semi-automatic
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.13 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
5
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Of a firearm that automatically ejects a shell and loads the next one, but requires the trigger to be squeezed for each shot; autoloading.
noun
A semi-automatic firearm, especially such a pistol.
noun
Example Sentences
- "The pro-gun majority in the House of Representatives moved Wednesday to compel the nation's capital to broaden the rights of its residents to buy and own firearms, including semi-automatic weapons."
- "The Los Angeles ordinance covers semi-automatics with a detachable magazine of 20 rounds or more. As examples, it cited such weapons as the AR 15 assault rifles, Uzi assault rifles and carbines, Ingram Mac-10 and Mac-11 assault carbines, AK-47 assault rifles, Thompson carbines and all Avtomat Kalashnikov weapons."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Indo-European *sēmi Latin sēmi-bor. English semi- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew Proto-Indo-European *tó- Proto-Hellenic *autós Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewder. Ancient Greek αὖ (aû) Ancient Greek τόν (tón) Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós) Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-) Proto-Indo-European *men- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *mn̥tós Proto-Hellenic *mətós Ancient Greek αὐτόμᾰτος (autómătos) Ancient Greek αὐτόμᾰτον (autómăton)der. Classical Latin automatum New Latin automaticusbor. English automatic English semi-automatic From semi- + automatic.