Assault rifle


a military rifle capable of both automatic and semiautomatic fire, utilizing an intermediate-power cartridge.
a nonmilitary weapon modeled on the military assault rifle, usually modified to allow only semiautomatic fire.
Contemporary Examples

McLelland had been shot multiple times with an assault rifle.
It Wasn’t the Aryan Brotherhood, Apparently: Texas Woman Confesses to Role in D.A. Murders Christine Pelisek April 16, 2013

And returning a Glock pistol and assault rifle to a gentleman named Wayne Rogers, after he shot his “drinking buddy.”
Florida’s Zombie Apocalypse Gun Bill Cliff Schecter April 10, 2014

The AR-15 assault rifle is a fearsome weapon, forged from aircraft-grade aluminum and as powerful as a Kandahar-bound M16.
A Look at the Aurora Shooter’s Guns, Including the AR-15 Alex Klein July 21, 2012

He was armed with an assault rifle, a Glock pistol, a shotgun, and two canisters of what sources say was tear gas.
How Alleged Colorado Shooter James Holmes Bought His Guns Christine Pelisek, Eliza Shapiro July 20, 2012

Dorner is believed to be carrying an assault rifle and plenty of high-intensity magazines.
Rogue Ex-Cop Disappears in the Snow Christine Pelisek February 7, 2013

No one should own an assault rifle except our folks in the military and the law enforcement officers who protect us.
Judith Miller: My Gun Control Fantasy Judith Miller July 21, 2012

He had bought the shotgun only that weekend after deciding against an AR-15 assault rifle because of the waiting period.
Inside the Washington Navy Yard’s Building 197 During Alexis’s Rampage Michael Daly September 18, 2013

Johnson is the first cop not wearing riot gear and carrying an assault rifle to walk down Florissant in the past few days.
Ferguson on Edge Again as Night Falls Justin Glawe August 14, 2014

She is reported by CBS News to have bought the assault rifle first, in March 2010.
Nancy Lanza Was Deluded to Keep Guns at Home With Troubled Adam Michael Daly December 18, 2012

By one report, the police who responded recovered 14 shell casings from an AR-15 assault rifle.
The Storm of Violence That Killed Texas District Attorney Mike McLelland Michael Daly April 1, 2013

noun
(mainly US) a semiautomatic firearm with additional features such as a large magazine, a bayonet fitting, etc

Read Also:

  • Assault weapon

    any of various automatic and semiautomatic military firearms utilizing an intermediate-power cartridge, designed for individual use. Compare . Contemporary Examples It makes no difference that there is no reason whatsoever for a private citizen to own an assault weapon. Why the South Loves Guns David Sessions December 15, 2012 Every household with a male in […]

  • Assaulted

    a sudden, violent attack; onslaught: an assault on tradition. Law. an unlawful physical attack upon another; an attempt or offer to do violence to another, with or without battery, as by holding a stone or club in a threatening manner. Military. the stage of close combat in an attack. 1 . to make an assault […]

  • Assaulter

    a sudden, violent attack; onslaught: an assault on tradition. Law. an unlawful physical attack upon another; an attempt or offer to do violence to another, with or without battery, as by holding a stone or club in a threatening manner. Military. the stage of close combat in an attack. 1 . to make an assault […]

  • Assaultive

    tending or seeming to ; physically aggressive: the assaultive behavior of the inmates; the assaultive manner of some rock bands. Historical Examples I did not say that he had assaultive or homicidal potential. Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15) The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

  • Assay

    to examine or analyze: to assay a situation; to assay an event. Metallurgy. to analyze (an ore, alloy, etc.) in order to determine the quantity of gold, silver, or other metal in it. Pharmacology. to subject (a drug) to an analysis for the determination of its potency or composition. to judge the quality of; assess; […]


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