A firearm designed to be held and operated with one hand, including pistols and revolvers. A portable firearm small enough to be carried and fired by hand.
Compound word from 'hand' + 'gun', first appearing in the 15th century when portable firearms were developed. 'Gun' itself may come from the Middle English feminine name 'Gunhild', used for siege engines.
The first handguns were essentially miniature cannons with wooden handles, so inaccurate that they were mainly psychological weapons! Modern handgun design hasn't changed dramatically since the 1800s - the basic principles of rifled barrels and cartridge ammunition remain the same.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.