submachine gun

[ suhb-muh-sheen guhn ]

noun

1. a lightweight automatic or semiautomatic gun, fired from the shoulder or hip. : SMG

Word History and Origins

Origin of submachine gun¹

First recorded in 1915–20; sub- + machine gun

Example Sentences

Police said they were searching for the two attackers, who they said had exited the vehicle with a submachine gun and fled the scene.

From Seattle Times

The UN fact finding mission said the authorities used shotguns, assault rifles and submachine guns against demonstrators, "thereby committing unlawful and extrajudicial killings."

From BBC

To carry out his plans, Wischhusen compiled an armoury of homemade weapons including pistols, submachine guns and a shotgun, as well as ammunition, bombs, grenades and poison.

From BBC

He fought in three of its five major battles, as well as in many lesser engagements, armed with a Thompson submachine gun.

From New York Times

The defendant spoke of his desire to get hold of a submachine gun and assault rifle, in encrypted chats on the Threema messaging platform.

From BBC