a firearm that is capable of firing multiple rounds in a very short period
assault rifle in American English
noun
1.
a military rifle capable of both automatic and semiautomatic fire, utilizing an intermediate-power cartridge
2.
a nonmilitary weapon modeled on the military assault rifle, usu. modified to allow only semiautomatic fire
Word origin
[1970–75]This word is first recorded in the period 1970–75. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Heimlich maneuver, New Age, postmodernism, relational database, urban legend