: a .223 caliber (5.56 millimeter) gas-operated magazine-fed rifle for semiautomatic or automatic operation used by U.S. troops since the mid 1960s

Examples of M16 in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Eastman was allegedly shot twice with an M16 rifle by kidnappers posing as police officers in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte province. Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 Likewise, the Triton fell between the superior HP Omen Transcend and inferior Alienware M16 gaming laptops. PCMAG, 27 Nov. 2024 According to initial police reports, the kidnappers, armed with M16 rifles, posed as police officers during the abduction. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 According to the Court Circular, the heir to the throne most recently visited M16 on Feb. 23, 2022, the same day the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 14 June 2024 The London hotel opened in 2023, but its stately Edwardian Baroque building has long fronted as M16 for the franchise; spot it in Octopussy, A View to a Kill, Licence to Kill, Skyfall and Spectre. Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024 Getting a weapon is not hard: There are at least 20 million AR-15-style rifles, fashioned after the M16 military rifle, in circulation in the U.S. Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2024 The surgeon alleges that a gunshot wound on the face of one of his patients, a male teenager, most likely came from an M16 or sniper rifle because the wound was a small entrance wound. Sahar Akbarzai, CNN, 26 July 2024 The assassination attempt, during which light antitank rockets, grenades, M16 rifles and more were used, killed and wounded several members of Pinochet’s security detail but left Pinochet, who was traveling in a brand-new armored Mercedes with bulletproof tires, lightly wounded. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, The Conversation, 25 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

model 16

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of M16 was in 1968

Dictionary Entries Near M16

Cite this Entry

“M16.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/M16. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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