Definition

1. Noun:

   • A rapidly firing automatic gun (often mounted): A portable firearm capable of sustained, fully automatic fire, typically using a belt or magazine of ammunition. It is often mounted on a tripod, vehicle, or aircraft.

2. Verb:

   • To shoot with a machine gun: To fire upon a target using a machine gun.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The soldier manned the machine gun at the outpost.
  • The historical museum displayed a World War I-era machine gun.

• Verb:

  • The enemy position was machine-gunned from the air.
  • They machine-gunned the convoy, disabling several vehicles.

Advanced Usage

• "to be machine-gunned": to be attacked or fired upon by a machine gun.
  • The building was machine-gunned for over an hour.

Variants and Related Words

• Machine-gunner (noun): A soldier who operates a machine gun.

  • The machine-gunner provided covering fire for the advancing troops.

• Machine-gunning (gerund/noun): The act of firing a machine gun.

  • The constant machine-gunning made it impossible to sleep.

Synonyms

• Automatic weapon: A general term for firearms that fire automatically.
• Automatic rifle: A lighter, often portable automatic firearm.

Related Phrases

• "to open up with a machine gun": to begin firing a machine gun aggressively.
  • The patrol opened up with a machine gun when they spotted the ambush.

Noun

1. a rapidly firing automatic gun (often mounted)

Verb

1. shoot with a machine gun