air gun

noun

1
: a gun from which a projectile is propelled by compressed air
2
: any of various hand tools that work by compressed air
especially : airbrush

Examples of air gun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the website also has messages about residents being startled, as Catanzaro was, by stealthy contractors with air guns. Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025 One citation was issued related to possession of an air gun. Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2025 In May, 14-year-old Damian Haglund took a Ruger .177 caliber pellet rifle — an air gun that shoots pellets and is mostly used for target shooting or hunting small animals — to Mount Horeb Middle School. David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2024 In a search Thursday of the suspect's home, police found several airsoft guns — low-power air guns that fire plastic pellets and are often used recreationally — which resemble real firearms. David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for air gun

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1753, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of air gun was circa 1753

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Air gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/air%20gun. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

air gun

noun
1
: a gun that fires with a compressed gas (as air or carbon dioxide)
2
: any of various hand tools that work by compressed air
especially : airbrush

Medical Definition

air gun

noun
: jet injector
The UN [United Nations] would like air guns, delivering vaccine doses without using needles.Laurie Garrett, Newsday

More from Merriam-Webster on air gun

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!