Originally: any firearm carried in the hand (used with or without a rest), as a musket, harquebus, etc., as opposed to a cannon. Now: spec. a gun…

A weapon; a firearm. A portable firearm; a handgun. Now slang.

A firearm which may be carried in the hand.

A gun, esp. a small one; spec. a pistol. Now slang.

a firearm, esp. a revolver.

colloquial (chiefly humorous). A gun. Also: a small ship carrying guns. Now rare.

slang. A gun.

colloquial or slang. A shooting instrument, a gun or pistol, esp. a revolver.

(a) Printing a piece of hard wood or metal which is struck by a mallet to loosen or tighten the quoins in a chase; (b) slang = shooting-iron n. (obs…

A gun or pistol; spec. one's favourite gun; frequently old Betsy.

a firearm.

slang (originally and chiefly U.S.). A gun, esp. a pistol.

A revolver or other gun.

a handgun designed to be worn on a belt.

A handgun.

= smoke-pole n. above.

slang (originally U.S.), in various interconnected senses, notably (a) a gun (? as an instrument of ‘heat’); cf. heater, n. 1b; (b) in to turn on (or…

slang. A gun. Cf. heat, n. 12b.

a firearm.

a handgun; cf. roscoe, n.