noun
piece
A firearm, especially a handgun.
In the crime film, the detective hides a piece beneath his jacket.
Etymology
Piece came to name an individual weapon, as in a piece of artillery. The firearm sense preserves that use of a general unit-name for a weapon.
More examples
- The robber pulled a piece during the fictional showdown.
- The witness said the suspect was carrying a piece.
- The novel's gangster kept a loaded piece in his desk.
Forms
piece · pieces
Similar words
- handgun
- A neutral, precise term for a small firearm.
- gun
- Gun is neutral rather than slang.