gun
Loading your saved state.
gun
A large, heavy firearm that is typically mounted on a frame and used to fire shells over long distances. Artillery guns and cannons are examples of this.
Die Armee brachte schwere Geschütze an der Front in Stellung.
The army brought heavy guns into position at the front.
to bring out the big guns
To use drastic or very effective means to achieve a goal or win a confrontation.
In der Debatte fuhr die Opposition schwere Geschütze gegen den Minister auf.
In the debate, the opposition brought out the big guns against the minister.
The word 'Geschütz' (gun) is related to the verb 'schießen' (to shoot). The prefix 'Ge-' here forms, as it often does in German, a collective word for a type of object, in this case for heavy firearms.
Das Museum stellt historische Geschütze aus dem 18. Jahrhundert aus.
The museum displays historical guns from the 18th century.
In a military context, 'Geschütz' (gun) is often used with certain verbs. Typical combinations are 'ein Geschütz abfeuern' (to fire a gun), 'Geschütze in Stellung bringen' (to bring guns into position), or 'ein Geschütz auf ein Ziel richten' (to aim a gun at a target).
Die Soldaten brachten die schweren Geschütze in Stellung.
The soldiers brought the heavy guns into position.
The idiom 'schwere Geschütze auffahren' (to bring out the big guns) is a fixed unit. It is always used in the plural ('Geschütze') and with the verb 'auffahren' (to bring out/deploy), to describe the use of drastic measures.
Um den Vertrag zu bekommen, musste die Firma schwere Geschütze auffahren.
To get the contract, the company had to bring out the big guns.
cannon
Both words refer to large, heavy firearms that can be mounted on a carriage or frame. Geschütz is the general military-technical term, whereas Kanone can refer to a specific type or, depending on the context, the less technical term. In a technical description, “Geschütz” is more appropriate; in everyday language, “Kanone” is often used.
Der Bericht beschreibt ein schweres Geschütz, das Granaten über weite Strecken abfeuern konnte.
The report describes a heavy gun that could fire shells over long distances.
Im Museum sahen wir eine alte Kanone, die früher zur Verteidigung der Festung diente.
At the museum, we saw an old cannon that had once been used to defend the fortress.
