HANDGUN
Dictionary entry overview: What does handgun mean?
• HANDGUN (noun)
The noun HANDGUN has 1 sense:
1. a firearm that is held and fired with one hand
Familiarity information: HANDGUN used as a noun is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
• HANDGUN (noun)
Meaning:
A firearm that is held and fired with one hand
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Synonyms:
handgun; pistol; shooting iron; side arm
Hypernyms ("handgun" is a kind of...):
firearm; piece; small-arm (a portable gun)
Meronyms (parts of "handgun"):
gunstock; stock (the handle of a handgun or the butt end of a rifle or shotgun or part of the support of a machine gun or artillery gun)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "handgun"):
automatic; automatic pistol (a pistol that will keep firing until the ammunition is gone or the trigger is released)
Verey pistol; Very pistol (a pistol for firing Very-light flares)
semiautomatic; semiautomatic pistol (a pistol that is a semiautomatic firearm capable of loading and firing continuously)
Saturday night special (a cheap handgun that is easily obtained)
revolver; six-gun; six-shooter (a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets))
peacekeeper (the pistol of a law officer in the old West)
horse pistol; horse-pistol (a large pistol (usually in a holster) formerly carried by horsemen)
gat; rod (a gangster's pistol)
forty-five (a .45-caliber pistol)
derringer (a pocket pistol of large caliber with a short barrel)
zip gun (a crude homemade pistol)
