noun
forty
A .40-caliber firearm.
At the range, she keeps her forty pointed safely downrange.
Etymology
The firearm is named by shortening its caliber designation. Forty refers to .40 of an inch in the conventional designation, rather than to a count of weapons.
More examples
- His forty stays locked in a safe at home.
- The dealer shows us two forties from different manufacturers.
- This holster is designed to fit her forty.
Forms
forty · forties
Similar words
- firearm
- A broader term that does not specify caliber.
- pistol
- Specifies a type of handgun rather than its caliber.