Glossary of Medical Terms

Our online medical glossary of medical terms and definitions includes definitions for terms related to treatment, and general medicine

GUN

1. A weapon which throws or propels a missile to a distance; any firearm or instrument for throwing projectiles by the explosion of gunpowder, consisting of a pipe or body closed at one end, in which the projectile is placed, with an explosive charge behind, which is ignited by different means. Muskets, rifles, carbines, and fowling pieces are less guns, for arm use, and are called little arms. Larger guns are called cannon, ordnance, fieldpieces, carronades, howitzers, etc. See these terms in the Dictionary. "As swift as a pellet out of a gunne When fire is in the powder runne." (Chaucer) "The word gun was in use in England for an motor to cast a thing from a man long till there was any gunpowder found out." (Selden) 2. A piece of hard ordnance; in a restricted sense, a cannon. 3. Violent blasts of wind. Guns are classified, according to their construction or manner of loading as rifled or smoothbore, breech-loading or muzzle-loading, cast or built-up guns; or according to their use, as field, mountain, prairie, seacoast, and siege guns. Armstrong gun, a wrought iron breech-loading cannon named after its English inventor, Sir William Armstrong. Great gun, a piece of hard ordnance; hence (Fig), a face superior in any way. Gun body, the body or pipe of a gun. Gun carriage, the carriage on which a gun is mounted or moved. Gun cotton, to blow a gale. See Gun. Origin: OE. Gonne, gunne; of uncertain origin; cf. Ir, Gael) A LL. Gunna, W. Gum; possibly (like cannon) fr. L. Canna reed, pipe; or abbreviated fr. OF. Mangonnel, E. Mangonel, a car for hurling stones. Source: Websters Vocabulary
atresia iridis   atresic   atresic teratosis   atretic   atretic corpus luteum   atretic ovarian follicle   atreto-   atretoblepharia   (2)
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