A blowgun is a long, hollow tube used to shoot small projectiles by the force of your breath. You place a dart or pellet inside one end, put your mouth to that end, and blow hard. The air pressure launches the dart out the other end toward your target.

Blowguns have been used for thousands of years by indigenous peoples in places like the Amazon rainforest, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa. Hunters used them to shoot small darts, sometimes tipped with substances from plants or tree frogs, to hunt birds, monkeys, and other animals for food. A skilled hunter could hit a target silently from 30 or 40 feet away.

Modern blowguns are usually made for target practice or sport. People shoot at paper targets or foam boards, using small darts with cotton or foam ends instead of sharp points. Some competitive shooters can hit a bullseye from impressive distances using only lung power.

The weapon works because of air pressure: when you blow forcefully into the tube, all that air has only one way to escape, pushing the dart forward at surprising speed. It's the same principle as when you blow through a straw to launch a spitball, just more precise and powerful.