Thompson submachine gun

noun

: a .45 caliber submachine gun with a drum or stick magazine, a pistol grip, and a detachable buttstock

Examples of Thompson submachine gun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The sheriff pointed a Thompson submachine gun at the young Black men. Jennie Rothenberg Gritz, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023 One clip showed the truck’s steel doors pelted with bullets from a Thompson submachine gun. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 30 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

John T. Thompson †1940 American army officer

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Thompson submachine gun was in 1920

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Cite this Entry

“Thompson submachine gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Thompson%20submachine%20gun. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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