gun

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the discharge of a firearm as signal or as a salute in military ceremonies

   two runners started before the gun

2. 2
   noun

   A device for shooting projectiles or ditto (a shooter), functioning through stored energy: a firearm, cannon, harpoon gun/spear gun, raygun, etc, not a bow and arrow, or slingshot.

   They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect.

3. 3
   noun

   A device operated by a trigger and acting in a manner similar to a firearm.

   air-pressure pellet gun

4. 4
   noun

   A long surfboard designed for surfing big waves (not the same as a longboard, a gun has a pointed nose and is generally a little narrower).

   2000, Drew Kampion, surfline.com by the winter of 1962, the Brewer Surfboards Hawaii gun was the most in-demand big-wave equipment on the North Shore.

5. 5
   noun

   A pattern that "fires" out other patterns.

   The glider gun on the bottom of the NOT circuit emits a continuous stream of gliders, while the data stream source emits a glider only when there is a value of 1 in the stream[…].

6. 6
   noun

   A person who carries or uses a gun (rifle, shotgun or handgun), particularly with reference to how quickly the person can draw and fire the gun.

   Some said that the cowboy was the fastest gun in the West.

7. 7
   noun

   An electron gun.

   The problem is figuring out how to get the electrons from the red gun to hit only the red phosphors, the electrons from the blue gun to hit only the blue phosphors, and so on.

8. 8
   verb

   To shoot with a gun.

   1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London What's the use of foolishness like calling a gentleman bad names when he can gun you in the dark and you're no good even at striking matches?

Etymology

From Middle English gunne, gonne, possibly from Gunnhild, a female given name formerly used as a nickname for engines of war (compare Nordic Gunn, a female name meaning “battle”). The name is composed of the Norse elements gunnr and hildr, both meaning "battle".