air gun

noun

1
: a gun from which a projectile is propelled by compressed air
2
: any of various hand tools that work by compressed air
especially : airbrush

Examples of air gun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For one, the film features one of the most memorable villains in recent history in Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh, a bowl-cut-sporting serial killer with an air gun, who gives most people a chance to survive having met him — most. Tim Moffatt, EW.com, 26 Jan. 2024 Firearms are not allowed; air guns and captive bolt pistols are. Patricia Mazzei, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023 In April, Medvedev was convicted in Norway of involvement in a bar fight and of carrying an air gun but was acquitted of committing violence against police. Reuters, NBC News, 24 Sep. 2023 Essentially, a pellet rifle is anything that is designed to shoot a pellet—which includes most air guns. T. Logan Metesh, Field & Stream, 4 Oct. 2023 Since there’s no ignition inside an air gun, making one that works properly is easier said than done. T. Logan Metesh, Field & Stream, 4 Oct. 2023 Firearms rankings are composed of separate categories for centerfire rifles, shotguns, pistols, black powder rifles, and air guns. Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 3 Aug. 2023 And officials have also pointed out that acoustic instruments used by wind projects are typically quieter than the seismic air guns used by offshore oil and gas operations. Ella Nilsen, CNN, 21 July 2023 And use an air gun to blow away dust and dirt, especially from around the gauges, couplers, and pump motor. Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'air gun.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1753, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of air gun was circa 1753

Dictionary Entries Near air gun

Cite this Entry

“Air gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/air%20gun. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

air gun

noun
1
: a gun that fires with a compressed gas (as air or carbon dioxide)
2
: any of various hand tools that work by compressed air
especially : airbrush

Medical Definition

air gun

noun
: jet injector
The UN [United Nations] would like air guns, delivering vaccine doses without using needles.Laurie Garrett, Newsday

More from Merriam-Webster on air gun

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