Weapons that discharge projectiles through explosive force, typically bullets. Can also refer informally to muscular arms or biceps.
From Middle English gonne, possibly from the Scandinavian female name Gunhild, as early cannons were often given women's names. The slang meaning for arm muscles emerged in 1970s American bodybuilding culture.
Early cannons were personified with female names like 'Big Bertha' and 'Mons Meg' - this tradition of naming weapons may have given us the word 'gun' itself. The bodybuilder slang 'guns' for arms cleverly plays on the weapon metaphor.
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