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biggun (pluralbig guns)

1. (military) Alargeartillerygun or one of the largest-calibernaval guns (as on abattleship).

   Synonym:great gun

   • 1870 December 2, “The Suez Mail”, inSouthland Times, number1342, New Zealand, page 2:

     London, Nov. 1: Thebig guns opened fire on Paris today at mid-day.

   • 1968 March 26, “Battleship begins Viet Tests”, inEvening News, Newburgh, NY, USA, retrieved19 August 2011, page 1:

     The smaller crew was possible because the battleship was stripped of all but herbig guns.

   • 2008 December 6,William J. Bennett, John Cribb, “Deadly resolve answered attack”, inDaily Courier, USA, retrieved 19 Aug. 2011:

     The USS West Virginia became one of many symbols of American resolve. . . . Herbig guns pounded the enemy at the battles of Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

2. (idiomatic, by extension, chiefly in theplural) A person, group, thing, or course of action that ispowerful,influential, or particularlyeffective.

   Synonyms:big shot,bigwig;see alsoThesaurus:important person

   • 1888 June 6, “A Great Day for Big Guns”, inNew York Times, retrieved 20 Aug. 2011:

     This has been a great day for the big guns. This does not refer to Prof. Lummis and the otherbig guns of the Board of Visitors, for every day is a great one for them.

   • 1957 Aug. 28, Ed Wilks, "Sports" (Headline),Park City News (USA), p. 15(retrieved 20 Aug. 2011):

     Berra IsBig Gun In Yankee Victory

   • 2001 June 29, Frank Pellegrini, “Whatever Happened to Military Restructuring?”, inTime:

     And the administration'sbig guns — Bush, Cheney, Powell and once-and-current Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld — had the clout to make bold and necessary changes.

   • 2007 March 26, Yuri Wuensch, “Eric Clapton simply masterful”, incanoe.ca, Canada, retrieved 20 Aug. 2011:

     Clapton kept thebig guns for last, finishing the set off with Derek and the Domino's "Layla", complete with the haunting instrumentals at song's end.

3. (surfing) A largesurfboard used to ride very large,powerfulwaves.
   • 1966,Bruce Brown, director,The Endless Summer:

     Special boards are used called "big guns."

• Buggin,buggin'

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