Lewis gun

noun

1. a light, air-cooled, gas-operated machine gun with a circular magazine, first used in World War I.

Lewis gun

noun

1. a light air-cooled drum-fed gas-operated machine gun used chiefly in World War I

Word History and Origins

Origin of Lewis gun¹

First recorded in 1910–15; named after I. N. Lewis

Word History and Origins

Origin of Lewis gun¹

C20: named after I. N. Lewis (1858–1931), US soldier

Example Sentences

Stuart Leslie, describes crash landings, the number of rounds fired by the plane’s Lewis gun, bombs dropped and actions against enemy aircraft.

From Fox News

The Lewis gun on Robinson's plane, which was fitted almost vertically to fire over the top wing, contained a mixture of two different types of bullets: Brocks and Buckinghams.

From BBC

Iaian tells how his great-grandfather spent the rest of the war as a Lewis gun instructor, marrying his Scottish great-grandmother, Margaret, who confessed that she couldn't resist his "smart appearance due to his blue puttee uniform and swagger stick".

From BBC

Lewis' gun and badge were stolen, and the assault victim has been unable to give police a description of the shooter.

From Los Angeles Times

Hill kept wrestling for Lewis’ gun.

From Forbes