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handgun

American  
[hand-guhn] / ˈhændˌgʌn /

noun

  1. any firearm that can be held and fired with one hand; a revolver or a pistol.

handgun British  
/ ˈhændˌɡʌn /

noun

  1. a firearm that can be held, carried, and fired with one hand, such as a pistol

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of handgun

First recorded in 1400–50, handgun is from the late Middle English word handgone. See hand, gun 1

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.

In the weeks after the tragedy, North helped to start a successful campaign for a complete ban on private handgun ownership.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

They also allowed Ethan to have access to a handgun that his father had purchased.

From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026

Pretti was armed at the time of the encounter with a legally owned handgun, according to state and federal officials.

From Salon • Feb. 2, 2026

Still, she perked up last year when she looked around his living room and saw a holstered handgun on a shelf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

His handgun is black; it seems to draw all the light in the room toward it.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.