great gunn.
/ˈɡreɪt ˌɡʌn/, U.S. /ˈɡreɪt ˈɡən/ 1. A firearm or gun of such size that it needs to be mounted for firing; a piece of heavy ordnance. Now historical.Distinguished from small arms n. 2.Quot. c1430 probably refers to the sound of a ship-mounted cannon being fired, in the context of a description of the Battle of Actium as though it were a modern naval battle.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > piece of artillery > [noun]
gun1339
enginec1380
great gunc1430
ordnancec1450
cannona1460
piece1512
spitfire1611
tube1763
barker1815
by and by1857
big gun1886
centre-fire1889
c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 637 With grysely soun out goth the grete gonnne [read gonne].
a1450 ( tr. Vegetius De Re Militari (Douce) f. 106 Grete gunnes þat schete now adayes [stones] of so grete peys þat no walle may wiþstonde hem.
1528 T. Magnus in State Papers (1836) IV. 325 5 gret gonnes of brasse called cannons.
1556 in J. G. Nichols Chron. Grey Friars (1852) 60 That same tyme all the gattes of the citte of London was layed with grett gonnes with-in the citte warte.
1660 T. Willsford Scales of Comm. 196 A Mount or Platform is to be raised for battery, on which the great guns are to be mounted.
1684 G. S. Anglorum Speculum 807 The Manufactures are great Guns, made of the Iron in this County.
a1715 Bp. G. Burnet Hist. Own Time (1734) II. 58 He sent for some more Ammunition, and some great Guns.
1800 J. J. J. Aimé Narr. Deportation to Cayenne 199 The report of a great gun never fails to fill them with the most fearful disquietudes.
1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. v. 611 There would have been much difficulty in dragging the great guns to the place where the battle was raging.
1913 Advocate Peace 75 189/2 The great gun, which deteriorates rapidly with use, costs approximately $50,000.
1997 Archaeology Oct. 10/3 The quarter gunner oversaw maintenance of great guns on an assigned single deck.
2. figurative and in figurative contexts. A powerful or impressive person; a distinguished or eminent person.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [noun] > one who is important > one who is distinguished or notable
palma1525
somebodya1566
Dona1635
great gun1657
lion1715
bahadur1776
tyee1792
lioness1808
top-sawyer1826
roi soleil1880
1657 M. Nedham Great Accuser cast Down 115 He would muster up men, raise Batteries, and plant his great Guns in all the Pulpits of England.
1676 E. Freke Diary 14 Dec. in Jrnl. Cork Hist. & Archaeol. Soc. (1911) 17 6 The greatt Guns of Rochester with the Under Shrife & 24 Baylyes.
1789 J. O'Keeffe Highland Reel iii. iii. 67 I happen to be daughter to an old great gun!
1815 Countess Granville Lett. (1894) I. 71 None of the great guns were at Madame de Coligny's.
1825 W. Scott Let. 25 Jan. (1935) VIII. 495 A worthy clergyman one of the great guns as they call them.
1843 T. C. Haliburton Attaché I. xv. 265 The great guns, and big bugs.
1858 R. S. Surtees Ask Mamma lvii. 258 Sir Moses being the great gun of the evening, of course timed himself to arrive becomingly late.
1870 Blaine's Encycl. Rural Sports (rev. ed.) §4075 Great guns in the pugilistic ring.
1958 Times Lit. Suppl. 14 Feb. 83/1 We must now brace ourselves to receive broadsides from the great guns of science and technology.
