M16

American

[em-siks-teen] / ˈɛmˌsɪksˈtin /

Or M-16

Trademark.

a lightweight, gas-operated, magazine-fed assault rifle with a caliber of .223 inches, used for fully automatic or semiautomatic fire: a U.S. Army combat weapon for mobile units since 1963.

Etymology

Origin of M16

First recorded in 1965–70

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.

Many young men carried M16 rifles slung over their shoulders.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2025

The photo stood between M1 and M16 rifles with two green helmets resting on top of them, a symbol of a fallen soldier in battle.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2023

The 5.56, commonly used in standard-issue service rifles like the M16, is built to military specifications and bears a small symbol of NATO.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 12, 2023

The full-auto military version of the AR-15, known as the M16, was born.

From Washington Times • Jun. 13, 2022

In his hands was an oversized M16 rifle.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

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