Owenn.
/ˈəʊᵻn/, U.S. /ˈoʊ(w)ən/ Now historical.
I. Compounds.
1. attributive. Designating a type of sub-machine gun first used by Australian forces in the Second World War (1939–45); esp. in Owen gun.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > small-arm > [noun] > machine-gun > sub-machine-gun > types of
Thompson sub-machine gun1920
Thompson1921
Schmeisser1922
tommy gun1929
Chicago piano1936
Owen gun1941
Sten1942
Owen1948
Sterling1958
Uzi1959
Stechkin1962
kalashnikov1970
1941 Sydney Morning Herald 30 Sept. 5/6 When all three guns were subjected to the test of being buried in a heap of sand the Owen gun was the only one to continue firing automatically.
1967 ‘E. Lindall’ Time too Soon iii. 32 An Owen gun slung across his body.
2002 Northern Territory News (Nexis) 9 Dec. 12 During the war in New Guinea, American troops would cheerfully exchange a Thompson gun and 20 pounds..for an Australian-made Owen gun.
II. Simple uses.
2. An Owen sub-machine gun.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > small-arm > [noun] > machine-gun > sub-machine-gun > types of
Thompson sub-machine gun1920
Thompson1921
Schmeisser1922
tommy gun1929
Chicago piano1936
Owen gun1941
Sten1942
Owen1948
Sterling1958
Uzi1959
Stechkin1962
kalashnikov1970
1948 Listening Post (Perth) Oct. 27 Facing them, with owens at the ready, stood four big men.
1961 D. Dexter New Guinea Offensives ii. 51 All sections testing the Owen preferred it to the Tommy-gun.
1970 M. Kelly Spinifex viii. 132 The Owen, your best and only friend from now on.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1941