation.
...gun control laws.
2 [N-COUNT]
A gun or a starting gun is an object like a gun that is used to make a noise to signal the start of a race.
The starting gun blasted and they were off.
3 [VERB] V n
To gun an engine or a vehicle means to make it start or go faster by pressing on the accelerator pedal. (mainly AM)
He gunned his engine and drove off.
4
see also airgun, machine-gun, sub-machine gun, sub-machine gun
5 [PHRASE] PHR after v
If you come out with guns blazing or with all guns blazing, you put all your effort and energy into trying to achieve something.
The company came out with guns blazing.
6 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you jump the gun, you do something before everyone else or before the proper or right time. (INFORMAL)
It wasn't due to be released until September 10, but some booksellers have jumped the gun and decided to sell it early.
7 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you stick to your guns, you continue to have your own opinion about something even though other people are trying to tell you that you are wrong. (INFORMAL)
He should have stuck to his guns and refused to meet her.big gun (big guns)
[N-COUNT]
If you refer to someone as a big gun, you mean that they have a lot of power or influence. (INFORMAL)
...the legal big guns who will prepare his defence.gun con|trol
[N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Gun control refers to the laws that restrict the possession and use of guns.
France has tight gun-control laws for handguns, but not for hunting rifles.gun dog (gun dogs)
also gundog
[N-COUNT]
A gun dog is a dog that has been trained to work with a hunter or gamekeeper, especially to find and carry back birds or animals that have been shot.gun down
[PHRASAL VERB] usu passive, be V-ed P
If someone is gunned down, they are shot and severely injured or killed. (JOURNALISM)
He had been gunned down and killed at point-blank range.gun for
[PHRASAL VERB] only cont, V P n
If someone is gunning for you, they are trying to find a way to harm you or cause you trouble. (INFORMAL)
You knew that they were gunning for you, but did you ever imagine that it would be as bad as this?ma|chine gun (machine guns)
also machine-gun
[N-COUNT]
A machine gun is a gun which fires a lot of bullets one after the other very quickly.
...a burst of machine-gun fire.
see also sub-machine gunsmok|ing gun (smoking guns)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
A smoking gun is a piece of evidence that proves that something is true or that someone is responsible for a crime. (mainly AM or JOURNALISM)
The search for other kinds of evidence tying him to trafficking has not produced a smoking gun.spray gun (spray guns)
also spray-gun
[N-COUNT]
A spray gun is a piece of equipment which you use to spray paint under pressure onto a surface.sta|ple gun (staple guns)
[N-COUNT]
A staple gun is a small machine used for forcing staples into wood or brick.stun gun (stun guns)
[N-COUNT]
A stun gun is a device that can immobilize a person or animal for a short time without causing them serious injury.sub-machine gun (sub-machine guns)
also sub-machine-gun, submachine gun
[N-COUNT]
A sub-machine gun is a light portable type of machine gun.young gun (young guns)
[N-COUNT] oft plural
You can use young guns to talk about people, especially young men, who have lots of energy and talent, and are becoming very successful. (JOURNALISM)
He may have been eclipsed by the young guns, but his films are still very popular.