noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌkweɪkə ˈɡʌn/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˌkweɪkəɹ ˈɡʌn/
rhymes with -ʌn
1
noun
Meaning 1
A nonfunctional imitation of a gun or an artillery piece, typically made of wood and usually intended to deceive enemy forces into overestimating one's available firepower.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, historical, idiomatic
Topics: engineering, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Alternative letter-case form of Quaker gun.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a dummy gun or piece of artillery made usually of wood
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: gun
History
Etymology
From Quaker + gun, referring to the pacifism associated with practitioners of the Quaker religion.
Across languages
Translations
6 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Finnish:
valetykki
— nonfunctional imitation of a gun or an artillery piece
French:
Quaker gun
— nonfunctional imitation of a gun or an artillery piece
Lithuanian:
Kvakerių patranka
— nonfunctional imitation of a gun or an artillery piece
Polish:
działo kwakrów
— nonfunctional imitation of a gun or an artillery piece
Spanish:
cañón cuáquero
— nonfunctional imitation of a gun or an artillery piece
Ukrainian:
Квакерська гарма́та
(Kvakersʹka harmáta)
— nonfunctional imitation of a gun or an artillery piece
