- a rapid-firing automatic gun, usually mounted, from which small-arms ammunition is discharged
- (as modifier): machine-gun fire
- (transitive) to shoot or fire at with a machine-gun
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
machine′ gun′,
ma•chine-gun (mə shēn′gun′),USA pronunciation v.t., -gunned, -gun•ning.
machine′ gun′ner.
- Militarya small arm operated by a mechanism, able to deliver a rapid and continuous fire of bullets as long as the trigger is pressed.
- 1865–70
ma•chine-gun (mə shēn′gun′),USA pronunciation v.t., -gunned, -gun•ning.
- Militaryto shoot at with a machine gun.
- 1880–85
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
machine-gun, machinegun /məˈʃiːnˌɡʌn/ n
'machine gun' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Bren gun
- chopper
- Gatling gun
- Lewis gun
- machine-gun
- Maxim
- Owen gun
- Sten gun
- stock
- strafe
- sub-machine-gun
- Thompson sub-machine-gun
- Tommy gun
- automatic rifle
- batterie
- Bradley Fighting Vehicle
- bubble
- burst
- cartridge
- cough
- light machine gun
- Maxim gun
- MG
- Minigun
- mitrailleuse
- water-cool
- water jacket
- submachine gun