gunner
|gun-ner|
🇺🇸
/ˈɡʌnər/
🇬🇧
/ˈɡʌnə/
person who operates or fires a gun
Etymology
'gunner' originates from English, formed from the word 'gun' (Middle English 'gonne' or 'gunne') plus the agent suffix '-er', where 'gun' referred to a mechanical device for firing projectiles.
'gun' appeared in Middle English as 'gonne'/'gunne' (late 14th century), possibly from a personal name or from Old Norse 'gunnr' (meaning 'war'), and the agent noun 'gunner' developed by adding the English suffix '-er' to denote someone who operates a gun.
Initially it referred specifically to a person operating a cannon or ship's gun; over time it broadened to mean anyone who fires a firearm and later extended metaphorically to specialized roles (e.g., sports, gaming) and to describe an aggressively ambitious person.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who operates or fires a gun, cannon, or other large firearm, especially as a member of a military crew.
The gunners on the battleship trained their guns on the horizon.
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Noun 2
a person who shoots a firearm; a shooter.
Police arrested a suspected gunner after the shooting.
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Noun 3
in American football, a player (on punt coverage) who specializes in sprinting downfield quickly to tackle or pressure the returner.
The team's top gunner broke through the blockers and nearly blocked the punt.
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Noun 4
informal: an overly ambitious or competitive person who pushes aggressively to get ahead (often used of students or professionals).
He got a reputation as a gunner for always volunteering to take the hardest cases.
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Noun 5
in gaming and fiction, a character class or role that specializes in using firearms or heavy ranged weapons (a 'gunner').
She chose the gunner class for its high ranged damage.
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Last updated: 2026/01/10 05:52