ghost gun

noun

plural ghost guns

: a gun that lacks a serial number by which it can be identified and that is typically assembled by the user (as from purchased or homemade components)

Ghost guns, cobbled together with various parts often purchased separately, are popular among hobbyists and firearms enthusiasts.

—St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The issue centers on so-called ghost guns, which consist of untraceable parts that can be ordered online and then, with a little finishing work, assembled into a working firearm.

—Los Angeles Times

Even so, they haven't been outlawed; buying or selling a ghost gun is illegal, but making one remains kosher under US gun control laws.

—Andy Greenberg

Examples of ghost gun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The deputy then found that the passenger, a 17-year-old boy, had the loaded ghost gun, police said. —Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2025

The same is true for untraceable ghost guns and machine-gun conversion devices, such as Glock switches, which turn semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic weapons. —Nick Stewart, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2025

Since 2018, the NYPD has recovered nearly 2,000 ghost guns. —Christina Shaw, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025

The county has seen a 57% year-over-year increase in the recovery of ghost guns. —Nick Stewart, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2012, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ghost gun

• begun
• grandson
• gudrun
• handgun
• homespun
• outdone
• outrun
• pashtun
• redone
• rerun
• shotgun
• someone