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AR-15

American

[ey-ahr-fif-teen] / ˈeɪˈɑrˈfɪfˈtin /

Trademark.

a lightweight, gas-operated, magazine-fed rifle with a caliber of .223 inches, used for semiautomatic fire.

Etymology

Origin of AR-15

First recorded in 1960–65; shortening of ArmaLite Rifle, not of assault rifle ( def. ), as commonly thought

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Guest: Cameron McWhirter, national affairs reporter for The Wall Street Journal covering mass shootings, violent protests, and natural disasters across the South and author of American Gun: the True Story of the AR-15.

From Slate • Sep. 25, 2024

Officials accuse him of allowing his son to possess an AR-15 style rifle.

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2024

The weapon used by the apparent shooter Saturday was a semiautomatic AR-15, law enforcement sources say.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2024

An AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and a 40-caliber handgun were found at the scene.

From Seattle Times • May 2, 2024

The Department authorized use of the AR-15 rifle only up to a distance of about a hundred yards, be-cause accuracy deteriorated so much with the additional distance.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023