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submachine gun 

A class of firearm that is intented for fully automatic firing and chambers pistol ammunitions. In some sense it is basically a pistol with full auto capability.

It is generally used in close combat where accuracy is less important than rate of fire. The usage of pistol ammunitions means lower recoil than conventional rifles, thus enabling it to be fired at high rate, but it also means it has less stopping power and a shorter effective range.

(note: civilian SMGs are often converted that so they are only capable of semi-auto fire.)

Do not confuse it with assault rifle. An assault rifle is technically a cross between a conventional rifle and a SMG.
HK MP5 is a German SMG.

Uzi is commonly portrayed in movies.

The M1 Thompson, or "Tommy gun" is a submachine gun used during the Second World War.

submachine gun by Kickyourmom October 20, 2005
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submachine gun 

A firearm larger than a pistol, without the range or barrel length of a rifle, or the speed of a true machine gun.

Submachine guns are basically firearms that can be fired in single, burst, or automatic fire with equal ease over short to medium ranges, after which point they become less effective due to inaccuracy.

Submachine guns can actually be rather large, like an MP5SD or FN P90, or small, like a Mac-10. Having akimbo SMGs is becoming amazingly popular in action moves and video games. (though in realistic games and real-life, are not reccomended due to heavy recoil and inaccuracy)
I turned the corner and was immediately pelted with lead. The guy had a submachine gun.
submachine gun by Kenthar November 6, 2003

sub-machine gun 

A class of firearms generally defined as being relatively compact with selective fire ability to switch from semi to full automatic. Usually fires standard handgun cartridges, though several exceptions exist (e.g. FN P90, H&K MP7) The sub-machine gun is most commonly used by special police/SWAT forces, paramilitary organizations, special op forces, and non-combatant military personel as a Personal Defense Weapon.

See also; SMG
sub-machine gun by Anonymous August 5, 2003

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How to say "you're an idiot/clown" using only emojis.
Person 1: Insert completely incorrect and/or idiotic statement here
Person 2: 🤡🫵🏻
Word of the Day on June 1, 2026
Fogey/fogy /fougi/ sl. (early 18C+, orig. Scot) old-fashioned, stuck-in-the mud.
Person with old fashioned ideas which he is unwilling to change: Come to the disco and stop being such an old fogey!
You think me an old fogeyand an old tory, his thoughtful voice said. I saw three generations since O’Connel’s time. I remember the famine. Do you know that the orange lodges agitated for repeal of the union twenty years before O’Connel did or before the prelates of your communion denounced him as a demagogue? You fenians forget some things. (James Joyce, Ulysses. Penguin Books,1992. p. 38)
fogey by Petyush September 14, 2005
Word of the Day on May 31, 2026
Add a tablespoon of jarlic to two teaspoons of butter and spread it in bread to make garlic bread
Jarlic by YSAC fanboy June 6, 2020
Word of the Day on May 30, 2026
An armpit enthusiast — typically of the scent, appearance, and touch of hairy underarms.
That dude’s such a pitpig, I have to wear deodorant to keep him at bay.
Pitpig by wimbledon May 28, 2026
Word of the Day on May 29, 2026