1991 Independent (Nexis) 12 Aug. 12 Not all preachers shared the great gun's interpretation of divine purpose.
3. great guns!: used as an exclamation expressing surprise or disbelief.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > surprise, unexpectedness > exclamation of surprise [interjection]
whatOE
well, wellOE
avoyc1300
ouc1300
ay1340
lorda1393
ahaa1400
hillaa1400
whannowc1450
wow1513
why?1520
heydaya1529
ah1538
ah me!a1547
fore me!a1547
o me!a1547
what the (also a) goodyear1570
precious coals1576
Lord have mercy (on us)1581
good heavens1588
whau1589
coads1590
ay me!1591
my stars!a1593
Gods me1595
law1598
Godso1600
to go out1600
coads-nigs1608
for mercy!a1616
good stars!1615
mercy on us (also me, etc.)!a1616
gramercy1617
goodness1623
what next?1662
mon Dieu1665
heugh1668
criminy1681
Lawd1696
the dickens1697
(God, etc.) bless my heart1704
alackaday1705
(for) mercy's sake!1707
my1707
deuce1710
gracious1712
goodly and gracious1713
my word1722
my stars and garters!1758
lawka1774
losha1779
Lord bless me (also you, us, etc.)1784
great guns!1795
mein Gott1795
Dear me!1805
fancy1813
well, I'm sure!1815
massy1817
Dear, dear!1818
to get off1818
laws1824
Mamma mia1824
by crikey1826
wisha1826
alleleu1829
crackey1830
Madonna mia1830
indeed1834
to go on1835
snakes1839
Jerusalem1840
sapristi1840
oh my days1841
tear and ages1841
what (why, etc.) in time?1844
sakes alive!1846
gee willikers1847
to get away1847
well, to be sure!1847
gee1851
Great Scott1852
holy mackerel!1855
doggone1857
lawsy1868
my wig(s)!1871
gee whiz1872
crimes1874
yoicks1881
Christmas1882
hully gee1895
'ullo1895
my hat!1899
good (also great) grief!1900
strike me pink!1902
oo-er1909
what do you know?1909
cripes1910
coo1911
zowiec1913
can you tie that?1918
hot diggety1924
yeow1924
ziggety1924
stone (or stiffen) the crows1930
hullo1931
tiens1932
whammo1932
po po po1936
how about that?1939
hallo1942
brother1945
tie that!1948
surprise1953
wowee1963
yikes1971
never1974
to sod off1976
whee1978
mercy1986
yipes1989
the mind > mental capacity > belief > disbelief, incredulity > expressions of disbelief [interjection]
to go toc1275
in good timea1470
Walker1811
to get off1818
this beats my grandmother1819
to go on1835
your granny!1837
to get away1847
I ask you1855
great guns!1875
sure1907
oh yeah1927
Aunt Fanny1928
go 'long1974
to sod off1976
1795 Mrs. Marriott Chimera i. 13 Great guns and small arms! Here's a pretty time of night to be kicking my heels and rubbing my hands under the mournful shades of the weeping willow.
1875 M. D. Landon Eli Perkins 96 But, great guns, Colonel, there was $20 in that roll.
1884 ‘M. Twain’ Adventures Huckleberry Finn xiii. 106 Great guns! is he her uncle?
1909 S. E. Kiser Sonnets Chorus Girl 42 Great guns!
1943 Boys' Life Feb. 26/4 ‘Great guns!’ shouted the Carson captain, collapsing in simple hysterics on a teammate's shoulder.
1999 G. Forster Beyond Desire vii. 151 ‘Great guns,’ Marcus exclaimed.
Phrases
P1. colloquial (now somewhat dated) to blow great guns: to blow a violent gale.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > wind > blow (of the wind) [verb (intransitive)] > blow strongly
besom?a1400
bluster1530
overblow1587
ruffiana1616
to blow great guns1779
to blow guns1833
1779 Let. 19 Sept. in Public Advertiser 23 Sept. To-day it blows great Guns intermingled with Rain.
1829 P. Hawker Diary (1893) I. 353 It blew great guns.
1841 C. Dickens Barnaby Rudge xxxiii. 124 It blows great guns, indeed. There'll be many a crash in the Forest to-night.
1883 C. J. Wills In Land of Lion & Sun 389 At sunset, as is usual at this place, it blew great guns.
1936 B. C. Williams George Eliot iii. 17 She loved the wind, loved to walk when it was blowing great guns.
1979 J. Needle Fine Boy for Killing (2000) xi. 87 Blowing great guns out there my friend.
P2. colloquial (originally Horse Racing) to go great guns: to make rapid progress, have a run of success.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > succeed or be a success [verb (intransitive)] > have a run of success
to go great guns1856
1856 Sporting Mag. July 231 Artillery also went ‘great guns’ more than once.
1913 Field 3 May 849/3 A moment later Louvois shot out, passed Sanquhar and Fairy King, and going great guns..beat the favourite by a head.
1958 Times 26 Sept. 19/2 Local partisanship will no doubt run high between Bristol, who are going great guns so far, and their old..rivals Gloucester.
1971 Times 16 Jan. 16/8 Arsenal, going great guns in their functional, efficient way, must see the league title within their sights.
2006 City News (Brisbane) 12 Oct. 24/1 This little company is going great guns.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2013; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.c1430