gun

gun
{{11}}gun (n.) mid-14c., gunne "an engine of war that throws rocks, arrows or other missiles," probably a shortening of woman's name Gunilda, found in M.E. gonnilde "cannon" and in an Anglo-Latin reference to a specific gun from a 1330 munitions inventory of Windsor Castle ("...una magna balista de cornu quae Domina Gunilda ..."), from O.N. Gunnhildr, woman's name, from gunnr + hildr, both meaning "war, battle." First element from PIE *gwhen- "to strike, kill" (see BANE (Cf. bane)); for second, Cf. HILDA (Cf. Hilda). The identification of women with powerful weapons is common historically (Cf. Big Bertha, Brown Bess, Mons Meg, etc.); meaning shifted with technology, from cannons to firearms as they developed 15c. Great guns (cannon, etc.) distinguished from small guns (such as muskets) from c.1400. Applied to pistols and revolvers after 1744. Meaning "thief, rascal" is from 1858. Son of a gun is originally nautical. To jump the gun (1912, Amer.Eng.) is from track and field. Guns "a woman's breasts" (especially if prominent) attested by 2006.
{{12}}gun (v.) "to shoot with a gun," 1620s, from GUN (Cf. gun) (n.); the sense of "to accelerate an engine" is from 1930, from earlier phrase to give (something) the gun. Related: Gunned; gunning.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Gun — (g[u^]n), n. [OE. gonne, gunne; of uncertain origin; cf. Ir., Gael., & LL. gunna, W. gum; possibly (like cannon) fr. L. canna reed, tube; or abbreviated fr. OF. mangonnel, E. mangonel, a machine for hurling stones.] 1. A weapon which throws or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gun fu — is the style of sophisticated close quarters gunplay seen in Hong Kong action cinema [cite book|title=The Cinema of Tsui Hark|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Hv3yJ6MaoYsC|page=203|author=Lisa Morton|publisher=McFarland|isbn=0786409908|year=20… …   Wikipedia

  • gun — [gun] n. [ME gunne, gonne, contr. < gonnilde, a 14th c. cannon < ON Gunnhildr, fem. name (< gunnr, older form of guthr, war + hildr, battle)] 1. a weapon consisting of a metal tube from which a projectile is discharged by the force of an …   English World dictionary

  • Gun — (englisch für Schusswaffe) beziehungsweise GUN steht für Gun (Schiff), Frachtdampfschiff aus Schweden mit 1.198 BRT Gun (Japan), ehemalige Verwaltungseinheit in Japan GUN, Videospiel von Activision The Gun, britische Hardrockband Ende der 60er… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gun — Gun: The Gun (группа)  английская рок группа. Gun (группа)  шотландская рок группа. Gun (игра)  компьютерная игра в стиле вестерна. Gun (телесериал) (англ.) телесериал США 1997 года. Gun сингл российской поп группы Serebro с… …   Википедия

  • gun — ► NOUN 1) a weapon incorporating a metal tube from which bullets or shells are propelled by explosive force. 2) a device for discharging something (e.g. grease) in a required direction. 3) N. Amer. a gunman: a hired gun. ► VERB (gunned, gunning)… …   English terms dictionary

  • GUN — o Gun puede referirse a: GUN, un videojuego de 2005 desarrollado por Neversoft y distribuido por Activision; GUN Records, una discográfica alemana. Esta página de desambiguación cataloga artículos relacionados con el mismo título. Si llegaste… …   Wikipedia Español

  • gunþjō — *gunþjō germ., stark. Femininum (ō): nhd. Kampf; ne. fight (Neutrum); Rekontruktionsbasis: got., an., ae., as., ahd.; Quelle: Personenname (4. Jh.); …   Germanisches Wörterbuch

  • GUN — Entwickler Neversoft Publisher …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gun — 〈[gʌ̣n] n. 15 oder f. 10; umg.〉 Spritze zum Injizieren von Rauschmitteln [engl., „Feuerwaffe“] * * * Gun [gan], das od. der; s, s [engl. amerik. gun = Injektionsnadel, spritze, eigtl. = Schusswaffe, Revolver] (Jargon): Spritze, mit der Rauschgift …   Universal-Lexikon

  • gunþa- — *gunþa , *gunþaz germ.?, stark. Maskulinum (a): nhd. Kampf, Kämpfer; ne. fight (Neutrum), fighter; Hinweis: s. *gunþjō; Quelle: Personenname; Etymologie: s. ing. *gʷhenə …   Germanisches Wörterbuch

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