machine pistol
/məˈʃiːn ˈpɪstəl/
NOUN
1. A fully automatic pistol
A compact, fully automatic firearm designed to be fired with one hand, capable of discharging multiple rounds in rapid succession.
1.1. Automatic pistols and compact firearms
Refers to a handgun capable of automatic fire, combining the compact form of a pistol with a mechanism that allows repeated firing without manually operating the action between shots.
Synonyms
- automatic pistol
- burp gun
- subgun
- submachine gun
Examples
- The military museum displayed a historical machine pistol alongside other examples of automatic firearms.
- The documentary examined the development of the machine pistol and its place in twentieth-century military history.
- The historical collection included several compact automatic pistols from different periods.
Related Words
- automatic firearm
- handgun
- pistol
- machine gun
- firearm
- small arm
- sidearm
- Uzi
- Tommy gun
- automatic weapon