Nearby Words

handgun

[hand-guhn]

hand·gun

[hand-guhn]
noun
any firearm that can be held and fired with one hand; a revolver or a pistol.

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English handgone. See hand, gun1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Handgun is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Collins
World English Dictionary
handgun (ˈhændˌɡʌn)
 
n
a firearm that can be held, carried, and fired with one hand, such as a pistol

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

handgun

any firearm small enough to be held in one hand when fired. It usually fires a single projectile or bullet, and additional ammunition may be available in a revolving mechanism or magazine. Handguns may be used for target shooting, hunting small game, or personal self-defense. Automatic handguns are illegal in many countries, and private ownership of any handgun is restricted in most of the world. See also automatic pistol; pistol; revolver.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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