Definition

Noun: 1. An armored military vehicle: A tracked armored fighting vehicle built on a tank chassis but lacking a rotating turret. It is equipped with a large, forward-facing gun mounted directly to the hull, primarily used to destroy fortifications, support infantry attacks, and engage enemy tanks. 2. A type of automatic firearm (historical/rare): A term sometimes used to refer to automatic or semi-automatic rifles with large-capacity magazines designed for infantry use, particularly in a mid-20th century context.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Armored Vehicle):
  • The infantry advance was supported by an assault gun that destroyed the enemy bunker.
  • Unlike a tank, the assault gun has its main gun fixed in a casemate on the hull.
  • The museum's collection includes a World War II-era assault gun.

Advanced Usage

• The term is most commonly associated with specific vehicles from World War II, such as the German (StuG).
• In modern military terminology, the role of the classic assault gun is largely filled by main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.

Variants and Related Words

• Self-propelled gun (SPG): A broader category of mobile artillery that includes assault guns but also refers to vehicles designed primarily for indirect fire.
• Tank destroyer: A vehicle with a similar casemate design but specifically optimized for engaging enemy armor, often with a more powerful anti-tank gun.
• Assault rifle: A modern, select-fire infantry rifle. This is the standard term for the firearm described in the second, less common definition of "assault gun."

Synonyms

• For the vehicle: Self-propelled gun, casemate tank destroyer, infantry support gun.
• For the firearm : Automatic rifle, battle rifle.

Related Phrases

• Assault and battery: A legal term for a physical attack. This is a separate, unrelated phrase and does not describe the weapon.
• Assault weapon: A modern, primarily political/legal term for certain semi-automatic firearms, distinct from the historical military term "assault gun."

Noun

1. an armored vehicle with the chassis of a tank (but no turret) and a large gun; used as an antitank weapon and to support infantry
2. any of the automatic rifles or semiautomatic rifles with large magazines designed for military use