Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A large-caliber rifle that fires ammunition at high velocity, used especially in hunting big game.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as express, 5.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • A sporting rifle for use at short ranges, employing a large charge of powder and a light (short) bullet, giving a high initial velocity and consequently a flat trajectory. It is usually of moderately large caliber.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any of various rifles that propel the bullet at high velocity to maximize point blank range.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

First applied to hunting rifles and ammunition beginning in the middle 19th century, to indicate a rifle or ammunition capable of higher than typical velocities.

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Examples

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