# railgun

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɹeɪl.ɡʌn/ · frequency rank #82,705

## Definitions
1. An electromagnetic gun that uses a large electrical current to propel a projectile down a track of two parallel conductive rails.
2. A railway gun.
3. A benchrest rifle.

## Etymology
From rail + gun.
* (railway gun): From being a gun mounted on a rail car, and being railroad-mobile.
* (EM gun): From being a projectile ejecting device with a pair of electric conducting rails that a launch sled runs along, which shoots the projectile.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/railgun