gun-control
|gun-con-trol|
🇺🇸
/ɡʌn kənˈtroʊl/
🇬🇧
/ɡʌn kənˈtrəʊl/
rules to limit firearms
Etymology
'gun-control' is a modern English compound formed from 'gun' + 'control'. 'gun' comes from Middle English 'gonne' (14th c.) meaning an engine for firing projectiles, while 'control' derives from Old French 'contreroller' and Medieval Latin 'contrarotulare' (to check against a roll).
'gun' developed from Middle English 'gonne' to denote firearms in early modern English; 'control' passed from Medieval Latin 'contrarotulare' → Old French 'contreroller' → Middle English 'controulen/controle'. The compound phrase 'gun control' emerged in 20th‑century English, becoming common in public and political discourse.
Initially the phrase simply denoted 'the control of guns' (literal restriction of firearms). Over the 20th century it broadened to refer both to specific laws/regulations and to the wider political movement and debate about firearm policy.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
laws, policies, or regulations intended to limit, control, or govern the manufacture, sale, possession, or use of firearms.
The debate over gun-control intensified after the high-profile shooting.
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Noun 2
the political movement or public-policy issue advocating for stricter regulation of firearms (used to refer to the position or advocacy itself).
She supports gun-control and has campaigned for background checks.
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Last updated: 2025/10/30 21:01