Definition

Noun: A person who illegally transports or smuggles firearms, especially across a border.

Usage

This noun specifically refers to an individual engaged in the criminal trade of weapons. It is a compound noun formed from "gun" and "runner." The activity itself is called "gunrunning."

Examples

• The authorities arrested a known gunrunner attempting to cross the border with a shipment of rifles.
• The documentary investigated the shadowy network of gunrunners supplying the conflict zone.
• He was convicted for his role as a gunrunner for the criminal organization.

Advanced Usage

• The term often implies operation on a significant, organized scale rather than a single, isolated act.
• It is frequently used in political and journalistic contexts discussing illegal arms trades, conflict, and organized crime.

Variants and Related Words

• Gunrunning (n): The act or practice of smuggling guns.
  • The government is cracking down on gunrunning across the southern frontier.
• Arms dealer (n): A broader, more formal term for someone who sells weapons, which can be legal or illegal. A gunrunner is specifically an arms dealer/smuggler.

Synonyms

• Arms smuggler
• Weapons trafficker

Related Phrases/Idioms

• To run guns (v): The phrasal verb from which the noun is derived.
  • The gang was accused of running guns into the city.

Noun

1. a smuggler of guns