Sten

/stɛn/ noun

Definition

A British submachine gun used during World War II, or its variants.

Etymology

Acronym from 'Sten' combining the designers' names (Shepherd and Turpin) and 'EN' for Enfield factory. Created 1941, it became one of WWII's most famous weapons.

Kelly Says

The Sten gun was so simple to manufacture that the British made over 4 million during WWII, and so easy to build that other countries created illegal copies—simplicity was its superpower.

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