gun
verb
Did you know?
A ballista (a large missile-thrower in the form of a crossbow) that defended Windsor Castle in the 14th century was named in Latin Domina Gunilda, or “Lady Gunilda.” Gunilda is an Old Norse name and is a compound of gunnr and hildr, both words meaning “battle.” The English may have learned the name from early Norsemen who knew its etymological significance, or its use by the English may have been a coincidence. However, the use of this name for the Windsor ballista was not an isolated incident. Gonnylyde was the name of a cannon in a 14th century song. Our word gun, which also traces back to the 14th century, is probably a shortening of Gunilda.
Examples of gun in a Sentence
Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 2 June 2026
Although, after the rapid-fire fundraise by Anthropic — a near triple from February, not easy when your prior valuation was already north of $300 billion — things seem pretty shot-gunned.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 31 May 2026
Nate’s bête noire is not his fellow Toyota salesman (Kumail Nanjiani), who’s gunning for Nate’s Number One spot and free Tennessee Titans tickets.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026
Abreu gunned to Connor Wong, who swung his arm high to apply the tag, and Larnach’s outstretched arm slid safely into home before Wong’s mitt made contact with his helmet.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for gun
Cite this Entry
“Gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gun. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gun
1 of 2 noun
gun
2 of 2 verb
