gun crew: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Military, technical, historical.
Quick answer
What does “gun crew” mean?
A group of military personnel trained to operate and maintain a specific artillery piece, cannon, or mounted weapon system.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A group of military personnel trained to operate and maintain a specific artillery piece, cannon, or mounted weapon system.
By extension, any coordinated team responsible for operating a complex, crew-served weapon or analogous industrial equipment requiring synchronized actions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is nearly identical in professional military contexts. 'Gun detachment' is a more formal British Army synonym.
Connotations
Both carry strong military/historical connotations. In civilian metaphorical use (e.g., 'the film camera gun crew'), it sounds slightly more American.
Frequency
Comparable frequency. Slightly higher in American usage due to broader metaphorical application.
Grammar
How to Use “gun crew” in a Sentence
The [adjective] gun crew [verb, e.g., manned, operated, fired] the [type] gun.A gun crew of [number] was assigned to the battery.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “gun crew” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The naval gun crew drilled relentlessly for the forthcoming review.
- A Victorian gun crew would have numbered six or seven men.
- The museum exhibit features a simulated 18-pounder gun crew.
American English
- The Civil War reenactors demonstrated how a period gun crew loaded and fired.
- Each artillery piece was assigned a permanent gun crew.
- The efficiency of the gun crew directly impacted the rate of fire.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used. Metaphorically for a highly synchronized project team.
Academic
Used in military history, technology studies, and narratives of warfare.
Everyday
Rare, except in historical discussion or specific hobbies (e.g., historical reenactment).
Technical
Standard term in military manuals, artillery doctrine, and naval operations.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “gun crew”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “gun crew”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gun crew”
- Using 'gun crew' for a team operating small arms or machine guns (use 'weapons squad' or 'machine gun team').
- Using it as a verb (*'They gun-crewed the weapon').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically not. While a machine gun has a crew (e.g., gunner, assistant gunner), the standard term is 'machine gun team' or 'weapons team'. 'Gun crew' strongly implies larger, mounted artillery.
Yes, but it's a niche metaphor. It describes any small team performing a complex, sequential task with high precision under pressure, e.g., a pit crew in motorsport or a live television production team.
'Crew' is broad (ship crew, film crew, air crew). 'Gun crew' is a hyponym, specifying a crew whose sole function is to operate a specific large weapon system.
Yes, though the size of the crew has diminished. Even highly automated naval guns or artillery systems require a small team for operation, maintenance, and ammunition handling, still referred to as a gun crew or detachment.
A group of military personnel trained to operate and maintain a specific artillery piece, cannon, or mounted weapon system.
Gun crew is usually military, technical, historical. in register.
Gun crew: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡʌn ˌkruː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡʌn ˌkruː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To work like a well-oiled gun crew”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a film CREW operating a camera 'gun' – both require coordinated, specialist roles to 'fire' effectively.
Conceptual Metaphor
A TEAM IS A MACHINE / COORDINATED LABOUR IS PRECISE MECHANISM.
Practice
Quiz
In modern military parlance, 'gun crew' is most specifically associated with: