machine guns
/məˈʃiːn ɡʌnz/
NOUN
1. Fully automatic firearms
Firearms designed to discharge bullets rapidly and continuously through an automatic firing mechanism, typically by a single sustained trigger action.
1.1. Automatic firearms and military weapons
Refers to fully automatic firearms used in military, law-enforcement, or historical contexts, emphasizing their ability to fire repeated shots rapidly.
Synonyms
- automatics
- automatic weapons
- machine pistols
- submachine guns
- tommy guns
- tommy-guns
Examples
- The soldiers were equipped with powerful machine guns for the assault.
- The historical documentary showcased the evolution of military tactics and the use of machine guns in warfare.
- The museum displayed several historical machine guns alongside other military firearms.
Related Words
- AK-47s
- assault rifles
- assault weapons
- carbines
- firearms
- guns
- handguns
- machine pistols
- repeaters
- rifles
- self-loaders
- small arms
1.2. Firearms and guns in general
Describes machine guns as members of the broader category of firearms, including different types of guns and repeating weapons.
Synonyms
- guns
- firearms
- arms
- pieces
- small arms
Examples
- The military collection included machine guns and other historical firearms.
- The documentary examined the development of machine guns alongside earlier types of guns.
Related Words
- arquebuses
- blunderbusses
- breechloaders
- culverins
- derringers
- firelocks
- flintlocks
- muskets
- pistols
- revolvers
- shotguns
- sidearms
VERB
2. To shoot or kill with machine-gun fire
To fire rapidly at someone or something with a machine gun, or to attack and kill people using sustained gunfire.
2.1. Firing rapidly with an automatic weapon
Describes directing repeated or continuous gunfire toward a target using a machine gun.
Synonyms
- blazes
- drills
- peppers
- shoots
- shoots down
- potshots
Examples
- The soldiers machine-guns the target during the training exercise.
- The historical account describes how the position was machine-gunned during the battle.
Related Words
2.2. Killing or eliminating people with gunfire
Refers to killing or seriously attacking people through machine-gun fire, particularly in violent confrontations or armed conflicts.
Synonyms
- annihilates
- blots out
- blows away
- brings down
- butchers
- croaks
- decimates
- destroys
- dispatches
- does in
- drops
- fells
- ices
- kills
- massacres
- picks off
- plugs
- pops
- slaughters
- slays
- wipes out
Examples
- The historical report described how the attackers machine-gunned the military position.
- The documentary recounted the tragic incident in which civilians were machine-gunned during the conflict.
Related Words
- armed attack
- casualties
- execution
- gunfire
- killing
- massacre
- slaughter
- victims