gun (g?n)n.1. A weapon consisting of a metal tube from which a projectile is fired at high velocity into a relatively flat trajectory, especially:a. A portable firearm, such as a rifle or revolver.b. A cannon with a long barrel and a relatively low angle of fire.2. A device resembling a firearm or cannon, as in its ability to project something, such as grease or paint, under pressure or at great speed.3. A discharge of a firearm or cannon as a signal or salute: heard the guns honoring the leader.4. One who is armed with or skilled in the use of a gun.5. The throttle of an engine, as of an automobile.6. guns Slang The biceps muscles of the arms.v. gunned, gun·ning, guns v.tr.1. To shoot (a person): a bank robber who was gunned down by the police.2. To open the throttle of (an engine) so as to accelerate: gunned the engine and sped off.v.intr. To hunt with a gun.Phrasal Verb: gun for1. To plan or take action to harm or destroy (someone).2. To go after in earnest; set out to obtain: gunning for a promotion.Idioms: go great guns To proceed or perform with great speed, skill, or success. hold a gun to (someone’s) head To put pressure on someone. under the gun Under great pressure or under threat.[Middle English gonne, cannon, short for Gunilda, woman’s name applied to a siege engine, from Old Norse Gunnhildr, woman’s name : gunnr, war; see gwhen- in Indo-European roots + hildr, war.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.gun (??n) n1. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) a. a weapon with a metallic tube or barrel from which a missile is discharged, usually by force of an explosion. It may be portable or mounted. In a military context the term applies specifically to a flat-trajectory artillery pieceb. (as modifier): a gun barrel. 2. (Military) the firing of a gun as a salute or signal, as in military ceremonial3. (Hunting) a member of or a place in a shooting party or syndicate4. (Mechanical Engineering) any device used to project something under pressure: a grease gun; a spray gun. 5. (Law) slang US an armed criminal; gunman6. slang a. an expertb. (as modifier): a gun shearer; a gun batsman. 7. go great guns slang to act or function with great speed, intensity, etc8. (Athletics (Track & Field)) (of a runner, etc) to set off before the starting signal is given9. informal to act prematurely10. spike someone’s guns See spike11711. stick to one’s guns informal to maintain one’s opinions or intentions in spite of oppositionvb, guns, gunning or gunned12. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) (when: tr, often foll by down) to shoot (someone) with a gun13. (Automotive Engineering) (tr) to press hard on the accelerator of (an engine): to gun the engine of a car. 14. (Hunting) (intr) to hunt with a gun[C14: probably from a female pet name shortened from the Scandinavian name Gunnhildr (from Old Norse gunnr war + hildr war)]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014gun (g?n) n., v. gunned, gun?ning. n. 1. a weapon consisting of a metal tube, with mechanical attachments, from which projectiles are shot by the force of an explosive. 2. any portable firearm, as a rifle, shotgun, or revolver. 3. a long-barreled cannon having a flat trajectory. 4. any device for shooting or ejecting something under pressure, as paint. 5. the firing of a weapon as a signal or salute; sound of a gunshot: One runner started before the gun. 6. a person whose profession is killing; professional killer. v.t. 7. to shoot with a gun (often fol. by down). 8. to cause (an engine or vehicle) to increase in speed very quickly by increasing the supply of fuel. v.i. 9. to shoot or hunt with a gun. 10. gun for, to seek with determined effort. Idioms: 1. stick to or stand by one’s guns, to maintain one’s position in the face of opposition. 2. under the gun, under pressure, as to meet a deadline or solve a problem. [1300?50; gunne, gonne, appar. short for Anglo-Latin Gunilda, gonnyld name for engine of war; compare Old Norse Gunna, short for Gunnhildr woman’s name] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.gun1. A cannon with relatively long barrel, operating with relatively low angle of fire, and having a high muzzle velocity.2. A cannon with tube length 30 calibers or more. See also howitzer; mortar.Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.gunPast participle: gunnedGerund: gunningImperativePresentPreteritePresent ContinuousPresent PerfectPast ContinuousPast PerfectFutureFuture PerfectFuture ContinuousPresent Perfect ContinuousFuture Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousConditionalPast ConditionalImperativegungunPresentI gunyou gunhe/she/it gunswe gunyou gunthey gunPreteriteI gunnedyou gunnedhe/she/it gunnedwe gunnedyou gunnedthey gunnedPresent ContinuousI am gunningyou are gunninghe/she/it is gunningwe are gunningyou are gunningthey are gunningPresent PerfectI have gunnedyou have gunnedhe/she/it has gunnedwe have gunnedyou have gunnedthey have gunnedPast ContinuousI was gunningyou were gunninghe/she/it was gunningwe were gunningyou were gunningthey were gunningPast PerfectI had gunnedyou had gunnedhe/she/it had gunnedwe had gunnedyou had gunnedthey had gunnedFutureI will gunyou will gunhe/she/it will gunwe will gunyou will gunthey will gunFuture PerfectI will have gunnedyou will have gunnedhe/she/it will have gunnedwe will have gunnedyou will have gunnedthey will have gunnedFuture ContinuousI will be gunningyou will be gunninghe/she/it will be gunningwe will be gunningyou will be gunningthey will be gunningPresent Perfect ContinuousI have been gunningyou have been gunninghe/she/it has been gunningwe have been gunningyou have been gunningthey have been gunningFuture Perfect ContinuousI will have been gunningyou will have been gunninghe/she/it will have been gunningwe will have been gunningyou will have been gunningthey will have been gunningPast Perfect ContinuousI had been gunningyou had been gunninghe/she/it had been gunningwe had been gunningyou had been gunningthey had been gunningConditionalI would gunyou would gunhe/she/it would gunwe would gunyou would gunthey would gunPast ConditionalI would have gunnedyou would have gunnedhe/she/it would have gunnedwe would have gunnedyou would have gunnedthey would have gunnedCollins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011