blowgun

Everyday

A long, thin tube used as a weapon or for hunting: a person blows hard into one end to shoot a small dart out of the other. tree →

In the lessons

In history and geography lessons it is linked with hunting traditions of peoples in the Amazon rainforest and South-East Asia (such as Borneo). In stories it adds adventure and jungle danger. Safety: real blowguns are weapons, not toys.

Examples

• Hunters in the rainforest used a blowgun to catch birds. tree →
• The blowgun was made from a long hollow cane. tree →
• He blew into the blowgun and the dart flew silently. tree →
• The museum showed a blowgun from Borneo. tree →
• In the adventure story, an arrow from a blowgun stuck in the tree. tree →
• Some darts for a blowgun were dipped in poison. tree →

Note

Countable: a blowgun, blowguns; also called «blowpipe» (UK) or «blow gun». It uses breath, not gunpowder, so it is not a gun in the usual sense.